Best Master's in Computer Teacher Education Programs in 2026
All 6 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on degrees awarded and local teacher pay. CIP 13.1321.
- Most master's programs run 30 to 36 credits and take about two years, with many built to be completed part-time by working teachers.
- 1 of 6 ranked programs offer an online or hybrid option.
- Graduate programs are ranked on degrees awarded, cost-of-living-adjusted local pay, and institutional standing, not the undergraduate stats that do not describe a master's.
- 1
Ashland University
42score- 12Master's/yr
- Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology
- On-campus
About the programAshland University offers a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an Educational Technology focus, designed for practicing teachers who want to grow their technology practice rather than earn an initial teaching license. The program pairs a full master's degree with an add-on Ohio Computer/Technology endorsement, preparing candidates to pass the relevant Ohio Assessment for Educators subtests and attach the endorsement to a license they already hold. That combination signals a program aimed at working educators deepening a specialty within their existing careers. Coursework is aligned with the International Society for Technology in Education standards, tying the curriculum to nationally recognized expectations for technology-using educators. A standalone 18-credit endorsement is available separately for those who want the credential without the full degree. This program offers a master's degree in computer teacher education in Ohio.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteMaster's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 12 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 2
Saginaw Valley State University
39score- 6Master's/yr
About the programSaginaw Valley State University in University Center, Michigan is associated with graduate study in computer and technology teacher education. Specifics about a dedicated master's program in this area are limited, and prospective students should consult the university's College of Education for current requirements and licensure information. This program offers a master's degree in computer teacher education in Michigan.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 3
Teachers College at Columbia University
35score- 8Master's/yr
- $96,900Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Learning with Technology (online; formerly Computing in Education)
- On-campus
About the programTeachers College, Columbia University offers a fully online Master of Arts in Learning with Technology, formerly known as Computing in Education, a 32-point degree oriented toward how technology shapes learning rather than toward classroom licensure. Students build their program across at least three foundational areas spanning cognitive, social, and cultural issues in technology along with educational practice and design, a breadth that suits professionals thinking broadly about learning environments and edtech design. The requirement of at least one programming course keeps the degree technically grounded even as it emphasizes theory and application. Everything culminates in an integrative M.A. project addressing a real problem in the student's own area of study, giving the online experience a concrete, self-directed capstone. The result is a flexible graduate credential for educators, designers, and technologists rather than a certification pathway. This program offers a master's degree in computer teacher education in New York.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 8 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
- 4
CUNY Hunter College
32score- 4Master's/yr
- $96,900Metro teacher pay
- Master of Science in Education in Computer Science Education
- On-campus
About the programHunter College offers a Master of Science in Education in Computer Science Education that prepares candidates for New York State teaching certification in computer science across grades PreK-12. The 40-credit design reads as a serious blend of pedagogy and technical depth, splitting its hours among education core courses, computer science education methods, student teaching, and additional computing coursework so graduates leave both credentialed and genuinely fluent in the subject. Admission expects demonstrated programming knowledge in Python, C++, or Java, signaling a program built for people already comfortable writing code who now want to teach it. A single PreK-12 track keeps the focus clear rather than spreading candidates across concentrations. For already-certified teachers, a related Advanced Certificate offers a shorter route into the same field. It is a master's degree in computer teacher education at the master's level, based in New York.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
- 5
Manhattanville University
32score- 3Master's/yr
- $96,900Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching in Computer Science Education
- On-campus
About the programManhattanville University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Computer Science Education, one of the first NYSED-approved programs in the field and a route to New York initial certification to teach computer science across all grades. Its 41 credits move candidates through student teaching placements, seminars, and workshops, a structure that treats classroom practice as central rather than incidental to the coursework. Admission requires 12 prerequisite credits in computer science including a general-purpose programming language, so the program assumes real technical grounding before candidates begin learning how to teach it. Passage of the state Educating All Students test completes the licensure requirements. For in-service teachers who already hold a master's degree, a separate 21-credit Advanced Certificate provides a compact way to add the specialization. It is a master's degree in computer teacher education at the master's level, based in New York.
Why it ranks hereSchool siteA master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, where elementary teachers earn a median $96,900, roughly $86,085 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
- 6
George Washington University
26score- 10Master's/yr
- $79,470Metro teacher pay
About the programGeorge Washington University in Washington, D.C. is associated with graduate preparation in computer and technology teacher education. Publicly available details about a corresponding master's program, including its format, structure, and any licensure outcomes, are limited, so prospective students should consult the university's education faculty for current offerings. As a master's degree in computer teacher education, it adds to the master's-level computer teacher education options in Washington, D.C..
Why it ranks hereSchool siteFor a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 10 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,470, roughly $72,986 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.
Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.
How we rank
Each master's program is scored 0 to 100 against the other master's programs in its specialty on the measures the federal data actually supports at the graduate level: the number of master's degrees it awards each year (30%), counted as a sign that the program is established rather than rewarding sheer size: a program reaches full credit at about fifty degrees a year and awarding thousands more adds nothing, so a high-volume online degree factory earns no advantage here; the median wage for elementary teachers in the program's local area (30%), from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The wage is the metropolitan-area figure where the school sits in a metro (about 85% of programs) and the state figure otherwise, and it is adjusted for the local cost of living using the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities, so a high nominal salary in an expensive metro does not outrank a lower salary that goes further. It is a measure of local earning potential in the field, not the earnings of this program's graduates, which are not published. The third and largest measure is a program-strength score (40%), 0 to 100, led by the institution's Carnegie research classification, so a very-high-research university outranks a small teaching college on institutional standing. It adds a bonus where the program names a national programmatic accreditor like CAEP or AAQEP, but does not lean on it, because several states approve educator preparation through their own boards rather than CAEP, and a strong flagship should not be marked down for its state's accreditation choice. A clearly identified degree and licensure pathway adds a little more, and private for-profit programs, whose graduate outcomes are documented as weaker, take a deduction. Graduation rate, admission rate, and tuition are deliberately NOT scored: the first two are institution-wide undergraduate figures that describe the wrong population, and verified graduate tuition exists for too few programs to rank on fairly. Cost is shown on each card where we have it, but it does not affect the ranking. Every master's program is ranked and shown, with no per-state cap.
- Established program size, degrees awarded per year, capped so volume alone does not win: 30%
- Local-area teacher pay, cost-of-living adjusted (BLS + BEA): 30%
- Program strength, institutional research standing plus accreditation, less a for-profit deduction: 40%
Prefer a single measure? See most popular, highest area pay.
How much a master's in Computer Teacher Education program costs in 2026
Graduate tuition is priced by the credit rather than the year, and most master's in Computer Teacher Education programs run 30 to 36 credits, so the total turns on a school's per-credit rate and whether you pay the in-state or out-of-state figure. Public universities are usually the least expensive for residents, while private and out-of-state rates run higher. Because IPEDS reports only an institution-wide undergraduate tuition that does not describe a graduate program, each card shows a researched per-program cost wherever a school publishes one, rather than a misleading campus-wide number.
Sticker price is rarely the final cost. Graduate students can borrow through federal Direct Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS loans, and teachers have targeted help: the TEACH Grant provides up to $4,000 a year for a commitment to teach a high-need subject in a low-income school, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness can clear the remaining balance after ten years of qualifying payments in a public school or district. Many districts also reimburse part of a master's for teachers who earn it on the job, since a graduate degree usually moves them up the salary schedule.
Sources: program data from IPEDS; the TEACH Grant and Public Service Loan Forgiveness from Federal Student Aid.
Ways to earn your master's in Computer Teacher Education
Online delivery is central at this level: 1 of the 6 ranked programs offer an online or hybrid option, which fits teachers and other professionals who study while working full time. Programs are often organized as cohorts on evening, weekend, or asynchronous schedules, with any required field hours arranged near you. A typical master's runs about two years part-time, or twelve to eighteen months full-time.
The right format depends on why you are enrolling. Licensed teachers pursuing a master's for advancement or an added specialization can usually study fully online while they keep teaching. Career-changers who need an initial teaching license should instead look for a Master of Arts in Teaching or another licensure-track program, which pairs coursework with a supervised student-teaching placement or a paid residency and so includes in-person clinical time.
Sources: program and delivery data from IPEDS.
Data sources for our Master's in Computer Teacher Education ranking
- Program counts and degrees awarded: IPEDS, US Department of Education. Cost figures are researched from each program's own published tuition, since IPEDS reports only undergraduate tuition.
- Program descriptions: each school's official catalog and program pages.