Fort Hays State University in Hays leads the Kansas list with a Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and Pittsburg State University follows with a Master of Arts in Teaching in elementary education that doubles as an alternative route to a license. Emporia State, Wichita State, Kansas State and the University of Kansas fill out the public side, with Friends, Baker, Tabor and Washburn also on the list.
The mix matters because the Kansas State Department of Education ties a first license to a Kansas-approved program, which makes a home-state campus unusually relevant. The sections below describe how the programs differ, what the department asks of a license candidate, and how an online student at a Kansas school handles placements and a later move.
Source: IPEDS, read October 6, 2026. Tuition is the 2023-24 in-state rate.
top score, Fort Hays State University
94.9
median in-state tuition and fees across the 10 listed, 2023-24
$10,981
schools in Kansas with a ranked fully online master's in education
11
ranked programs in Kansas that lead to a license
20
This list covers fully online master's programs at universities located in Kansas, one per school.
The 10 Best Online Master's in Education Programs in Kansas
The 10 programs below are at schools in Kansas, scored at the in-state price and listed one per school.
1
Fort Hays State University
Master of Science in Education, Curriculum & Instruction
Hays, Kansas
94.9- Public
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 185 a year
- Yearly cost
- $4,696
- In-state rate
- $4,696, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $12,051
Hays, in western Kansas, is home to a Fort Hays State University degree that costs Kansas residents $4,696 for 2023-24. The Master of Science in Education in Curriculum & Instruction runs fully online at 30 to 33 credits and is built for practicing, licensed classroom teachers who want a graduate credential for their existing practice.
It belongs to the university's Advanced Education Programs, which also include Secondary Education, a Mathematics Education emphasis, Educational Administration for the building principal, and High-Incidence Special Education. The degree is not an initial-licensure route, so the license from the Kansas State Department of Education stays a separate matter. CAEP advanced-level accreditation applies, with CAEP and KSDE approval through 2031. The public university awarded 185 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
2
Pittsburg State University
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Teaching (Elementary Education K-6), Alternative Licensure
Pittsburg, Kansas
89.3- Public
- Leads to a license
- Elementary Education and Teaching
- Degrees awarded
- 82 a year
- Yearly cost
- $9,190
- In-state rate
- $9,190, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $20,022
A bachelor's degree in some other field is the starting point for the Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education K-6, Alternative Licensure, at Pittsburg State University. The online pathway leads to a Kansas Elementary (K-6) initial teaching license, with coursework in primary-grade literacy and curriculum development and supervised practica in real school settings. The structure runs 33 credit hours.
The license is issued by the Kansas State Department of Education, and the university sits in Pittsburg, in the southeast corner of the state. Kansas residents paid $9,190 for 2023-24 at this public school, which awarded 82 master's degrees in the latest federal count. Teachers who are already licensed would look at the separate emphasis the university offers rather than this alternative route.
3
Emporia State University
Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction
Emporia, Kansas
89.1- Public
- No license involved
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 178 a year
- Yearly cost
- $9,199
- In-state rate
- $9,199, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $19,510
Emporia State University offers Kansas teachers three tracks inside its Master of Science in Curriculum & Instruction: Curriculum Leadership PreK-12, Effective Practitioner PreK-12, and Instructional Coach/Teacher Leader PreK-12. The coach track builds a practicum into the student's own school. Coursework totals 33 credit hours, delivered 100% online and asynchronously in 7-week sessions, and some candidates finish in as few as 12 months.
The degree is for practicing educators who already hold a teaching license, so it adds to the credential from the Kansas State Department of Education and does not replace it. CAEP and the Higher Learning Commission accredit it. Kansas residents paid $9,199 at the Emporia public university in 2023-24, and it awarded 178 master's degrees.
4
Wichita State University
Master of Education in Special Education
Wichita, Kansas
88.0- Public
- Leads to a license
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Degrees awarded
- 48 a year
- Yearly cost
- $7,678
- In-state rate
- $7,678, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $16,225
A range of concentrations gives Wichita State University's Master of Education in Special Education unusual range: Adaptive (High-Incidence), Functional (Low-Incidence), High Incidence Alternative Certification, and Early Childhood Unified. The culminating experience can be a thesis or a non-thesis capstone.
Special education licensure through the Kansas State Department of Education may follow only for candidates who already hold a valid Kansas teaching license, and a Kansas license does not guarantee one elsewhere. Accreditation comes from the Higher Learning Commission, NCATE, NASP, and the Kansas State Board of Education. The in-state tuition rate applies to online students wherever they live: $7,678 for 2023-24. Wichita State, a public university, awarded 48 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
5
Kansas State University
Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education
Manhattan, Kansas
82.3- Public
- Leads to a license
- Elementary Education and Teaching
- Degrees awarded
- 108 a year
- Yearly cost
- $11,786
- In-state rate
- $11,786, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $25,147
A final-semester internship defines the Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education at Kansas State University in Manhattan. Candidates who already teach serve as teacher of record in their own classrooms for that internship, while those seeking a first license complete it in K-12 schools. The program is fully online and aims at the Kansas initial teaching license for grades K-6.
It is built for people pursuing initial elementary certification, not for teachers who already hold a license. The credential comes from the Kansas State Department of Education, and Kansas residents paid $11,786 at this public university for 2023-24. Kansas State awarded 108 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
6
University of Kansas
Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Lawrence, Kansas
74.4- Public
- Leads to a license
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 35 a year
- Yearly cost
- $11,574
- In-state rate
- $11,574, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $26,236
Lawrence, Kansas, is the base for the University of Kansas Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction. The 30 credit hours run across 10 courses in 8-week online blocks, ending with a C&T 890 Bridging Theory to Practice capstone portfolio. Several concentrations are open: General Curriculum and Instruction, TESOL with Practicum, TESOL without Practicum, and Science & Technology Education, which is offered only at a partner site in China.
The general track does not lead to an initial teaching license. TESOL with Practicum leads to an ESL licensure endorsement for candidates who already hold an initial license, and most students arrive with an active one. Kansas residents paid $11,574 in 2023-24, and this public university awarded 35 master's degrees.
7
Friends University
Master of Education in Teaching & Learning
Wichita, Kansas
74.0- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 37 a year
- Yearly cost
- $11,988
- In-state rate
- $11,988, 2023-24
Twelve elective workshops, picked from more than 100 options, rest on the core in Friends University's Master of Education in Teaching & Learning, so each Kansas teacher assembles a different degree. Courses are online in 8-week sessions. One concentration, in Dyslexia and Literacy Intervention, comes through a partnership with the Phillips Fundamental Learning Center.
Friends is in Wichita, and CAEP accredits the education programs. The degree is not indicated as an initial teaching license route, so it suits educators who already teach under their Kansas license and want graduate study aimed at their classrooms. The private nonprofit charged all graduate students $11,988 for 2023-24, and it awarded 37 master's degrees in the latest federal count. The Kansas State Department of Education issues the license itself.
8
Baker University
Master of Arts in Education (MAEd)
Baldwin City, Kansas
71.5- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 33 a year
- Yearly cost
- $12,246
- In-state rate
- $12,246, 2023-24
Four electives chosen from 19 options form the heart of Baker University's Master of Arts in Education, an online degree with no fixed tracks. Options reach into technology integration, literacy instruction, classroom management, and differentiated learning, so a Kansas teacher can shape the degree around the room they teach in. A required portfolio of student growth goes to faculty before graduation, and transfer credit can bring completion down to two years.
This degree is for educators who already hold a teaching certificate and is not an initial-licensure pathway, so it works alongside the license from the Kansas State Department of Education. CAEP and KSDE accreditation runs through Fall 2029. The Baldwin City private nonprofit charged $12,246 in 2023-24 and awarded 33 master's degrees.
9
Tabor College
Master of Education in Neuroscience and Trauma
Hillsboro, Kansas
56.9- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 14 a year
- Yearly cost
- $12,000
- In-state rate
- $12,000, 2023-24
Social workers, police officers, ministers, foster parents, therapists, and teachers all fit the audience for Tabor College's Master of Education in Neuroscience and Trauma, offered online from Hillsboro. It is one 30-credit, five-semester sequence rather than a set of concentrations, moving from neuroanatomy and physiology through behavior analysis to trauma-informed skills for working with children and youth under chronic stress.
Students choose between a traditional master's thesis and an alternative capstone project fitted to their profession. This is not a teacher-licensure program, so a Kansas educator who enrolls keeps the license from the Kansas State Department of Education and adds expertise. Tabor holds Higher Learning Commission accreditation under its Open Pathway. Tabor charged $12,000 for 2023-24, the same for every student, and awarded 14 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
10
Washburn University
Master of Education in Special Education
Topeka, Kansas
48.3- Public
- Leads to a license
- Special Education and Teaching, General
- Degrees awarded
- 7 a year
- Yearly cost
- $10,388
- In-state rate
- $10,388, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $20,068
Topeka's Washburn University trains licensed Kansas teachers to add high-incidence special education through its Master of Education in Special Education. Candidates pick Elementary High Incidence (K-6) or Secondary High Incidence (6-12), and the 33 credit hours include two required practicum courses and a capstone experience.
Pacing is self-directed, with Spring, Summer, and Fall starts, and many finish in two to three years. The coursework leads to a High Incidence Special Education license once the candidate passes the State of Kansas content tests, issued through the Kansas State Department of Education. Applicants must already hold a Kansas teaching license, though a licensure-only option also exists. Kansas residents paid $10,388 for 2023-24, and Washburn awarded 7 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 Kansas 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 Kansas Lead to a License?
5 ranked programs at schools in Kansas lead to a license, certificate or endorsement, scored the same way as the list above, one program per school. The Kansas 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 | Fort Hays State University | Master of Science in Special Education (High Incidence) | PreK-12 high-incidence special education endorsement (added to existing teaching license) | $4,696 |
| 2 | Pittsburg State University | Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Teaching (Elementary Education K-6), Alternative Licensure | Kansas elementary (K-6) initial teaching license | $9,190 |
| 3 | Emporia State University | Master of Science in Educational Administration | Educator license | $9,199 |
| 4 | Wichita State University | Master of Education in Special Education | Educator license | $7,678 |
| 5 | Kansas State University | Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education | Kansas initial teaching license, K-6 | $11,786 |
What Does an Online Master's in Education Cost in Kansas?
An online master's in education at a school in Kansas costs a resident from $4,696 to $12,246 a year in graduate tuition and fees across these 10 programs, with a median of $10,981, 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 Kansas Universities Offer the Best Online Master's in Education?
The Kansas universities that offer the best online master's in education begin with Fort Hays State, whose Curriculum and Instruction master's is fully online and designed for licensed teachers. The program page says it does not lead to state licensure, so it is a practice and credential degree rather than a path to a first license.
Emporia State and the University of Kansas also offer curriculum and instruction. Wichita State and Washburn offer special education, and Kansas State offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in elementary education. Friends University has teaching and learning, Baker a general Master of Arts in Education, and Tabor College a Master of Education in Neuroscience and Trauma, which suits teachers working with students affected by adversity.
Which Kansas Online Master's in Education Programs Lead to a First License?
A first Kansas license comes from programs built for people who hold a non-teaching bachelor's degree, and Pittsburg State's Master of Arts in Teaching in elementary education is the clearest example on this list. It is an alternative licensure program for career changers, and it leads to a Kansas elementary license for kindergarten through sixth grade.
The department's Initial License rests on four conditions, including completion of a Kansas-approved preparation program and a verified teacher work sample, which a Kansas campus can supply directly. Kansas State's Master of Arts in Teaching leads to a Kansas K-6 initial license as well, and Wichita State, Washburn and the University of Kansas also lead to licensure. You can confirm each against the department's approved program list. Our Kansas licensure guide covers the exams and the reading rule.
What Does a Kansas Teacher Gain From an Online Master's in Education?
A Kansas teacher gains a graduate credential and, over time, a lighter renewal workload from an online master's in education. The department's Professional License renewal options ask for fewer professional development points from a teacher with an advanced degree, and they allow a route through recent experience.
For teachers in elementary reading, special education or administration, a rule coming in July 2028 also matters. The department's science of reading requirement asks veteran educators in six roles to show knowledge at renewal. Tabor's trauma degree and the special education programs at Wichita State and Washburn speak to classroom needs, and Fort Hays State's course work is aimed at practice.
What Does Studying Online at a Kansas University Mean for Residents?
Studying online at a Kansas university means the in-state rate and placements in your own district, with the school handling the Kansas paperwork. Ask each program who verifies your teacher work sample and where student teaching or clinical hours take place, since those items belong to the Kansas college.
Kansas belongs to NC-SARA, but SARA does not address professional licensing board approval, and the State Board approves the institutions that may offer endorsement programs. If you move to another state, its board reviews your degree afresh. Under 34 CFR 668.43, a school advertising licensure must say where it qualifies, so ask for that statement.
Questions About Online Master's in Education Programs in Kansas
What Is the Cheapest Online Master's in Education in Kansas?
How Are Online Master's in Education Programs in Kansas Ranked?
Does Fort Hays State's Online Master's in Education Lead to a Kansas License?
Fort Hays State's online Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction does not lead to state licensure, according to its program page. It is built for teachers who already hold a license and want a graduate credential and stronger classroom practice.
Can a Career Changer Earn a Kansas Teaching License Through an Online Master's?
A career changer in Kansas can earn a teaching license through an online master's at Pittsburg State University, whose Master of Arts in Teaching in elementary education is an alternative licensure program for people with a non-teaching bachelor's degree.
Which Kansas Online Master's in Education Suits Special Education?
Wichita State University and Washburn University both offer a Master of Education in Special Education that leads to licensure. Confirm the endorsement area each prepares you for with the department's approved programs by content area.
Are There Private Kansas Colleges With an Online Master's in Education?
Private Kansas colleges with an online master's in education here are Friends University in Wichita, Baker University in Baldwin City and Tabor College in Hillsboro. Each is a nonprofit, and each is priced differently from the public universities, as the cost chart shows.
Where Do the Figures for Kansas Come From?
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- IPEDS Institutional Characteristics, 2023-24
- Fort Hays State University, Curriculum and Instruction
- Pittsburg State University, MAT in Elementary Education K-6
- Kansas State Department of Education, license information
- Kansas State Department of Education, science of reading requirements
- 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
Fort Hays State University Pittsburg State University Emporia State University Wichita State University Kansas State University University of Kansas Friends University Baker University Tabor College Washburn University