Best Master's in Elementary Education Programs in Kansas
All 7 Elementary Education master's-level programs in Kansas, ranked overall on graduation rate, affordability, and more, from the IPEDS database.
A master's in elementary education can lead to initial Kansas licensure or advance a licensed teacher's career, and Kansas has 7 accredited elementary education master's programs to compare. This ranking scores every one on the outcomes that actually affect your return: graduation rate, in-state affordability, and selectivity, all pulled from the public federal IPEDS database. Kansas State University ranks first with a score of 58, on a 71 percent graduation rate.
Elementary school teachers in Kansas earn a median of $56,450 a year according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, against a national median of $63,970. Each section below covers a specific decision point, cost and real ROI, Kansas licensure, accreditation, online and accelerated formats, and career outlook, so you can compare elementary education programs in Kansas on the factors that change your outcome rather than on marketing.
- 1
Kansas State University
58score- 108Master's/yr
- $49,520Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching: Elementary Education
- Online
About the programKansas State University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education, a fully online program that leads to a Kansas initial teaching license for grades K-6. The degree culminates in a final-semester internship. Candidates who already teach serve as teacher of record in their own classrooms, while those seeking a first license complete the internship in K-12 schools. It is designed for candidates pursuing initial elementary certification rather than teachers who are already licensed. It awards more master's-level elementary education degrees than any of Kansas's 7 ranked master's-level programs, 108 in the most recent year. This master's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Kansas.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageFor 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 108 master's degrees a year, one of the larger cohorts in the specialty. Its graduates step into Manhattan, KS, where elementary teachers earn a median $49,520, roughly $54,923 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
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.
- 2
Pittsburg State University
55score- 82Master's/yr
- $56,450State teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Teaching (Elementary Education K-6), Alternative Licensure
- Online
About the programThis Master of Arts in Teaching, Teaching (Elementary Education K-6) alternative licensure emphasis, is an initial-licensure pathway for candidates who hold a non-teaching bachelor's degree and want a Kansas Elementary K-6 teaching license. It is delivered online. Coursework includes primary-grade literacy, curriculum development, and supervised practica in authentic school settings. Program materials describe a 33 credit-hour structure. Pittsburg State also offers a separate MS emphasis for already-licensed elementary teachers. Earning a master's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Kansas's elementary school teachers.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageA 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 82 master's degrees a year, one of the larger cohorts in the specialty. Its graduates step into Kansas statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $56,450, roughly $62,675 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
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.
- 3
Ottawa University-Kansas City
49score- 8Master's/yr
- $61,060Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Education, Elementary Education Unified (initial licensure)
- CAEP-accredited
- Hybrid
About the programOttawa University's Elementary Education Unified master's is a 36 credit hour program (18 concentration plus 18 foundation credits) that leads to initial Kansas teaching licensure for grades Pre-K-6 under the state's unified (general and special education) model. It includes Clinical Practice I and II with student teaching in inclusive classrooms plus seminars and continuous evaluation. Delivery is online and hybrid, offered at the Overland Park, Kansas location and online. This is an initial-licensure route for candidates entering the profession, distinct from Ottawa's separate non-licensure Elementary Education master's for already-credentialed educators. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Kansas.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster'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 8 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kansas City, MO-KS, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,060, roughly $65,980 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
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
MidAmerica Nazarene University
48score- $17,191Est. total cost
- 4Master's/yr
- $61,060Metro teacher pay
- Master of Science (M.S.) in Elementary Education Unified
- CAEP-accredited
- Online
About the programMidAmerica Nazarene's accelerated Master of Science in Elementary Education Unified is a 44-credit online program completed in roughly 21 to 24 months. It results in a Kansas elementary education unified licensure endorsement qualifying graduates to teach in an elementary or special education classroom for kindergarten through grade 6, so it is an initial-licensure pathway. Coursework is delivered online with technology-enhanced instruction, and students may work full time until the final student-teaching semester. The program is fully accredited by CAEP and approved by the Kansas State Department of Education. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Kansas.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster'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 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kansas City, MO-KS, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,060, roughly $65,980 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
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
University of Saint Mary
45score- 2Master's/yr
- $61,060Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching, Elementary Education
- CAEP-accredited
- Hybrid
About the programThe University of Saint Mary's Master of Arts in Teaching offers a flexible route to Kansas PreK-6 initial teacher licensure for those beginning their careers in the classroom. Its elementary concentration runs 38 to 46 credits in accelerated eight-week courses that start in January, March, and August, delivered remotely or in person at the USM-Johnson County site. Recognizing that candidates arrive in different circumstances, the program offers a traditional track that closes with a full semester of student teaching, alongside a limited residency track that substitutes supervised internship experiences for people already working full time in a district. Optional unified and ESOL concentrations let candidates add coursework toward combined elementary and special education or ESOL endorsements. Carrying CAEP accreditation, it is an initial-licensure pathway rather than an advanced degree for teachers already certified. Graduates of this elementary education program at the master's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster'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 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kansas City, MO-KS, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,060, roughly $65,980 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
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
Emporia State University
35score- 15Master's/yr
- $56,450State teacher pay
- Master of Science in Elementary Education
- Online
About the programEmporia State University offers an online Master of Science in Elementary Education that leads to a Kansas elementary teaching license, with no prior background in education required. The curriculum moves from foundations into elementary content methods in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and reading, followed by clinical work. Candidates complete two semesters of field experiences and a practicum along with a teaching portfolio, building the classroom preparation Kansas requires for initial licensure. Earning a master's degree in elementary education is a common route toward becoming one of Kansas's elementary school teachers.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster'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 15 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kansas statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $56,450, roughly $62,675 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
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.
- 7
Ottawa University-Ottawa
30score- $18,648Est. tuition (excl. fees)
- 3Master's/yr
- $56,450State teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Education, Concentration in Elementary Education Unified (Kansas)
About the programOttawa University's Master of Arts in Education, with its concentration in Elementary Education Unified, is a 36 credit hour route to a Kansas K-6 teaching license for candidates entering the profession. The word Unified is telling, since the program builds in a path toward a low-incidence special education endorsement, preparing teachers to serve a wider range of learners in the same classroom. A twelve-week clinical practice, essentially a full stretch of student teaching, anchors the move toward licensure and gives candidates extended time to lead real students. Flexibility is a hallmark here, with the program available at the residential Ottawa, Kansas campus, in Kansas City at Overland Park, and fully online. Ottawa states that its teacher education programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and this remains an initial-licensure pathway into elementary teaching. Graduates of this elementary education program at the master's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.
Why it ranks hereProgram pageMaster'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 3 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Kansas statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $56,450, roughly $62,675 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market. Institutional standing and accreditation fill out the rest of the score.
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.
Key facts about a master's in Elementary Education in Kansas
- Kansas has 7 accredited master's in elementary education programs in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from federal IPEDS data.
- Kansas State University ranks first among elementary education master's programs in Kansas with a score of 58, on a 71 percent graduation rate.
- MidAmerica Nazarene University is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Kansas, at $17,191 a year in-state tuition.
- Elementary school teachers in Kansas earn a median of $56,450 a year (BLS), ranking Kansas 44 of 51 states and territories for the occupation.
- 1 of the master's in elementary education programs in Kansas offer an online or hybrid option.
- Kansas requires the Praxis licensure exam, administered through Kansas State Department of Education, Teacher Licensure, to earn a teaching license.
What a master's in elementary education costs in Kansas (2026)
Published in-state tuition for a master's in elementary education in Kansas runs from $17,191 to $18,648 a year across the 7 programs we rank, with a median of $17,191. The most affordable is MidAmerica Nazarene University at $17,191 a year. These are published sticker rates from IPEDS; most future teachers bring the net figure down with the Pell Grant, the federal TEACH Grant, and state teacher-preparation aid, so weigh net price, not the sticker.
Cost only means something next to completion. The elementary education programs ranked here average a 52 percent graduation rate, and a lower-priced program where fewer students finish is not necessarily the cheaper path to a degree. Compare tuition and graduation rate together above.
Sources: IPEDS tuition data
What elementary school teachers earn in Kansas
Elementary school teachers in Kansas earn a median of $56,450 a year, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), compared with a national median of $63,970. That ranks Kansas 44 of 51 states and territories for elementary school teachers pay. Nationally, pay for this occupation spans roughly $47,960 at the 10th percentile to $104,340 at the 90th, with a master's degree, years in the classroom, and the local district salary schedule driving the climb.
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 2 percent decline in elementary school teachers employment nationally from 2024 to 2034, with about 103,800 openings a year as teachers retire or change careers. A master's in elementary education in Kansas is the entry point to that market, not the ceiling.
How to get a Kansas teaching license
To teach in Kansas you need a master's in elementary education (or a bachelor's plus an approved preparation program), a supervised student-teaching placement, and a Kansas teaching license issued by Kansas State Department of Education, Teacher Licensure. Kansas calls the initial credential the Initial License, and earning it means passing Praxis (The Praxis Series) plus a background check.
Confirm your elementary education program is currently approved by Kansas State Department of Education, Teacher Licensure before you enroll.
Sources: Kansas educator certification, Praxis exam
Choosing an accredited elementary education program in Kansas
Pick a master's in elementary education in Kansas that is regionally accredited and whose educator-preparation program is approved by the Kansas Department of Education, ideally with CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) accreditation. State approval is what lets the degree count toward a Kansas teaching license, and CAEP is the national standard for program quality, so confirm both before enrolling in any elementary education program in Kansas.
Sources: CAEP accreditation
Online and hybrid elementary education programs in Kansas
1 of the master's in elementary education programs in Kansas offer an online or hybrid option. Online teacher-preparation still requires in-person student teaching, so these formats suit working adults and career changers who can complete supervised classroom hours locally while taking coursework online. An online master's in elementary education from a state-approved, CAEP-accredited program leads to the same Kansas teaching license as an on-campus degree; the diploma does not distinguish the format.
Frequently asked questions about a master's in Elementary Education in Kansas
How many master's in elementary education programs are in Kansas?
There are 7 accredited master's in elementary education programs in Kansas in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from the federal IPEDS database.
What is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Kansas?
MidAmerica Nazarene University is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Kansas, at $17,191 a year in in-state tuition.
How much do elementary school teachers make in Kansas?
Elementary school teachers in Kansas earn a median of $56,450 a year, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes252021.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics</a>, versus $63,970 nationally.
What exam do you need to teach in Kansas?
Kansas requires the Praxis (The Praxis Series) licensure exam, administered for Kansas State Department of Education, Teacher Licensure. See the <a href="https://www.ets.org/praxis" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">official exam page</a> for current test requirements.
Is a master's in elementary education worth it in Kansas?
For most future teachers, yes. A master's in elementary education in Kansas is the standard credential for a Kansas teaching license, and it leads to a median elementary school teachers salary of $56,450 a year in Kansas. Compare graduation rate and net price above to find the best value in 2026.
These are the best master's in elementary education programs in Kansas for 2026, ranked on the outcomes that matter. Compare all 7 master's in elementary education in Kansas above by graduation rate, tuition, and selectivity, then open each program page to take the next step toward teaching in an elementary school classroom in Kansas.