Best Master's in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Programs by Degrees Awarded

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published July 16, 2026·Last updated July 22, 2026

Ranked by the number of master's degrees awarded each year, the most established programs. The top 8 out of 8 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

1
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CAPublic
- 55Master's/yr
- On-campus
About the program
The 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 here
A 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, a steady if smaller cohort.
School site
2
NUC University
Bayamon, PRPrivate for-profit
- 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 program
Northbridge 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 here
A 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 25 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
School site
3
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, ILPublicOnline available
- 19Master's/yr
- Master of Education in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics and Assessment
- Online
About the program
The 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 here
For 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.
School site
4
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NEPublic
- 19Master's/yr
- Master of Arts in Educational Psychology, Quantitative, Qualitative, and Psychometric Methods specialization
- On-campus
About the program
The 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 here
A 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.
School site
5
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GAPublic
- 4Master's/yr
- $72,290State teacher pay
- Master of Education in Evaluation, Assessment, Research and Learning
- Online
About the program
Georgia 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 here
For 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.
School site
6
University of Michigan-Dearborn
Dearborn, MIPublic
- 1Master's/yr
- Master of Arts in Program Evaluation and Assessment
- On-campus
About the program
The 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 here
Master'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.
School site
7
Vermont State University
Randolph, VTPublic
- 1Master's/yr
- On-campus
About the program
Vermont 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 here
A 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.
School site
8
A T Still University of Health Sciences
Kirksville, MOPrivate nonprofitOnline available
- 1Master's/yr
- Master of Education in Health Professions Education
- Online
About the program
A.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 here
A 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.
School site

← Back to the overall Best Master's in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research

Best Master's in Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Programs by Degrees Awarded

University of California-Santa Cruz

NUC University

University of Illinois Chicago

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Georgia Southern University

University of Michigan-Dearborn

Vermont State University

A T Still University of Health Sciences