Best Master's in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Programs in 2026
All 8 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database, ranked on degrees awarded and local teacher pay. CIP 13.0699.
This master's covers educational assessment, evaluation, and research beyond the standard specializations, giving you the tools to measure learning, evaluate programs, and study what works in education. Coursework typically spans test and survey design, statistics, data analysis, and program evaluation methods. Students are often teachers, district staff, or analysts who want to move into assessment, evaluation, institutional research, or data-focused roles rather than the classroom. It is a technical and research-oriented degree, not a direct route to a teaching license.
- 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.
- 2 of 8 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
University of California-Santa Cruz
65score- 55Master's/yr
- On-campus
About the programThe University of California, Santa Cruz houses its education offerings within the Education Department. Its published academics list a combined master's and teaching credential program and a doctoral program rather than a standalone master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research. As a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research, it adds to the master's-level educational assessment, evaluation, and research options in California.
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 55 master's degrees a year, one of the larger cohorts in the specialty.
- 2
University of Illinois Chicago
46score- 19Master's/yr
- Master of Education in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment
- Online
About the programThe University of Illinois Chicago offers a Master of Education in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment, known as MESA, an online program for people who want rigorous training in the methods behind educational data. The 32-credit-hour curriculum is organized around four areas, measurement, evaluation, statistics, and assessment, alongside qualitative methods coursework, giving students a broad quantitative and mixed-method toolkit. Most students complete the degree part-time over about two years through evening classes, a rhythm that signals it is built for working professionals rather than full-time residential study. No prior education degree is required for admission, and up to 12 hours of UIC graduate credit plus 8 hours from elsewhere may transfer in, easing the path for those with earlier coursework. Launched in 2009 as one of the first fully online asynchronous programs of its kind, it carries no licensure pathway. That history marks it as an established route into assessment and measurement work. This program offers a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research in Illinois.
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 19 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 3
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
46score- 19Master's/yr
- Master of Arts in Educational Psychology, Quantitative, Qualitative, and Psychometric Methods specialization
- On-campus
About the programThe University of Nebraska-Lincoln offers a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology with a specialization in Quantitative, Qualitative, and Psychometric Methods, a research methods degree for students drawn to the science of measurement and inquiry. Formed in 1987, the multidisciplinary QQPM specialization integrates qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method approaches with the cognitive and developmental principles of educational psychology. Faculty expertise spans applied psychometrics, latent variable modeling, equating, multilevel modeling, and mixed methodology, giving students access to a deep bench of methodological specialists. Offered on campus alongside a matching Ph.D. track, the master's reads as a foundation for research careers or continued doctoral study rather than a classroom credential. That pairing with a doctoral program makes it a natural entry point for students weighing a longer research path. It carries no teaching licensure. This program offers a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research in Nebraska.
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 19 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 4
NUC University
40score- 25Master's/yr
- Maestria en Educacion con Especialidad en Avaluo y Efectividad (Master's in Education with a Specialty in Assessment and Effectiveness)
- Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)-accredited
- Hybrid
About the programNorthbridge University, formerly NUC University, offers a Maestria en Educacion con Especialidad en Avaluo y Efectividad, a Spanish-language Master's in Education with a specialty in assessment and effectiveness. The program trains educational leaders to design and implement institutional assessment plans and to evaluate program effectiveness using both quantitative and qualitative tools. That focus on measuring and improving institutional outcomes characterizes it as preparation for assessment and effectiveness roles rather than classroom teaching. Delivered online with hybrid options at the Arecibo and Rio Grande campuses, it serves working professionals across Puerto Rico. The institution rebranded from NUC University to Northbridge University in 2025 and is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Its bilingual, applied design suits practitioners already working in schools and colleges who want to lead evaluation efforts. This program offers a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research in Puerto Rico.
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 25 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 5
Georgia Southern University
37score- 4Master's/yr
- $72,290State teacher pay
- Master of Education in Evaluation, Assessment, Research and Learning
- Online
About the programGeorgia Southern University offers a Master of Education in Evaluation, Assessment, Research and Learning, a fully online degree for professionals who want to build careers around measuring how programs and institutions perform. The 36-credit-hour program admits students in Fall, Spring, and Summer, an entry flexibility that suits working adults fitting graduate study around a job. Its applied course projects point graduates toward institutional research, program evaluation, assessment, and grant management roles rather than the classroom, and the degree carries no licensure pathway. That practical, methods-driven emphasis characterizes it as training for research and evaluation offices rather than teaching. The program is recognized by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Delivered entirely online, it keeps the degree within reach for candidates already employed in schools, agencies, or nonprofits. It is a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research at the master's level, based in Georgia.
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 Georgia statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $72,290, roughly $75,073 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
University of Michigan-Dearborn
36score- 1Master's/yr
- Master of Arts in Program Evaluation and Assessment
- On-campus
About the programThe University of Michigan-Dearborn offers a Master of Arts in Program Evaluation and Assessment, an on-campus degree that trains students to build and run the instruments organizations use to gauge whether their programs work. Candidates choose a concentration in either Education or Health, a fork that lets the degree serve people headed into schools or into clinical and public health settings. Coursework blends assessment and program evaluation training so graduates can develop and administer both formative and summative tools, all in service of evidence-based decision making. That applied, methods-centered focus characterizes the program as preparation for evaluation and assessment roles rather than teaching. Delivered on campus, it appeals to professionals who want to specialize in measuring outcomes within their field. The dual-concentration design keeps it relevant across education and health careers alike. As a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research, it adds to the master's-level educational assessment, evaluation, and research options in Michigan.
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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 7
Vermont State University
36score- 1Master's/yr
- On-campus
About the programVermont State University lists education offerings among its academic programs. Its closest related graduate option, an M.A. in Foundations of Education, is not being offered for the 2026-27 academic year, and no standalone master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research is currently published. This program offers a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research in Vermont.
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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 8
A T Still University of Health Sciences
36score- 1Master's/yr
- Master of Education in Health Professions Education
- Online
About the programA.T. Still University offers a Master of Education in Health Professions Education, a fully asynchronous online degree for clinicians and health professionals who want to teach and lead in their fields. The 30-credit program can be completed in as little as 18 months with no dissertation, a structure that reads as built for busy working professionals rather than full-time students. Candidates choose among four specialty tracks, Global Health, Leadership and Organizational Behavior, Fundamentals of Education, and a Generalist option, and complete a customizable capstone research proposal that lets them shape the work around their practice. Because it prepares health professions educators rather than K-12 candidates, the degree carries no teaching licensure. Graduates can apply for advanced standing and transfer up to 12 credits into ATSU's Doctor of Education program, positioning the master's as a step toward doctoral study. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. This program offers a master's degree in educational assessment, evaluation, and research in Missouri.
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 1 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
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 Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research program costs in 2026
Graduate tuition is priced by the credit rather than the year, and most master's in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research 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 Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
Online delivery is central at this level: 2 of the 8 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.
How to earn a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research
The path emphasizes quantitative skills and applied research rather than classroom licensure.
- 1
Earn a bachelor's degree
Complete an undergraduate degree, ideally with some coursework in statistics, psychology, education, or the social sciences, since comfort with numbers and research will serve you well.
- 2
Choose a program that fits your goal
Look for tracks in educational measurement, program evaluation, assessment, or research methods, and confirm the emphasis matches whether you want to build tests, evaluate programs, or analyze data.
- 3
Build your methods and statistics foundation
Core courses in statistics, research design, and measurement are the heart of the degree. Many programs also expect you to gain hands-on skill with data and analysis software.
- 4
Complete an applied project or internship
Most programs culminate in an applied evaluation project, thesis, or internship where you design a study or analyze real education data, which becomes evidence of your skills for employers.
- 5
Target research and assessment roles
Position yourself for jobs in district assessment offices, state education agencies, testing organizations, or institutional research, where evaluation and data expertise is in demand.
Requirements summarized from each state's department of education and the relevant national accreditor. Exact requirements vary by state.
Frequently asked questions about a Master's in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
Who is a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research for?
A master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research is for people who like data, measurement, and evidence and want to shape education from the analytical side. Teachers moving into assessment or data roles, district staff, and analysts headed for testing organizations or research offices are common enrollees.
Does a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research lead to a teaching license?
No, a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research does not lead to a teaching license. This is a research and measurement degree, not initial teacher preparation, so it does not by itself grant a teaching license. Its value is in the assessment, evaluation, and data skills it builds for non-classroom roles.
What kinds of jobs can you get with a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research?
It leads to jobs such as assessment coordinator, program evaluator, data analyst, and institutional researcher within school districts, state agencies, testing companies, and colleges. The common thread is measuring outcomes and turning education data into useful findings.
How long does a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research take, and can you study online?
It takes about two years part-time for most programs, which run about 30 to 36 credits. Because the work is heavily analytical rather than classroom-based, many programs are available online or in hybrid formats that fit working professionals.
What accreditation should you look for in a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research?
The accreditation you should look for is regional accreditation of the university itself, and you should review the department's faculty and methods coursework to be sure the training is rigorous. For assessment and evaluation, the strength of the statistics and research-methods curriculum matters more than a single specialized accreditor.
Is a master's in educational assessment, evaluation, and research worth it?
The degree is worth it if you want a career built on data and evidence in education, since it opens doors that a general teaching background does not. Weigh the cost against the specific analytical roles you are targeting, and look for programs with strong methods training and real applied projects.
Answers draw on IPEDS, the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, and each state's department of education.
Data sources for our Master's in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research 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.