MSU online master’s programs rank #7 in the nation

January 21, 2025

Michigan State University continues to be a leader offering some of the nation’s most highly regarded online education master’s degree programs. According to U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, MSU holds the #7 overall spot, with four specialty programs placing in the top ten.

A woman holding a phone that reads #7 online in the nation"

Among specialties within education, the MSU College of Education ranked:

  • #3 in Curriculum and Instruction
  • #3 in Educational Administration and Supervision
  • #6 in Educational/Instructional Media Design
  • #9 in Special Education

Of the 313 programs ranked across the U.S., MSU maintained its overall ranking from last year.

“We take great pride in being recognized among the nation’s best and in continuing to offer top-ranked programs that prepare graduates to make meaningful contributions in their fields,” said Jerlando F. L. Jackson, College of Education dean and MSU Research Foundation Professor. “Our consistent top-ten rankings reaffirm our dedication to providing accessible, world-class education that meets the evolving needs of learners everywhere.”

Methodology

U.S. News uses a weighted scale to evaluate each institution, taking into consideration five key factors, namely:

  • Student Excellence – a combination of standardized test scores, experience, acceptance rate and undergraduate GPA
  • Faculty Credentials and Training – a combination of terminal degree faculty, preparedness to teach distance learners, and tenured faculty
  • Peer Assessment – a survey of high-ranking academic officials in education helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that statistics don’t capture. Also, employers may hold in high regard degrees from programs that academics respect.
  • Services and Technology – a combination of student indebtedness, technological infrastructure and support services
  • Engagement – a combination of best practices, graduation rate, class size, one-year retention rate and time to degree deadline

A wide range of programs

The MSU College of Education now offers 11 fully online and hybrid master’s programs:

MSU remains a leader in education

In addition to its online master’s program rankings, the MSU College of Education has been ranked #1 in the nation for elementary and secondary education for 30 consecutive years according to U.S. News World & Report Graduate rankings.


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