Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester leads the list with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, a program with the biggest graduating class in the state by a wide margin. Two public programs from the University of New Hampshire follow: a Master of Science in Instruction and Leadership offered through the College of Professional Studies online in Manchester, and the same degree on the Durham campus. New England College, Antioch University New England and Plymouth State complete the group.
Prices spread widely here, from the College of Professional Studies at the low end to Antioch at the high end. Most degrees on the page are for teachers who already hold a license. The two exceptions are New England College's educational leadership M.Ed. and Plymouth State's library media M.Ed., which lead to New Hampshire licensure, so a resident who needs a credential should look at them first.
Source: IPEDS, read October 6, 2026. Tuition is the 2023-24 in-state rate.
top score, Southern New Hampshire University
61.3
median in-state tuition and fees across the 6 listed, 2023-24
$17,424
schools in New Hampshire with a ranked fully online master's in education
6
ranked programs in New Hampshire that lead to a license
2
This list covers fully online master's programs at universities located in New Hampshire, one per school.
The 6 Best Online Master's in Education Programs in New Hampshire
The 6 programs below are at schools in New Hampshire, scored at the in-state price and listed one per school.
1
Southern New Hampshire University
Master of Education (MEd) in Curriculum and Instruction
Manchester, New Hampshire
61.3- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 236 a year
- Yearly cost
- $20,469
- In-state rate
- $20,469, 2023-24
Manchester-based Southern New Hampshire University packs 12 courses and 36 credits into 10-week terms for its Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction. A capstone has each student build a complete curriculum, and a portfolio accompanies it. Concentrations include Dyslexia and Language-Based Learning Disabilities, Educational Leadership, Online Teaching, Reading, Special Education and Technology, or a student can take the general track.
The Dyslexia concentration was developed in partnership with the Landmark School. The degree explicitly does not lead to teacher licensure, so a New Hampshire teacher still depends on the Beginning Educator License from the Bureau of Credentialing. The private nonprofit charges $20,469 a year for 2023-24 to everyone, and it awarded 236 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
2
University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online
Master of Science in Instruction and Leadership
Manchester, New Hampshire
56.1- Public
- No license involved
- Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision
- Degrees awarded
- 10 a year
- Yearly cost
- $10,320
- In-state rate
- $10,320, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $11,238
The online delivery of the Master of Science in Instruction and Leadership at the University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online, based in Manchester, is organized in 8-week terms. Students complete a job-embedded action research project, and CPS graduates receive a 10% alumni tuition discount. The concentrations match the Durham campus, from Literacy and Elementary Education to Early Childhood Special Education.
Teachers who already hold licenses use the degree to move into instructional leadership. It does not confer a new principal or superintendent license from the New Hampshire Bureau of Credentialing. The rate is $10,320 a year for New Hampshire residents in 2023-24 and $11,238 for nonresidents. The New England Commission on Higher Education accredits the university, which awarded 10 master's degrees through this unit in the latest federal count.
3
University of New Hampshire
Master of Science in Instruction and Leadership
Durham, New Hampshire
54.0- Public
- No license involved
- Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision
- Degrees awarded
- 22 a year
- Yearly cost
- $16,498
- In-state rate
- $16,498, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $30,138
The University of New Hampshire sets its 36-credit Master of Science in Instruction and Leadership around a job-embedded action research project that tackles a real problem of practice in the student's own school. Full-time students can finish in as few as 12 months. Concentrations span Elementary Education, General Special Education, Life Sciences, Literacy, Early Childhood Special Education, and Mathematics at the middle and upper levels.
The degree is for teachers who already hold licenses and want instructional leadership roles in Durham and beyond. It does not itself confer a new administrative license, such as principal or superintendent, from New Hampshire's Bureau of Credentialing. New Hampshire residents pay $16,498 a year for 2023-24, and nonresidents pay $30,138. The New England Commission on Higher Education accredits the university.
4
New England College
Master of Education (concentration in Educational Leadership)
Henniker, New Hampshire
45.9- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision
- Degrees awarded
- 11 a year
- Yearly cost
- $14,928
- In-state rate
- $14,928, 2023-24
Henniker's New England College lets candidates choose a concentration within its Master of Education: Curriculum and Instruction, Data Analytics, Educational Leadership, Special Education or STEM. Applicants pay no application fee and take no standardized test, and the degree can be finished in as little as 18 months.
The Educational Leadership concentration can be combined with the Professional Educator Preparation Program, including a School Principal licensure track that meets New Hampshire certification standards and ISLLC standards. The New England Commission of Higher Education accredits the college. This private nonprofit charges $14,928 a year for 2023-24, the same in state and out of state, and it awarded 11 master's degrees in the latest federal count. Credentials come from the New Hampshire Bureau of Credentialing.
5
Antioch University-New England
M.Ed. for Experienced Educators (Foundations of Education)
Keene, New Hampshire
45.1- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 38 a year
- Yearly cost
- $26,422
- In-state rate
- $26,422, 2023-24
Antioch University-New England in Keene offers its M.Ed. for Experienced Educators with a long slate of concentrations, among them Dyslexia Studies, Mindfulness for Educators, Nature-Based Early Childhood Education, Trauma-Informed Education and a Self-Designed option. The 33 credits include three required practicum courses on child study, curriculum, and equity and change.
Classes are small and online, with optional summer residencies in Keene. The degree is meant for practicing teachers who want to advance on district salary schedules, not for initial licensure, so it does not replace the Beginning Educator License from the New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Credentialing. Tuition at this private nonprofit is $26,422 a year for 2023-24 for every student, and it awarded 38 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
6
Plymouth State University
Master of Education in Library Media
Plymouth, New Hampshire
39.9- Public
- Leads to a license
- School Librarian/School Library Media Specialist
- Degrees awarded
- 13 a year
- Yearly cost
- $18,350
- In-state rate
- $18,350, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $24,950
Plymouth State University offers several ways into its Master of Education in Library Media: a 30-credit non-certification path, a 30-credit Library Media Specialist K-12 certification path, an 18-credit certification-only path, and a dual certification with Digital Learning Specialist at 33 or 27 credits. Supervised field experiences in K-12 school settings are part of the work.
The certification coursework meets New Hampshire Department of Education requirements for Library Media Specialist certification under Ed 508.07, and prior teaching licensure is not required for the initial-certification track. AASL recognizes the program nationally, and the New England Commission of Higher Education accredits the university. In-state tuition at the Plymouth campus is $18,350 a year for 2023-24, and out-of-state tuition is $24,950. The university 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 New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire Lead to a License?
2 ranked programs at schools in New Hampshire lead to a license, certificate or endorsement, scored the same way as the list above, one program per school. The New Hampshire 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 | New England College | Master of Education (concentration in Educational Leadership) | Educator license | $14,928 |
| 2 | Plymouth State University | Master of Education in Library Media | Educator license | $18,350 |
What Does an Online Master's in Education Cost in New Hampshire?
An online master's in education at a school in New Hampshire costs a resident from $10,320 to $26,422 a year in graduate tuition and fees across these 6 programs, with a median of $17,424, 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.
Why Does the University of New Hampshire Appear Twice on the List?
The University of New Hampshire appears twice on the list because two of its units offer the same Master of Science in Instruction and Leadership with separate prices and student bodies. The College of Professional Studies Online runs its version from Manchester, while the Durham campus runs the other, and the list scores each one by its own graduates and its own resident rate.
For a New Hampshire resident the practical difference is the rate, the format and the staff who advise you. The Manchester unit quotes the lower price, and the Durham program quotes a higher one. Ask both whether the curriculum, the faculty and the transcript are identical, since the degree name is the same but the pricing is not. Neither leads to a license, so both suit teachers who already hold the Beginning Educator License or an Experienced Educator License.
How Does New Hampshire License Teachers Who Earn a Master's Online?
New Hampshire licenses teachers who earn a master's online through the Bureau of Credentialing at the Department of Education, which grants a Beginning Educator License to a qualified first-time applicant. The state says no route to licensure rests on a test alone, and an advanced degree does not take the place of the required assessments.
Two programs connect to a credential. New England College's Master of Education with an educational leadership concentration and Plymouth State University's Master of Education in Library Media both lead to New Hampshire licensure, and each serves a specific role. Plymouth State's degree is aimed at school librarians. Our New Hampshire licensure guide explains the Pearson National Evaluation Series tests that new applicants now take, and what experience the Experienced Educator License requires.
What Is It Like to Study a New Hampshire Master's Online as a Resident?
Studying a New Hampshire master's online as a resident means coursework you do from home and a school-based component close by. A licensure program such as library media or educational leadership asks for supervised fieldwork, so find out who approves your site and whether it can be your own district.
Because every school here is in New Hampshire, the tuition shown is the in-state rate, and it varies a lot between a public online unit and a private college. A federal rule, 34 CFR 668.43, requires each school to disclose whether its program meets licensure requirements where you live. New Hampshire is in NC-SARA, but NC-SARA says it does not address licensing board approval. Should you move after finishing, the new state's board will evaluate the degree itself.
Questions About Online Master's in Education Programs in New Hampshire
What Is the Cheapest Online Master's in Education in New Hampshire?
How Are Online Master's in Education Programs in New Hampshire Ranked?
Which New Hampshire Master's Is for School Librarians?
Plymouth State University offers a Master of Education in Library Media, and it is the New Hampshire program aimed at school librarians. It leads to New Hampshire licensure, so ask the university how the practicum fits the endorsement and which assessments the state expects.
Is Southern New Hampshire University's Online Master's a Licensure Program?
Southern New Hampshire University's Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction does not lead to a New Hampshire license. It fits a teacher who already holds a license and wants a graduate degree, and the university can tell you whether any endorsement can be added.
Can a New Hampshire Teacher Count on a Master's for the Experienced Educator License?
A New Hampshire teacher cannot count on a master's alone for the Experienced Educator License, because the step is built around years of effective full-time teaching rather than a degree. The state's upgrade page sets out the requirements.
What Is Antioch's New Hampshire Master's For?
Antioch University New England in Keene offers an M.Ed. for Experienced Educators, with Foundations of Education as its focus. It carries the highest resident price of the group and does not lead to a license, so it fits a seasoned teacher seeking depth rather than a credential.
Where Do the Figures for New Hampshire Come From?
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- IPEDS Institutional Characteristics, 2023-24
- New Hampshire Department of Education, Bureau of Credentialing
- New Hampshire Bureau of Credentialing, Experienced Educator License
- 34 CFR 668.43, Institutional and programmatic information (eCFR)
- NC-SARA, Professional Licensure
Tuition and degree counts come from federal records each college reports about itself.
Show the federal record for all 6 colleges ranked, in 1 state
Southern New Hampshire University University of New Hampshire College of Professional Studies Online University of New Hampshire New England College Antioch University-New England Plymouth State University