Iowa's list is unusual because private nonprofit colleges dominate it. Northwestern College in Orange City leads with an online Master of Education in Educational Administration, Buena Vista University follows with teacher leadership, and Morningside University in Sioux City offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in special education. Public names appear lower down: the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa.
Many of these degrees connect to Iowa endorsements for teachers who are already licensed, such as the principal, talented and gifted, English as a second language and instructional strategist endorsements. The sections below explain how those endorsements work, who licenses them, and how studying with a campus in your own state differs from enrolling elsewhere.
Source: IPEDS, read October 6, 2026. Tuition is the 2023-24 in-state rate.
top score, Northwestern College
94.1
median in-state tuition and fees across the 10 listed, 2023-24
$10,641
schools in Iowa with a ranked fully online master's in education
10
ranked programs in Iowa that lead to a license
22
This list covers fully online master's programs at universities located in Iowa, one per school.
The 10 Best Online Master's in Education Programs in Iowa
The 10 programs below are at schools in Iowa, scored at the in-state price and listed one per school.
1
Northwestern College
Master of Education in Educational Administration
Orange City, Iowa
94.1- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General
- Degrees awarded
- 88 a year
- Yearly cost
- $6,600
- In-state rate
- $6,600, 2023-24
Orange City's Northwestern College charged every student $6,600 in 2023-24 for its Master of Education, in administration, delivered online. Coursework makes up 27 of the 34 credits and a school internship the other 7, with placements spread over early childhood, elementary, and secondary schools. A mentorship program pairs each candidate with a coach, and NELP and ISSL standards set the learning goals.
In Iowa, completion qualifies a graduate for the PK-12 principal endorsement and the supervisor of special education endorsement, plus an initial administrator license from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Athletic directors also use the degree. The Iowa Department of Education accredits the college, which awarded 88 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
2
Buena Vista University
Master of Education, Teacher Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction
Storm Lake, Iowa
87.6- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 80 a year
- Yearly cost
- $10,170
- In-state rate
- $10,170, 2023-24
Storm Lake is where Buena Vista University, a private nonprofit, offers its Master of Education for teachers who already hold a valid Iowa license. The teacher leadership and curriculum focus is delivered asynchronously. Candidates choose an endorsement route labeled TAG or TESL, and Educational Studies is another option for those not after an endorsement.
Completing the degree takes less than two years, and a portfolio closes it out. The credential side belongs to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Graduate tuition was $10,170 for 2023-24, the same for every student, and the university awarded 80 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
3
Morningside University
Master of Arts in Teaching, Special Education
Sioux City, Iowa
85.1- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Degrees awarded
- 59 a year
- Yearly cost
- $11,111
- In-state rate
- $11,111, 2023-24
Sioux City's Morningside University gives Iowa special educators a Master of Arts in Teaching they can finish entirely online, at 32 credit hours. A project grounded in the student's daily teaching work ends the degree. Morningside is a private nonprofit, and for 2023-24 it charged $11,111 to all graduate students, whatever their residency. In the latest federal count it awarded 59 master's degrees.
For a teacher who is already licensed, the coursework can count toward Iowa's strategist endorsement for special education, at level I or II. That credential is handled by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and the Higher Learning Commission accredits the institution.
4
Waldorf University
Master of Education, Teaching and Learning Concentration
Forest City, Iowa
80.3- Private for-profit
- No license involved
- Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
- Degrees awarded
- 24 a year
- Yearly cost
- $5,220
- In-state rate
- $5,220, 2023-24
Waldorf University in Forest City, a private for-profit school, charged $5,220 for 2023-24 to every graduate student. The price covers a Master of Education with a teaching focus, built from a 24-credit major and a 12-credit concentration, 36 credits altogether. Content centers on leadership development and digital teaching strategies, and everything is taught online.
Iowa teachers who hold a license are the intended audience. The degree does not itself provide state educator certification, so a person who needs one should look first to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, and Waldorf points those candidates to its partner TeacherReady. The university awarded 24 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
5
Dordt University
Master of Education, School Leadership specialization
Sioux Center, Iowa
76.0- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Educational Leadership and Administration, General
- Degrees awarded
- 27 a year
- Yearly cost
- $9,820
- In-state rate
- $9,820, 2023-24
Dordt University, in Sioux Center, built its School Leadership specialization for Iowa educators headed toward the principal's office or a director of special education role. The Master of Education with a School Leadership specialization totals 30 credit hours, all online, mixing live sessions with work done on your own schedule.
Completing it leads to an Initial Administrator license in Iowa, and six more semester hours convert that to a Standard license. Dordt notes the license transfers to many other states. A full-time teacher can stretch the coursework over two years or finish in as little as 14 months. The Higher Learning Commission and the Iowa Department of Education approve the program. Tuition at this private nonprofit was $9,820 for 2023-24, the same for every student, and 27 master's degrees were awarded.
6
Grand View University
Master of Education
Des Moines, Iowa
75.7- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 25 a year
- Yearly cost
- $9,278
- In-state rate
- $9,278, 2023-24
A 15-credit Culturally Responsive Teacher Leadership Core anchors Grand View University's Master of Education, and the practicum placements run through urban, suburban, and rural classrooms around Des Moines. Admission requires a current or pending Iowa teaching license, and the degree needs at least 33 graduate credits.
Beyond the core, candidates choose endorsement areas such as Dyslexia or Professional School Counseling, or design a course of study around their own goals. Undergraduates can start early through a 4+1 pathway that lets them dual-enroll for up to six credit hours toward both degrees, and groups of six or more teachers can arrange an on-site cohort. Approval comes from the Iowa Department of Education. Grand View, a private nonprofit, charged $9,278 in 2023-24 and awarded 25 master's degrees.
7
Drake University
Master of Science in Education: Effective Teaching
Des Moines, Iowa
69.2- Private nonprofit
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 30 a year
- Yearly cost
- $12,777
- In-state rate
- $12,777, 2023-24
Six-week courses and six start dates a year set the pace at Drake University in Des Moines. The Master of Science in Education in Effective Teaching takes 32 credit hours, delivered 100% asynchronously with no required weekly meetings, and it asks for neither GRE nor GMAT results.
This degree does not lead to a teaching license, and it does not replace one from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. What it offers an Iowa teacher is advanced study, along with endorsement pathways in Reading Specialist and Talented and Gifted for those who already hold an Iowa license. Drake is a private nonprofit university that charges $12,777 for 2023-24 to all graduate students alike, and it awarded 30 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
8
University of Iowa
Master of Arts in Teaching, Leadership, and Cultural Competency
Iowa City, Iowa
65.6- Public
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 25 a year
- Yearly cost
- $13,211
- In-state rate
- $13,211, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $34,882
Teachers already in Iowa classrooms are the audience for the University of Iowa's Master of Arts in Teaching, Leadership, and Cultural Competency. The online degree totals 33 semester hours, made of a 21-credit core, 9 elective credits, and a 3-credit school-based action research capstone, taken in 8-week courses and finished in as few as 20 months with no GRE.
Electives point toward English Language Learners, Online Teaching, or Advanced Academics and Talent Development, and some choices count toward Iowa endorsements in Talented and Gifted, STEM, or ESL, though extra steps remain before applying to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. The degree does not provide an initial teaching license. In 2023-24 Iowa residents paid $13,211 at this Iowa City public university, and 25 master's degrees were awarded.
9
University of Northern Iowa
Master of Arts in Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs
Cedar Falls, Iowa
60.9- Public
- No license involved
- College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
- Degrees awarded
- 15 a year
- Yearly cost
- $11,362
- In-state rate
- $11,362, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $22,834
Cedar Falls hosts the University of Northern Iowa's Master of Arts in Postsecondary Education: Student Affairs, a 36-credit degree that pairs coursework with an internship and is now delivered fully online for working, non-traditional students. Up to three electives let candidates build depth in areas that interest them, and there are no formally named tracks.
The faculty includes full-time professors with 35+ years of combined practitioner experience, joined by working administrators as adjuncts. This is a degree for people in college student services, not for school classrooms, so it leads to no license and does not substitute for anything issued by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners. Iowa residents were charged $11,362 for 2023-24 at this public university, and 15 master's degrees were awarded.
10
Upper Iowa University
Master of Education (M.Ed.) - Reading emphasis
Fayette, Iowa
38.0- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Reading Teacher Education
- Degrees awarded
- 13 a year
- Yearly cost
- $18,958
- In-state rate
- $18,958, 2023-24
Reading is one area of emphasis within Upper Iowa University's Master of Education, offered from Fayette as a 100% online degree of 36 credit hours, nine of them core. Taking one course per session, most candidates finish in about two years. Within the emphasis, they can choose Reading for K-8 and/or 5-12, or a Reading Specialist option, and graduates commonly move into literacy coach or reading specialist roles.
The coursework supports the Iowa reading endorsement tied to the chosen emphasis, so a teacher keeps the base license and adds a credential that the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners recognizes. This private nonprofit school charged every graduate student $18,958 for 2023-24, and it awarded 13 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 Iowa 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 Iowa Lead to a License?
5 ranked programs at schools in Iowa lead to a license, certificate or endorsement, scored the same way as the list above, one program per school. The Iowa 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 | Northwestern College | Master of Education in Educational Administration | Iowa PK-12 principal (and supervisor of special education) endorsement | $6,600 |
| 2 | Buena Vista University | Master of Education, Teacher Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction | Iowa TAG or TESL endorsement (for already-licensed teachers) | $10,170 |
| 3 | Morningside University | Master of Arts in Teaching, Special Education | Iowa Special Education Instructional Strategist I or II endorsement | $11,111 |
| 4 | Dordt University | Master of Education, School Leadership specialization | Educator license | $9,820 |
| 5 | Grand View University | Master of Education | Educator license | $9,278 |
What Does an Online Master's in Education Cost in Iowa?
An online master's in education at a school in Iowa costs a resident from $5,220 to $18,958 a year in graduate tuition and fees across these 10 programs, with a median of $10,641, 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 Iowa Universities Offer the Best Online Master's in Education?
The Iowa universities that offer the best online master's in education are led by Northwestern College, whose Educational Administration program runs 100 percent online and asynchronously, with one course every eight weeks and an internship built into the credits. It prepares you for principal, athletic director or special education supervisor roles.
Buena Vista offers teacher leadership, curriculum and instruction, and Morningside's special education master's is fully online for working teachers, with coursework that can count toward an instructional strategist endorsement. Waldorf, Dordt, Grand View and Drake cover teaching, school leadership and effective teaching, while Upper Iowa focuses on reading. The University of Iowa and Northern Iowa add cultural competency and student affairs.
How Do Iowa Endorsements Fit With an Online Master's in Education?
Iowa endorsements fit with an online master's in education by attaching a specialty to a license you already hold. Buena Vista's teacher leadership degree leads to the talented and gifted or English as a second language endorsement, Morningside's to the instructional strategist endorsement, and Northwestern's to the principal endorsement.
The degree matters on the licensing ladder as well. The Board of Educational Examiners describes a Master Educator License that asks for a master's degree and five years of teaching, while a first Iowa license rests on the Initial Teaching License. Our Iowa licensure guide covers the exams and the exchange license.
What Does an Iowa School Leader Need Beyond an Online Master's in Education?
An Iowa school leader needs a license as well as the degree, and the master's is only one of the conditions. The Initial Administrator License asks for a teaching license or eligibility, years of teaching and an administrative endorsement, which is why Northwestern's program bundles the endorsement into the degree and the internship.
School counselors follow another path, the Initial Professional Service License, and do not need a teaching license. Elementary and reading candidates should also ask whether a program prepares them for the Foundations of Reading test, which several endorsements require.
What Does Studying Online at an Iowa University Mean for Residents?
Studying online at an Iowa university means a program that Iowa authorities regulate, and it changes what the licensing application asks for. Iowa tells its candidates that the state does not approve out-of-state online educator preparation programs, so an Iowa campus sidesteps that out-of-state question altogether.
Clinical hours and internships take place in your own district, so ask each program how a site and mentor are approved. Iowa belongs to NC-SARA, yet SARA does not address professional licensing board approval, so if you move, the new state decides. Request the disclosure that 34 CFR 668.43 requires.
Questions About Online Master's in Education Programs in Iowa
What Is the Cheapest Online Master's in Education in Iowa?
How Are Online Master's in Education Programs in Iowa Ranked?
Which Iowa Online Master's in Education Leads to a Principal Endorsement?
Northwestern College's online Master of Education in Educational Administration is the Iowa program here that leads to the PK-12 principal endorsement, and it also covers supervisor of special education. Dordt's school leadership specialization and Grand View's Master of Education lead to licensure as well.
Can Iowa Teachers Use an Online Master's for an Endorsement?
Iowa teachers can use an online master's for an endorsement when the program's coursework matches the endorsement area. Morningside says its special education coursework can be applied to an instructional strategist endorsement, and Buena Vista's degree leads to the talented and gifted or English as a second language endorsement.
Are the Iowa Online Master's in Education Programs Mostly Private?
The Iowa online master's in education programs ranked here are mostly private colleges and universities, with the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa as the public names. Waldorf is the private for-profit school among them, and Drake, Dordt, Grand View and Upper Iowa are private nonprofit campuses, so the cost chart is worth reading closely before you decide.
How Long Does an Iowa Online Master's in Education Take?
An Iowa online master's in education takes as long as the school's credit load and course pace allow. Northwestern's principal program lists 34 credits and one course every eight weeks, finishing in six semesters, according to its program page. Check each school for its own timeline.
Where Do the Figures for Iowa Come From?
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- IPEDS Institutional Characteristics, 2023-24
- Northwestern College, Educational Administration + Endorsement
- Morningside University, special education master's
- Iowa Department of Education, Master Educator License
- Iowa Department of Education, Initial Teaching License
- Iowa Department of Education, Initial Administrator License
- Iowa Department of Education, Initial Professional Service License
- Iowa Department of Education, Foundations of Reading test
- Iowa Department of Education, out-of-state online programs notice
- NC-SARA, professional licensure
- eCFR, 34 CFR 668.43
Tuition and degree counts come from federal records each college reports about itself.
Show the federal record for all 10 colleges ranked, in 1 state
Northwestern College Buena Vista University Morningside University Waldorf University Dordt University Grand View University Drake University University of Iowa University of Northern Iowa Upper Iowa University