Best Master's in Elementary Education Programs in Minnesota
All 5 Elementary Education master's-level programs in Minnesota, ranked overall on graduation rate, affordability, and more, from the IPEDS database.
A master's in elementary education can lead to initial Minnesota licensure or advance a licensed teacher's career, and Minnesota has 5 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. Walden University ranks first with a score of 55.
Elementary school teachers in Minnesota earn a median of $76,350 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, Minnesota licensure, accreditation, online and accelerated formats, and career outlook, so you can compare elementary education programs in Minnesota on the factors that change your outcome rather than on marketing.
- 1
Walden University
55score- $23,800Est. tuition (excl. fees)
- 66Master's/yr
- $79,730Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Elementary Education
- CAEP-accredited
- Online
About the programWalden University's Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education is built for bachelor's degree holders who are ready to become licensed teachers, and it delivers that preparation entirely online. Coursework in K-6 content areas is paired with hands-on field experience, so candidates practice the full arc of teaching, planning lessons, delivering instruction, and assessing the diverse learners in an elementary classroom. That balance keeps the online format grounded in real classroom work rather than theory alone. The program's educator preparation is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, a mark of quality that carries weight in the field. Graduates leave positioned to pursue teacher licensure in 44 states and Washington, DC, giving the degree considerable flexibility across the country. It awards more master's-level elementary education degrees than any of Minnesota's 5 ranked master's-level programs, 66 in the most recent year. As a master's degree in elementary education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Minnesota.
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 66 master's degrees a year, one of the larger cohorts in the specialty. Its graduates step into Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,730, roughly $76,062 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
Concordia University-Saint Paul
54score- $15,890Est. total cost
- 36Master's/yr
- $79,730Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), K-6 License
- AAQEP-accredited
About the programThe Master of Arts in Teaching (K-6 License) is a 36 credit cohort program that leads to a master's degree and a Minnesota initial teaching license for kindergarten through sixth grade. Candidates may earn an initial license or add K-6 to an existing credential. Coursework is distributed across two years with two start options, followed by a clinical experience component. AAQEP awarded the initial teacher education licensure programs full seven-year national accreditation on June 7, 2022. The program prepares candidates for Minnesota licensure only. 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 36 master's degrees a year, one of the larger cohorts in the specialty. Its graduates step into Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,730, roughly $76,062 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
University of St Thomas
37score- 11Master's/yr
- $79,730Metro teacher pay
- Initial Licensure / MA in Teaching, Elementary Education (K-6)
- Online
About the programThis is an initial-licensure degree that leads to a Minnesota Elementary Education (K-6) teaching license combined with an MA in Teaching, designed for working adults who are not yet licensed. It requires 42 or more credits and 100 hours of field work and student teaching arranged within the Twin Cities area. The School of Education describes it as a fully online program with evening synchronous classes, and it is also available on campus in St. Paul and Minneapolis. Most students finish in about 2.5 years, starting in fall or summer. This master's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Minnesota.
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 11 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,730, roughly $76,062 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
Minnesota State University-Mankato
37score- $26,388Est. total cost
- 27Master's/yr
- $63,070Metro teacher pay
- Elementary Teaching, Master of Science (M.S.)
- Online
About the programThis fully online Master of Science in Elementary Teaching totals 42 credits and is a graduate initial-licensure pathway: it prepares candidates who already hold a bachelor's degree, including those from non-teaching majors, to obtain a Minnesota K-6 Elementary Teaching License. It is designed to take two to three years. Because it leads to a first teaching license, it is not an in-service degree for already-certified teachers. Delivery is online statewide, and the program satisfies Minnesota licensure-to-practice standards. This master's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Minnesota.
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 27 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Mankato, MN, where elementary teachers earn a median $63,070, roughly $69,342 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
St Catherine University
23score- 2Master's/yr
- $79,730Metro teacher pay
About the programSt. Catherine University offers a Master of Education in Elementary Education that leads to a Minnesota K-6 teaching license. The degree is delivered in a hybrid format, combining online study with in-person coursework. The university also offers a Master of Arts in Education in Montessori Education and Leadership, a separate track for educators working toward Montessori settings and leadership roles. This master's-level elementary education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Minnesota.
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 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI, where elementary teachers earn a median $79,730, roughly $76,062 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 Minnesota
- Minnesota has 5 accredited master's in elementary education programs in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from federal IPEDS data.
- Walden University ranks first among elementary education master's programs in Minnesota with a score of 55.
- Concordia University-Saint Paul is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Minnesota, at $15,890 a year in-state tuition.
- University of St Thomas posts the highest graduation rate among elementary education programs in Minnesota, at 76 percent.
- Elementary school teachers in Minnesota earn a median of $76,350 a year (BLS), ranking Minnesota 14 of 51 states and territories for the occupation.
- 3 of the master's in elementary education programs in Minnesota offer an online or hybrid option.
- Minnesota requires the MTLE licensure exam, administered through Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board, to earn a teaching license.
What a master's in elementary education costs in Minnesota (2026)
Published in-state tuition for a master's in elementary education in Minnesota runs from $15,890 to $26,388 a year across the 5 programs we rank, with a median of $23,800. The most affordable is Concordia University-Saint Paul at $15,890 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 59 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 Minnesota
Elementary school teachers in Minnesota earn a median of $76,350 a year, per BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), compared with a national median of $63,970. That ranks Minnesota 14 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 Minnesota is the entry point to that market, not the ceiling.
How to get a Minnesota teaching license
To teach in Minnesota you need a master's in elementary education (or a bachelor's plus an approved preparation program), a supervised student-teaching placement, and a Minnesota teaching license issued by Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. Minnesota calls the initial credential the Tier 3 License, and earning it means passing MTLE (Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations) plus a background check.
Minnesota uses tiered licensure; completers of an approved preparation program are exempt from the MTLE content and pedagogy tests as of August 2023. Confirm your program is currently state-approved before you enroll.
Sources: Minnesota educator certification, MTLE exam
Choosing an accredited elementary education program in Minnesota
Pick a master's in elementary education in Minnesota that is regionally accredited and whose educator-preparation program is approved by the Minnesota Department of Education, ideally with CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) accreditation. State approval is what lets the degree count toward a Minnesota teaching license, and CAEP is the national standard for program quality, so confirm both before enrolling in any elementary education program in Minnesota.
Sources: CAEP accreditation
Online and hybrid elementary education programs in Minnesota
3 of the master's in elementary education programs in Minnesota 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota
How many master's in elementary education programs are in Minnesota?
There are 5 accredited master's in elementary education programs in Minnesota in our 2026 ranking, all drawn from the federal IPEDS database.
What is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Minnesota?
Concordia University-Saint Paul is the most affordable master's in elementary education in Minnesota, at $15,890 a year in in-state tuition.
How much do elementary school teachers make in Minnesota?
Elementary school teachers in Minnesota earn a median of $76,350 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 Minnesota?
Minnesota requires the MTLE (Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations) licensure exam, administered for Minnesota Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board. See the <a href="https://www.mtle.nesinc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">official exam page</a> for current test requirements.
Is a master's in elementary education worth it in Minnesota?
For most future teachers, yes. A master's in elementary education in Minnesota is the standard credential for a Minnesota teaching license, and it leads to a median elementary school teachers salary of $76,350 a year in Minnesota. 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 Minnesota for 2026, ranked on the outcomes that matter. Compare all 5 master's in elementary education in Minnesota 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 Minnesota.