Post University in Waterbury leads Connecticut's list with a general Master of Education, and it also has the lowest rate among the programs. The University of Hartford, the University of Saint Joseph and Sacred Heart University follow, and Eastern Connecticut State University is the only public school on the list.
Because nearly every school here is private, the same rate applies whether you live in the state or not, and the in-state advantage that shapes many states' pages is mostly absent. What shapes Connecticut instead is its certification system, which now makes a master's part of the route from the Initial to the Professional certificate. The sections below take the schools, the rule and the practical questions.
Source: IPEDS, read October 6, 2026. Tuition is the 2023-24 in-state rate.
top score, Post University
93.6
median in-state tuition and fees across the 7 listed, 2023-24
$15,665
schools in Connecticut with a ranked fully online master's in education
7
ranked programs in Connecticut that lead to a license
5
This list covers fully online master's programs at universities located in Connecticut, one per school.
The 7 Best Online Master's in Education Programs in Connecticut
The 7 programs below are at schools in Connecticut, scored at the in-state price and listed one per school.
1
Post University
Master of Education
Waterbury, Connecticut
93.6- Private for-profit
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 65 a year
- Yearly cost
- $7,054
- In-state rate
- $7,054, 2023-24
Post University in Waterbury, a private for-profit school, offers a Master of Education where recordings of each class stay available afterward, so a working adult can catch up on their own schedule. Applicants are considered on a rolling basis. Candidates can steer toward Higher Education Administration or Teaching and Learning, among other options.
The degree carries no licensure and does not replace the Initial Educator Certificate issued by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Certification. For a Connecticut educator, its value lies in advancing or changing roles within a current career. Post charges every student $7,054 for 2023-24, with no separate out-of-state rate. In the latest federal count, the university awarded 65 master's degrees, among the larger totals for Connecticut programs of this kind.
2
University of Hartford
Master of Education in Special Education
West Hartford, Connecticut
72.7- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Degrees awarded
- 61 a year
- Yearly cost
- $15,665
- In-state rate
- $15,665, 2023-24
The University of Hartford, in West Hartford, organizes its online Master of Education in Special Education into three tracks. The Advanced track suits certified special educators seeking the next certification level and ends in a capstone research project. A Cross Endorsement track fits licensed teachers adding special education, and an Initial Certification track fits bachelor's degree holders entering the field. Both of those finish with a student teaching practicum and portfolio.
Both lead toward Connecticut teaching certification, require passing Connecticut licensure tests, and include a 14-week full-day student teaching placement in Connecticut. A math cross-endorsement option exists. CAEP accredits the program and it follows Connecticut Department of Education certification requirements. Tuition is $15,665 for 2023-24, the same for all students. The private nonprofit awarded 61 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
3
University of Saint Joseph
Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction
West Hartford, Connecticut
62.2- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 39 a year
- Yearly cost
- $16,971
- In-state rate
- $16,971, 2023-24
Evening classes define the University of Saint Joseph's Master of Arts in Curriculum & Instruction, an online cohort degree from the West Hartford campus. Live virtual sessions meet the same evening every week. Courses come in 8-week blocks taken one at a time, and the group finishes together in about two years. A course-embedded capstone, EDUC 537: Reflective Practitioner, ties the work to the candidate's own classroom.
It does not lead to certification, licensure or endorsement, so it serves Connecticut teachers who already hold the Initial Educator Certificate from the State Department of Education, Bureau of Certification and want continuing study. Saint Joseph is a private nonprofit and charges all students $16,971 for 2023-24. It awarded 39 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
4
Sacred Heart University
Master of Education
Fairfield, Connecticut
47.6- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 112 a year
- Yearly cost
- $34,060
- In-state rate
- $34,060, 2023-24
For Connecticut teachers who are already certified, Sacred Heart University in Fairfield offers a Master of Education built around Literacy and Special Education specializations of 30 credits each, both taught online. Literacy begins in spring. Special Education begins in fall and moves at a pace of roughly 15 months.
A Literacy graduate becomes eligible to apply for Connecticut remedial reading and language arts certification (#102) after 30 months of classroom experience, a certificate issued through the Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Certification. The degree is aimed at working educators who already hold a license, and it adds a specialty to that base. As a private nonprofit, the university charges all students $34,060 for 2023-24. It awarded 112 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
5
Goodwin University
Master of Education in Teacher Leadership
East Hartford, Connecticut
47.3- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 11 a year
- Yearly cost
- $14,520
- In-state rate
- $14,520, 2023-24
Teachers around East Hartford can look to Goodwin University for a Master of Education in Teacher Leadership, a 30-credit degree offered jointly with the University of Bridgeport, so the diploma names both institutions. The coursework is built around the Universal Design for Learning framework, the GRE is not required, and the degree can be completed in as few as 15 months.
Goodwin's page describes an Alternative Route to Certification pathway for people without a teaching credential, with up to 6 credits granted for prior learning. The degree is not presented as initial licensure, and Connecticut's Initial Educator Certificate remains the business of the State Department of Education, Bureau of Certification. The New England Commission of Higher Education accredits Goodwin. This private nonprofit charges all students $14,520 for 2023-24 and awarded 11 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
6
Quinnipiac University
Master of Science in Special Education
Hamden, Connecticut
46.0- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Degrees awarded
- 17 a year
- Yearly cost
- $18,217
- In-state rate
- $18,217, 2023-24
Hamden's Quinnipiac University delivers its online Master of Science in Special Education through an 18-credit foundation shared by two tracks. The cross-endorsement track leads to Connecticut #165 Comprehensive PreK-12 Special Education certification for people who already hold an initial endorsement. The general track serves candidates from related fields. Cross-endorsement candidates complete two 3-credit practicums in different special education areas.
Up to 50% tuition remission is available to those placed as interns or residents in non-employing districts. The School of Education is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Certification itself is issued by the Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Certification, and the state uses Praxis. Tuition at this private nonprofit is $18,217 for 2023-24 for every student. Quinnipiac awarded 17 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
7
Eastern Connecticut State University
Master of Science in Educational Technology
Willimantic, Connecticut
34.4- Public
- No license involved
- Educational/Instructional Technology
- Degrees awarded
- 6 a year
- Yearly cost
- $14,928
- In-state rate
- $14,928, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $19,078
Willimantic is where Eastern Connecticut State University offers its Master of Science in Educational Technology, a 30-credit online degree taught asynchronously. There are three start dates each year and no application deadline. Electives reach into early childhood education technology, bilingual and dual language learning, special education, STEM content instruction, English language arts and English learner instruction. Students finish with a research project and readings course or an emerging technologies seminar.
Admission asks for a valid state teaching certificate or significant teaching experience, and the degree itself does not confer licensure. The Connecticut State Department of Education, Bureau of Certification still issues the Initial Educator Certificate. Connecticut residents pay $14,928 for 2023-24, while nonresidents pay $19,078. The public university awarded 6 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
How We Rank
Every eligible program is scored out of 100. Each figure becomes a percentile against the 1771 ranked programs, and the percentiles are weighted as below. The methodology page explains each choice.
- Degrees awarded: 50%. Master's degrees the program conferred in the latest reported year, counted up to 50. Past 50 a year a program is clearly established and more volume adds nothing.
- In-state tuition and fees: 50%. The university's graduate in-state tuition plus required fees for a full-time year, 2023-24, the price a Connecticut resident pays. Lower cost scores higher.
Reading the cards. The tuition figure is each school's in-state graduate rate for a full-time year, 2023-24, with its out-of-state rate beside it where the two differ.
Source: federal IPEDS records, read October 6, 2026. Tuition and fees are each school's graduate in-state rate for 2023-24. Scores are our own.
Which Online Master's Programs in Connecticut Lead to a License?
5 ranked programs at schools in Connecticut lead to a license, certificate or endorsement, scored the same way as the list above, one program per school. The Connecticut teacher licensure guide covers what the state asks for beyond the degree.
| Rank | School | Program | Credential the school names | In-state rate, 2023-24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Hartford | Master of Education in Special Education | Educator license | $15,665 |
| 2 | Sacred Heart University | Master of Education | Educator license | $34,060 |
| 3 | Quinnipiac University | Master of Science in Special Education | Educator license | $18,217 |
| 4 | University of Saint Joseph | Master of Arts (M.A.) in TESOL Education | Educator license | $16,971 |
| 5 | Eastern Connecticut State University | Master of Science in Special Education | Educator license | $14,928 |
What Does an Online Master's in Education Cost in Connecticut?
An online master's in education at a school in Connecticut costs a resident from $7,054 to $34,060 a year in graduate tuition and fees across these 7 programs, with a median of $15,665, for 2023-24. These are full-time yearly charges at the in-state rate, and many universities bill online students per credit instead, so the program's own figure may differ.
Which Connecticut Universities Offer an Online Master's in Education?
The Connecticut universities that offer an online master's in education run from broad degrees to narrow ones. Post University offers a general Master of Education, as does Sacred Heart University, and Sacred Heart's is the most expensive program on the list. Goodwin University in East Hartford teaches a Master of Education in Teacher Leadership.
The University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford offers a Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction. Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic completes the list with a degree in educational technology. Each of these is a degree for a working educator or trainer, and the Post, Saint Joseph, Goodwin and Eastern programs do not lead to certification, so a career changer should look to the special education programs instead.
Which Connecticut Master's Programs Lead to Special Education Certification?
The Connecticut master's programs that lead to special education certification are at the University of Hartford and Quinnipiac University in Hamden. Hartford's Master of Education in Special Education and Quinnipiac's Master of Science in Special Education both lead to certification, and so does Sacred Heart's general degree.
Special education is where Connecticut's list offers a clear route to the classroom. Ask each school whether its program is state-approved in Connecticut, which exam it prepares you for and whether a dean or certification officer will sign the application form the Bureau of Certification requires. The special education ranking compares programs across the country.
Why Does a Master's Matter for a Connecticut Educator Certificate?
A master's matters for a Connecticut educator certificate because the Professional educator certificate now requires one for teaching endorsements, along with years of service in the state, under a law effective in 2025. The Connecticut State Department of Education Bureau of Certification issues every certificate.
Administrative and special service endorsements keep their own advanced study rules, so a teacher planning for the Professional certificate and a counselor planning for a school role face different checks. Confirm that your field satisfies the rule before you pick a program, because the bureau, not the school, decides whether a given master's counts toward the Professional level. The Connecticut licensure guide traces how the Initial certificate leads to it.
What Does Studying Online at a Connecticut School Mean for a Resident?
Studying online at a Connecticut school means field work in your own district and a rate that, at the private schools, is the same for every student. The cost chart prints each school's figure, and Eastern Connecticut State is the one program with a separate resident price.
Connecticut belongs to NC-SARA through the New England compact, which governs a school's right to enroll students, not the Bureau of Certification's view of a degree. Use the disclosure under 34 CFR 668.43 to learn which states a program has checked if you may move.
Questions About Online Master's in Education Programs in Connecticut
What Is the Cheapest Online Master's in Education in Connecticut?
How Are Online Master's in Education Programs in Connecticut Ranked?
Which Connecticut School Offers the Lowest-Priced General Online Master's in Education?
Post University in Waterbury offers the lowest-priced general online master's in education on the Connecticut list, a for-profit school. Confirm that its program meets Connecticut certification requirements if you need a credential, and ask what the quoted rate includes beyond tuition.
Does Connecticut Have a Public University Online Master's in Education?
Connecticut has one on this list: Eastern Connecticut State University's Master of Science in Educational Technology. It serves teachers and trainers who build digital instruction and does not lead to certification.
How Do I Know a Connecticut Program Is State-Approved?
A Connecticut program is state-approved when the Bureau of Certification recognizes the planned program at the school. Ask the school for proof in writing, and check with the bureau before you rely on it.
Does a General Online Master's in Education Lead to Connecticut Certification?
A general online master's in education leads to Connecticut certification only at some schools. Sacred Heart University's Master of Education leads to certification, while Post University's general Master of Education does not. Check the program page and the Bureau of Certification before assuming a general degree counts.
Where Do the Figures for Connecticut Come From?
Tuition and degree counts come from federal records each college reports about itself.
Show the federal record for all 7 colleges ranked, in 1 state
Post University University of Hartford University of Saint Joseph Sacred Heart University Goodwin University Quinnipiac University Eastern Connecticut State University