City University of Seattle opens Washington's list with a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, and Central and Eastern Washington universities offer degrees with nearly the same title. Elsewhere the options split: Seattle University and Saint Martin's University in Lacey train higher education and student affairs professionals, Heritage University in Toppenish offers a Master in Teaching, and Western Washington University in Bellingham focuses on language and literacy.
The public regional universities and private nonprofits sit side by side here, and their in-state prices differ by thousands of dollars a year. Whatever the choice, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, not the university, certifies Washington educators, and its testing rules differ from the Praxis system used in many states.
Source: IPEDS, read October 6, 2026. Tuition is the 2023-24 in-state rate.
top score, City University of Seattle
82.1
median in-state tuition and fees across the 7 listed, 2023-24
$13,456
schools in Washington with a ranked fully online master's in education
7
ranked programs in Washington that lead to a license
5
This list covers fully online master's programs at universities located in Washington, one per school.
The 7 Best Online Master's in Education Programs in Washington
The 7 programs below are at schools in Washington, scored at the in-state price and listed one per school.
1
City University of Seattle
Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction
Seattle, Washington
82.1- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Curriculum and Instruction
- Degrees awarded
- 79 a year
- Yearly cost
- $12,167
- In-state rate
- $12,167, 2023-24
Washington's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction oversees the teacher's certificate that the M.Ed. Alternative Route at City University of Seattle works toward, with endorsements in high-need areas such as Special Education. Testing runs through the Washington Educator Skills Tests and National Evaluation Series. The Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction charges Washington residents and others one rate, $12,167 a year in 2023-24.
In Seattle, the private nonprofit sets the capstone as ECU 601 and totals 39 credit hours. An optional Washington elementary endorsement sits in one study, and a reading study is accredited by IDA. Other studies cover STEM and National Board Certification. The university awarded 79 master's degrees in the latest federal count, and the state certification office publishes requirements.
2
Central Washington University
Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction
Ellensburg, Washington
79.9- Public
- Leads to a license
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 52 a year
- Yearly cost
- $12,892
- In-state rate
- $12,892, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $27,263
The 48 credits of Central Washington University's Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction include 29 in a chosen area of emphasis. Options include Accessibility Studies, Bilingual Education, Library Media, Family and Consumer Science, STEM Leadership, Special Education, Teaching English as a Second Language, and a self-designed Design Your Own route. The work ends in a master's project or thesis, and a dual degree option exists.
Bilingual Education, Library Media, Special Education, TESL, and Literacy and Reading emphases may lead to Washington State teaching endorsements through the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Applicants must hold or be pursuing a teaching certificate. Washington residents pay $12,892 a year in 2023-24, against $27,263 for nonresidents. The Ellensburg university awarded 52 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
3
Eastern Washington University
Curriculum and Instruction, Master of Education
Cheney, Washington
77.6- Public
- No license involved
- Education, General
- Degrees awarded
- 266 a year
- Yearly cost
- $13,757
- In-state rate
- $13,757, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $29,102
Cheney's Eastern Washington University places its Curriculum and Instruction Master of Education among several School of Education emphases, next to Adult Education, Early Childhood Education, Educational Leadership, English Language Learners and Special Education. Applicants must hold a valid teaching certificate, so the degree advances a teacher already in a Washington classroom and does not itself lead to initial certification from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.
The 49 credits include two internship courses, EDUC 621 and 622, and end with a capstone portfolio and comprehensive exam. An expedited 1-year plan and a standard 2-year plan are both available. Washington residents pay $13,757 a year in 2023-24, and nonresidents pay $29,102. The public university awarded 266 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
4
Seattle University
Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership and Administration
Seattle, Washington
72.4- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
- Degrees awarded
- 56 a year
- Yearly cost
- $15,795
- In-state rate
- $15,795, 2023-24
Seattle University, a private nonprofit, charges $15,795 a year in 2023-24 for its Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership and Administration, with no distinction between Washington residents and others. Year two puts students in HELA 5640 and 5650, a pair of courses that combine internships with community engagement, and HELA 5900 is the capstone, which can be a practitioner project or a research project. Three portfolio seminars fill the final year.
Graduates are prepared for equity-minded campus leadership. The online degree totals 42 credits over 2 years, carries no application fee, and can also be earned as an M.Ed. It leads to no teaching license, so educators in Washington who want a Residency Teacher Certificate go to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The university awarded 56 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
5
Heritage University
Master in Teaching
Toppenish, Washington
63.2- Private nonprofit
- Leads to a license
- Elementary Education and Teaching
- Degrees awarded
- 14 a year
- Yearly cost
- $10,020
- In-state rate
- $10,020, 2023-24
Heritage University, a private nonprofit in Toppenish, Washington, quotes one tuition figure for 2023-24, $10,020 a year, whether a student lives in the state or not. The Master in Teaching aims at initial Washington State teacher certification with a K-8 elementary endorsement, overseen by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Washington Educator Skills Tests and National Evaluation Series is the testing system the state uses.
Classes run mostly live over the internet. Candidates in Theory to Practice train in K-8 classrooms before student teaching, while those already teaching K-8 can use Residency or Accelerate and finish in about eleven months. Heritage awarded 14 master's degrees in the latest federal count, a small group that works closely with the Toppenish campus.
6
Western Washington University
M.Ed. - Language and Literacy
Bellingham, Washington
47.3- Public
- Elementary Education and Teaching
- Degrees awarded
- 10 a year
- Yearly cost
- $13,456
- In-state rate
- $13,456, 2023-24
- Out-of-state rate
- $26,574
Bellingham's Western Washington University runs its 45 credit M.Ed. in Language and Literacy over two years in synchronous online cohorts. It is an in-service degree for practicing pre-K-12 teachers who want to deepen literacy knowledge and take on leadership roles, with coursework in reading, writing, digital literacies and leadership.
It does not lead to the Washington State Residency Teacher Certificate from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, so it adds to a teaching credential teachers already hold. Graduates may add a Washington reading endorsement or pursue National Board certification. Washington residents pay $13,456 a year in 2023-24, against $26,574 for nonresidents. The public university awarded 10 master's degrees in the latest federal count.
7
Saint Martin's University
Master of Education in Higher Education & Student Affairs (MED-HESA)
Lacey, Washington
26.5- Private nonprofit
- No license involved
- Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
- Degrees awarded
- 5 a year
- Yearly cost
- $16,252
- In-state rate
- $16,252, 2023-24
Practicum MED 661, internship or assistantship MED 668, and capstone MED 698 form the applied backbone of Saint Martin's University's online, synchronous Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs. Across 36 credit hours, students move between live online classes and campus settings, guided by the Benedictine values of leadership and social justice. One elective lets a student customize the focus.
The program follows guidelines from the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education. It leads to no teaching license, so it complements and does not replace the certificate from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Lacey's private nonprofit university charges $16,252 a year in 2023-24, the same for Washington residents and nonresidents, and it awarded 5 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 Washington 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 Washington Lead to a License?
3 ranked programs at schools in Washington lead to a license, certificate or endorsement, scored the same way as the list above, one program per school. The Washington 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 | City University of Seattle | Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction | Educator license | $12,167 |
| 2 | Central Washington University | Master of Education in Curriculum & Instruction | Educator license | $12,892 |
| 3 | Heritage University | Master in Teaching | Washington State teacher certification with Elementary Education K-8 endorsement | $10,020 |
What Does an Online Master's in Education Cost in Washington?
An online master's in education at a school in Washington costs a resident from $10,020 to $16,252 a year in graduate tuition and fees across these 7 programs, with a median of $13,456, 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 Washington Universities Offer the Online Master's Programs on This List?
The Washington universities that offer these online master's programs include both public and private campuses. Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Eastern Washington University in Cheney and Western Washington University are public. City University of Seattle, Seattle University, Heritage University and Saint Martin's University are private nonprofits.
Three of them share a curriculum and instruction focus, and the contrast between them is practical. City University of Seattle and Central Washington lead to a credential, and Eastern Washington graduates the largest class on the list. Heritage University's price is the lowest in the group, which matters for a teacher paying out of pocket. Saint Martin's carries the highest in-state price.
What Do Washington's Online Master's Degrees Prepare You For?
Washington's online master's degrees prepare you for four directions. The curriculum and instruction degrees at City University of Seattle, Central Washington and Eastern Washington deepen classroom practice. Western Washington's M.Ed. in Language and Literacy specializes in reading and writing instruction, and Heritage University's Master in Teaching points to elementary education and leads to Washington State teacher certification with a K-8 endorsement.
Seattle University's Master of Arts in Higher Education Leadership and Administration and Saint Martin's Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs lead somewhere else entirely: toward colleges, advising offices and student services. They are not teaching-license programs, and Washington does not ask a teacher for a graduate degree in the first place, so those two serve people changing sectors rather than advancing in a classroom career.
What Does OSPI Require for a Washington Educator With a Master's?
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) requires a certificate from a Washington educator with a master's, and for new teachers that is the Residency certificate, which asks for a bachelor's degree or higher and completion of an approved preparation program with student teaching or an internship. A second tier, the Professional certificate, follows.
Testing uses a basic skills exam and a content knowledge exam, per OSPI's assessment page, and the content tests are the WEST-E or NES for the endorsement area. Principals need a master's, a current certificate and school-based experience with an approved administrator program, and counselors need a master's in counseling and a comprehensive exam under the department's school counselor page. Our Washington licensure guide covers the details.
What Does Studying Online at a Washington University Mean for Residents?
Studying online at a Washington university means in-state pricing, as the cost chart shows, and classroom placements in your own district. Ask the program who completes OSPI's program verification for you and how student teaching or an internship can be arranged without relocating to the campus.
Washington joined NC-SARA in 2014 through the western compact. For a resident who later moves, SARA does not address licensing-board approval, so the degree is not a certificate elsewhere. Ask for the school's written licensure disclosure for any state you may move to, and ask it before you pay for another term, since the answer can change your plans.
Questions About Online Master's in Education Programs in Washington
What Is the Cheapest Online Master's in Education in Washington?
How Are Online Master's in Education Programs in Washington Ranked?
Does Washington Use the Praxis for Teacher Certification?
Washington builds its requirement on the WEST and NES tests, with Praxis accepted only in limited alternatives such as counselor exams. Check OSPI's assessment page for the test that matches your endorsement area before you register for any exam.
Are Seattle University and Saint Martin's Programs Teaching Degrees?
Both are higher education programs: Seattle University's focuses on leadership and administration, and Saint Martin's on student affairs. They prepare you for work at colleges, not for a classroom certificate, so look to Central Washington, City University of Seattle or Heritage for teaching paths that lead to a credential.
What Is Heritage University's Master in Teaching For?
Heritage University's Master in Teaching is an elementary education degree that leads to Washington State teacher certification with an Elementary Education K-8 endorsement. Ask the department how student teaching terms are arranged where you live.
Can I Use a Master's Alone to Become a Washington Principal?
A degree alone does not qualify you. OSPI also asks for a current certificate, school-based experience and an approved administrator program, and none of the programs here is titled as principal preparation.
Where Do the Figures for Washington 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
City University of Seattle Central Washington University Eastern Washington University Seattle University Heritage University Western Washington University Saint Martin's University