Best Master's in Montessori Teacher Education Programs by Local Teacher Pay

1. 1

   Whitworth University

   Spokane, WAPrivate nonprofit

   • 14Master's/yr
   • $98,800Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Education in Montessori, Early Learning
   • Hybrid
   About the program

   Whitworth University offers a Master of Education in Montessori, Early Learning aligned with Association Montessori Internationale diploma training. The cohort-based design has candidates enroll concurrently at an AMI training center while completing Whitworth coursework, weaving academic study together with authentic Montessori credentialing across 36 credits finished in two years or less. Students choose Assistants to Infancy for ages 0 to 3 or Primary for ages 3 to 6, and a separate M.Ed. Montessori Elementary track for ages 6 to 12 is also available. Beyond the AMI diploma, candidates can add optional Washington State teacher certification with an Early Childhood Education endorsement for grades P-3 by completing additional student teaching and coursework. The concurrent-enrollment cohort model reads as an intensive, deeply immersive route for those committing to the AMI tradition. As a master's degree in montessori teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Washington.

   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 14 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Spokane-Spokane Valley, WA, where elementary teachers earn a median $98,800, roughly $98,459 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
2. 2

   University of Wisconsin-River Falls

   River Falls, WIPublic

   • 12Master's/yr
   • $79,730Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Science in Education - Montessori Teacher Education
   • Hybrid
   About the program

   The University of Wisconsin-River Falls offers a Master of Science in Education in Montessori Teacher Education, one of only about ten nationally accredited university-housed Montessori master's programs and one of just two at public universities. Candidates select an age-level track, Early Childhood for ages 3 to 6, Elementary I for ages 6 to 9, or a combined Elementary I-II reaching ages 6 to 12, and progress through a blended format built around summer intensives, monthly in-person weekends, and embedded Practicum A and B. That structure, capped by a final research paper for the master's option, balances applied classroom preparation with scholarly work. Accreditation comes through the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, and the program leads to a Montessori teaching credential at the chosen age level rather than a state license. Its public-university standing and blended cadence make it accessible to working teachers nationwide. Earning a master's degree in montessori teacher education is a common route toward becoming one of Wisconsin's elementary school teachers.

   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 12 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.

   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
3. 3

   St Catherine University

   Saint Paul, MNPrivate nonprofitOnline available

   • 25Master's/yr
   • $79,730Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Arts in Montessori Education and Leadership
   • On-campus
   About the program

   St. Catherine University offers an online Master of Arts in Montessori Education and Leadership designed for educators who already hold a Montessori credential and want to build on it rather than earn one from scratch. Admission requires a MACTE certificate from any age level, and the program awards up to fifteen graduate credits for that prior Montessori teacher education, allowing many students to finish in about a year. Coursework culminates in an action research capstone project, a focus that reads as preparing experienced Montessorians for leadership, scholarship, and reflective practice within their schools. The degree extends an existing Montessori credential and does not itself lead to state teacher licensure. Its fully online format keeps it accessible to teachers continuing to work in the classroom. This master's-level montessori teacher education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Minnesota.

   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 25 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.

   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
4. 4

   Chaminade University of Honolulu

   Honolulu, HIPrivate nonprofitOnline available

   • 7Master's/yr
   • $73,080Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Education with Montessori Emphasis
   • On-campus
   About the program

   Chaminade University offers a fully online Master of Education whose Montessori Emphasis lets educators build a graduate degree around Montessori credentialing. Delivered in ten-week terms across thirty credit hours, the program can be finished in about eighteen months, and applicants who already hold a Montessori credential may transfer up to twelve credits, a design that rewards prior professional training and speeds completion. The Montessori Emphasis leads to a Montessori credential rather than a state teaching license, marking it as preparation for Montessori classrooms specifically. Chaminade separates this from its Instructional Leadership track for the Teach For America cohort, which does lead to Hawaii teaching licensure in Elementary, Secondary, or Special Education, so prospective students choose their pathway by whether they want a Montessori or a state credential. The Montessori emphasis is accredited by MACTE, and the university holds WASC accreditation. As a master's degree in montessori teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Hawaii.

   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 7 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Urban Honolulu, HI, where elementary teachers earn a median $73,080, roughly $65,861 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
5. 5

   Dallas Baptist University

   Dallas, TXPrivate nonprofit

   • 1Master's/yr
   • $65,070Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Arts in Teaching with Montessori Specialization
   • On-campus
   About the program

   Dallas Baptist University offers a Master of Arts in Teaching with a Montessori Specialization, an on-campus program delivered in partnership with the Shelton School's Montessori teacher-training institute. Candidates choose between Montessori Early Childhood, covering ages 2.5 to 6 across 30 hours, and Montessori Elementary I for ages 6 to 9 across 33 hours, aligning the degree to a specific developmental stage. The co-delivery with an established training institute, a required satisfactory MAT or GRE score to continue past the first 12 hours, and a capstone defense-of-degree portfolio give the program a rigorous, gatekept structure. It does not lead to state teaching certification, situating it as preparation for Montessori practice rather than public-school licensure. The arrangement suits candidates seeking method-specific training within a faith-based university setting. A master's-level path in montessori teacher education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Texas.

   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. Its graduates step into Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX, where elementary teachers earn a median $65,070, roughly $63,120 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. 6

   Xavier University

   Cincinnati, OHPrivate nonprofit

   • 33Master's/yr
   • $64,740Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Education in Montessori Education
   • Online
   About the program

   Xavier University offers a Master of Education in Montessori Education, a program that carries real historical weight as the nation's first graduate-level Montessori teacher preparation, established in 1965. Delivered fully online across 30 credits with summer, fall, or spring entry, it forgoes separate tracks in favor of an integrated Montessori curriculum that moves through practical life, math, science, history, and art. That single-path design reads as a coherent immersion in the method rather than a menu of specialties. For teachers who already hold a license, the degree leads to Ohio Pre-Kindergarten or Kindergarten-to-Grade-3 licensure alongside an American Montessori Society credential. The combination of online flexibility and a dual credentialing outcome makes it a natural fit for practicing educators committing fully to Montessori practice. This master's-level montessori teacher education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Ohio.

   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 33 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, where elementary teachers earn a median $64,740, roughly $67,883 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
7. 7

   Loyola University Maryland

   Baltimore, MDPrivate nonprofit

   • 34Master's/yr
   • Master of Education in Montessori Education
   • On-campus
   About the program

   Loyola University Maryland offers a Master of Education in Montessori Education built around Montessori teacher training and credentialing across three age levels: Birth to Three, Early Childhood, and Elementary. The thirty-three-credit program is notable for its three distinct admission routes, a Credit for Prior Learning pathway for candidates who already hold a MACTE-accredited Montessori diploma, a Professional Pathway offered online full- or part-time, and a hybrid Concurrent Pathway, which lets teachers at very different starting points enter through the option that fits their prior training. That flexibility signals a program designed to meet practicing and aspiring Montessori educators where they are rather than a one-size sequence. The degree centers on Montessori credentialing rather than state teacher licensure. The Concurrent Pathway has paused admissions for the 2026-2027 year. This master's-level montessori teacher education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Maryland.

   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 34 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

   School site
8. 8

   Trine University

   Angola, INPrivate nonprofit

   • 6Master's/yr
   • Master of Education in Early Childhood Montessori Education
   • On-campus
   About the program

   Trine University offers a Master of Education in Early Childhood Montessori Education that prepares candidates to lead a Montessori classroom for children ages two and a half to six. The program front-loads its academic work into an eight-week intensive summer phase on the Angola, Indiana campus, then extends into a nine-month supervised clinical practicum in a partner Montessori classroom, a rhythm that reads as immersive apprenticeship rather than part-time study. Across thirty-four credit hours completed in twelve to fifteen months, candidates also complete Positive Discipline and Special Education training modules that round out their preparation for real classroom demands. Completion earns American Montessori Society teaching credentials rather than a state teaching license, positioning graduates for Montessori Early Childhood teaching roles. The program is accredited by MACTE and affiliated with the American Montessori Society. As a master's degree in montessori teacher education, it is one of the programs that lead to careers as elementary school teachers in Indiana.

   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 6 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

   School site
9. 9

   Campbellsville University

   Campbellsville, KYPrivate nonprofitOnline available

   • 16Master's/yr
   • Master of Montessori Education
   • On-campus
   About the program

   Campbellsville University offers a Master of Montessori Education that spans the full Montessori age range from birth through age twelve in a single track. Ranging from thirty-six to forty-two credit hours and completable in about fourteen months, the program includes a practicum component and can be studied on campus or online, giving working adults room to fit it around their lives. Grounded in a Christian, child-centered educational framework, the degree prepares graduates for Montessori classroom teacher and coordinator roles rather than state-licensed public-school positions. Campbellsville holds regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Earning a master's degree in montessori teacher education is a common route toward becoming one of Kentucky's elementary school teachers.

   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 16 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

   School site
10. 10

    Lander University

    Greenwood, SCPublic

    • 22Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in Montessori Education
    About the program

    Lander University offers a Master of Education in Montessori Education, distinguished as the only institution of higher learning in South Carolina to award a Montessori certification degree. The program builds around three American Montessori Society certification tracks, Early Childhood for ages 3 to 6, Elementary I for grades 1 to 3, and Elementary II for grades 4 to 6, letting candidates target the age level they teach. Completable in as little as 18 months and anchored by a field-based practicum with an action-research component, it reads as a practice-oriented path that keeps teachers in their classrooms while they credential. The degree is designed for educators who already hold state certification and are seeking AMS national Montessori certification rather than initial licensure. Its regional exclusivity and applied research focus make it a targeted choice for working South Carolina teachers. Graduates of this montessori teacher education program at the master's level often go on to work as elementary school teachers.

    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 22 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
11. 11

    Chestnut Hill College

    Philadelphia, PAPrivate nonprofit

    • 4Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in Early Education with Montessori Early Childhood Credential
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Chestnut Hill College offers a Master of Education in Early Education that embeds a Montessori Early Childhood credential for ages 3 to 6 directly within the degree. Structured as a two-year sequence, it pairs 29 graduate credits of Montessori coursework with a year-long student-teaching internship in an approved Montessori school, a design that grounds theory in sustained classroom apprenticeship. The hybrid format and its standing as one of only eleven U.S. colleges offering Montessori study inside a bachelor's or master's degree mark it as a specialized, method-driven route. Accreditation comes through the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education, with affiliation to the American Montessori Society. Graduates earn an AMS Montessori credential rather than a state teaching license, positioning the program for those building careers specifically within Montessori settings. This master's-level montessori teacher education program prepares graduates for work as elementary school teachers in Pennsylvania.

    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 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
12. 12

    University of Hartford

    West Hartford, CTPrivate nonprofit

    • 19Master's/yr
    • Master of Education (Early Childhood or Elementary Education) with Montessori Concentration
    • On-campus
    About the program

    The University of Hartford offers a Master of Education with a Montessori Concentration that pairs a graduate degree with authentic Montessori teacher training in a single credential. Students can follow an Early Childhood track of thirty-three credits, including an Assistant to Infancy elective, or an Elementary track of thirty-seven credits, completing university coursework online while earning the AMI Montessori diploma in person through the Montessori Training Center Northeast. The program markets itself as the only one in the Northeast combining AMI training with a graduate degree, and a discounted partnership tuition rate with the training center underscores that integrated design. Graduates may apply for a Connecticut State Teaching Certificate carrying a Montessori Endorsement, either #511 for grades 1-6 or #512 for Birth through Kindergarten, so the degree opens both Montessori and state-certified classroom roles. Accreditation runs through CAEP and the Connecticut State Department of Education. A master's-level path in montessori teacher education, it builds toward a career among elementary school teachers in Connecticut.

    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 19 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site

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