Southern Utah University in Cedar City heads the state's list with a fully online Master of Education. Western Governors University, based in Salt Lake City, follows with a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction, and Utah State University in Logan offers a master's in instructional technology and learning sciences.
Three schools means the decision is about fit, not a long comparison. One is a general advanced degree for working educators, one is a competency-style program from a university that exists online, and one is a specialty in learning design. For all three, the Utah State Board of Education, not the university, decides who holds a license, and the board's rules shape what you should ask before applying.
Source: IPEDS, read October 6, 2026. Tuition is the 2023-24 in-state rate.
top score, Southern Utah University
91.8
median in-state tuition and fees across the 3 listed, 2023-24
$8,338
schools in Utah with a ranked fully online master's in education
3
ranked programs in Utah that lead to a license
13
This list covers fully online master's programs at universities located in Utah, one per school.
The 3 Online Master's in Education Programs in Utah
The 3 programs below are at schools in Utah, scored at the in-state price and listed one per school.
1
Southern Utah University
Master of Education
Cedar City, Utah
91.8- Public
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 125 a year
- Yearly cost
- $8,338
- In-state rate
- $8,338, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $24,548
Up to six start dates a year and asynchronous 7-week terms shape the Master of Education at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, which can be completed in as few as three semesters. Concentrations include General, Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Foundations & Policy, Higher Education and Student Affairs, and Special Education. A three-course Practitioner Research sequence serves as the capstone.
The degree can lead to professional educator licensure, and the Special Education track specifically prepares candidates for a Utah professional teaching license from the Utah State Board of Education. The other tracks suit teachers who already work in Utah classrooms or want to move into higher education roles. Utah residents paid $8,338 for 2023-24 at this public university, which awarded 125 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
2
Western Governors University
Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction
Salt Lake City, Utah
90.0- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 5,296 a year
- Yearly cost
- $8,856
- In-state rate
- $8,856, 2023-24
Competency, not seat time, moves a student through the Master of Science in curriculum and instruction at Western Governors University in Salt Lake City. The program awarded 5296 master's degrees in the latest federal count. It is a private nonprofit with regional accreditation, and it charges one flat rate of $8,856 for 2023-24, billed per six-month term.
One course of study spans reflective practice, social-emotional learning, technology, and leadership, with no concentrations to pick between. Students finish with a capstone of action research, which depends on access to K-12 learners. The degree confers no license, so the Professional Educator License still comes from the Utah State Board of Education.
3
Utah State University
Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences
Logan, Utah
87.0- Public
- No license involved
- Educational/Instructional Technology
- Degrees awarded
- 42 a year
- Yearly cost
- $7,595
- In-state rate
- $7,595, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $24,008
Logan is home to Utah State University's online master's in Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences, offered as an M.A. or an M.Ed. Across 37 credits, elective pathways let a student build skills in media production, web publishing with HTML and design, mobile app development, or advanced learning theories. No thesis is required, and the degree ends with an internship or a creative project.
It is not a licensure or certification program. For a Utah educator it is a route to instructional design and technology roles, and it sits beside, rather than in place of, the Professional Educator License from the Utah State Board of Education. Utah residents paid $7,595 in 2023-24 at this public university, and 42 master's degrees were awarded.
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 Utah 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 Utah Lead to a License?
2 ranked programs at schools in Utah lead to a license, certificate or endorsement, scored the same way as the list above, one program per school. The Utah 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 | Western Governors University | Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education | Initial teacher license, elementary K-6 | $8,856 |
| 2 | Southern Utah University | Administration and Supervision M.Ed. | Educator license | $8,338 |
What Does an Online Master's in Education Cost in Utah?
An online master's in education at a school in Utah costs a resident from $7,595 to $8,856 a year in graduate tuition and fees across these 3 programs, with a median of $8,338, 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.
How Do Utah's Online Master's Universities Differ From Each Other?
Utah's online master's universities differ in purpose more than in price. Southern Utah's Master of Education is described on its program page as fully online and asynchronous, with most classes in seven-week terms, and it asks for evidence of current employment in a school or professional educational setting.
Western Governors University is a private nonprofit headquartered in Salt Lake City, and its Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction is described on the university's program page as an online degree. Its graduating class dwarfs those of the other two schools combined. Utah State's Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences degree is the specialty option, aimed at people who design instruction and technology for learners.
What Does the Utah State Board of Education Require After a Master's?
The Utah State Board of Education requires a Professional Educator License, which a master's alone does not grant. The board publishes a checklist for each license area, and for classroom teaching it asks for an educator preparation program and a license, not a graduate degree. A master's matters directly for school leaders and counselors, who need one under board rules.
On testing, the board requires the Utah Foundations of Reading Assessment for early childhood, elementary and special education candidates in Utah-based programs. Leadership candidates pass a Praxis school leader exam and counselors pass the Praxis school counselor test. In other license areas tests are optional, because coursework and micro-credentials can also show competence.
None of the three ranked degrees is a first-license route, so most graduates will add the degree to an existing license. Our Utah licensure guide covers the Associate Educator License and transfers.
What Does Studying Online at a Utah University Mean for a Resident?
Studying online at a Utah university means paying the in-state rate that the cost chart shows and arranging any observation or leadership internship in your own district, since Utah schools range from Wasatch Front suburbs to small rural districts. Ask the program how it supervises fieldwork at a distance and whether your principal can serve as mentor.
Utah joined NC-SARA in 2016 through the western compact. For a resident, SARA does not address licensing-board approval, so if you move, a Utah degree does not carry a license with it. Ask the program for its written licensure disclosure for the state you are heading to.
Questions About Online Master's in Education Programs in Utah
What Is the Cheapest Online Master's in Education in Utah?
How Are Online Master's in Education Programs in Utah Ranked?
Can I Finish Southern Utah University's Online Master's in a Year and a Half?
The program page describes an eighteen-month timeline with six start dates a year, and says required coursework can be completed in as few as three semesters. Credits run between thirty and thirty-three depending on the track, so confirm your own plan with an advisor.
Does Western Governors University's Online Master's Lead to a Utah Teaching License?
Western Governors University's Curriculum and Instruction master's is not a first-license program. Treat it as an advanced degree for working educators, and use the State Board's license application pages to see which routes and checklists apply to the license you want.
Which Utah Online Master's Suits Someone Who Designs Learning Materials?
Utah State University's Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences program is the specialized choice, because its title and focus center on learning design and technology rather than general teaching practice. Compare its course list against the roles you want.
How Does a Teacher From Another State Use a Utah Master's to Work in Utah?
The degree and the license are separate steps. The State Board accepts a standard renewable license from another state through its equivalency review, and Utah participates in the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, so the Utah master's adds depth to a license the teacher already holds rather than replacing the transfer.
Do I Need a Master's to Teach in a Utah Classroom?
Utah does not require one for classroom licenses. The State Board asks for an educator preparation program and a license, according to its application page, while leaders and counselors need a graduate degree under board rules.
Where Do the Figures for Utah Come From?
- Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)
- IPEDS Institutional Characteristics, 2023-24
- Utah State Board of Education, Apply for a License
- Utah State Board of Education, Licensing Tests
- Southern Utah University, Master of Education
- Western Governors University, Curriculum and Instruction M.S.
- NC-SARA, Professional Licensure
Tuition and degree counts come from federal records each college reports about itself.
Show the federal record for all 3 colleges ranked, in 1 state
Southern Utah University Western Governors University Utah State University