Best Master's in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods Programs by Local Teacher Pay
Ranked by the median wage for elementary teachers in each program metro area, from BLS. The top 11 out of 11 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.
- 1
American College of Education
- 255Master's/yr
- $60,510Metro teacher pay
- Master of Education in STEM Education
- Higher Learning Commission-accredited
- Online
About the programAmerican College of Education offers a Master of Education in STEM Education delivered online and structured to move quickly, at 31 credits over roughly 12 to 15 months. Rather than pursuing teacher certification, the program pairs graduate coursework with a required Certificate in STEM Teaching through the National Institute for STEM Education, so graduates leave with both the master's degree and an added national credential. Students round out the curriculum by choosing three electives from a set of STEM-focused courses, keeping the path fairly streamlined without formal tracks. That built-in NISE certificate requirement gives the degree a distinctive, practice-oriented signature aimed at strengthening classroom STEM teaching. Accredited through the Higher Learning Commission, it reads as an efficient, credential-stacking option for working educators. This program offers a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods in Indiana.
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 255 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, where elementary teachers earn a median $60,510, roughly $63,231 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.
- 2
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
- 19Master's/yr
- $60,170Metro teacher pay
- Master of Education in STEM Education (M.S. option also available)
- SACSCOC-accredited
- Online
About the programNorth Carolina State University offers a Master of Education in STEM Education, with an M.S. option, delivered fully online for educators who want to specialize without leaving their positions. Students choose among concentrations in Science Education, Engineering and Technology Education, or Mathematics Education, yet all three share a common core course, EMS 573, that anchors a unified vision of STEM teaching across disciplines. The 30 credit-hour curriculum is aligned to North Carolina Department of Public Instruction requirements for advanced licensure at the master's level and supports candidates pursuing National Board Certification, signaling a clear professional-advancement purpose. The M.S. variant adds a thesis-culminating project for those drawn toward research. Accredited through SACSCOC, it functions as a flexible, discipline-specific route for practicing teachers deepening their STEM credentials. This program offers a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods in North Carolina.
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. Its graduates step into Raleigh-Cary, NC, where elementary teachers earn a median $60,170, roughly $61,300 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.
- 3
University of South Florida
- 1Master's/yr
- $60,120Metro teacher pay
- Middle Grades STEM Education, M.S.
- On-campus
About the programThe University of South Florida offers a Middle Grades STEM Education, M.S. built for teachers who are already in the classroom rather than those seeking a first credential. Admission assumes applicants hold teacher certification and are actively teaching mathematics or science in grades 5 through 9, which frames the program as a deepening of practice rather than an entry point into it. Structured as an 18-month advanced degree, it concentrates squarely on the pedagogy of middle grades math and science teaching without splintering into formal tracks. The result is a focused, cohort-friendly path for practicing STEM educators looking to sharpen content and instruction in the specific developmental window of early adolescence. Its on-campus format keeps the emphasis on discipline-specific teaching craft. As a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods, it adds to the master's-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods options in Florida.
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. Its graduates step into Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL, where elementary teachers earn a median $60,120, roughly $59,590 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.
- 4
Northern Arizona University
- 9Master's/yr
- $53,900Metro teacher pay
- Master of Arts in Science Teaching
- Online
About the programNorthern Arizona University's Department of STEM Education offers a Master of Arts in Science Teaching, a cohort-based online program built explicitly for educators who are already teaching rather than those seeking initial certification. Its 30 units balance science education pedagogy with substantial science content, pairing 15 units of education coursework with 12 units of content electives chosen in consultation with an advisor and a 3-unit capstone. Students select either a final project or a thesis to close the degree, letting them lean toward applied practice or scholarly inquiry as their goals dictate. The cohort model creates a shared cadence and peer community across the online experience, and eligible students can access free tuition and fees through the Arizona Teachers Academy. Taken together, this is a content-strengthening degree for practicing science teachers who want deeper mastery of what they teach. This program offers a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods in Arizona.
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 9 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Flagstaff, AZ, where elementary teachers earn a median $53,900, roughly $53,725 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.
- 5
The University of Texas at Austin
- 5Master's/yr
- Master of Arts in STEM Education / Master of Education in STEM Education
- On-campus
About the programThe University of Texas at Austin offers paired STEM Education degrees, a Master of Arts and a Master of Education, that let students align the credential with where they already stand professionally. The M.Ed. is built for those who already hold elementary or secondary teacher certification, while the M.A. suits students not seeking certification, and both draw on discipline coursework in engineering, mathematics, and natural sciences chosen with an advisor rather than fixed named tracks. Developed in partnership with the well-known UTeach program, it offers both a thesis option with six credit hours of research and a coursework-only non-thesis route, spanning roughly two years. With no GRE required, the program keeps its doors open to a range of applicants. The advising-driven, dual-degree design reads as a customizable STEM master's for both practicing teachers and other STEM professionals. This program offers a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods in Texas.
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 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 6
Purdue University-Main Campus
- 1Master's/yr
- Master of Science in Education (MSEd) in Curriculum and Instruction, Integrated STEM Education concentration
- CAEP-accredited
- Online
About the programPurdue University offers a Master of Science in Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an Integrated STEM Education concentration, delivered fully online and asynchronously for educators who need to study on their own schedule. The concentration sits within a broader menu that includes English Language Learning, Gifted and Talented Studies, Mathematics Education, Educational Technology, and Special Education, so students enter a well-established curriculum and instruction program while specializing in STEM. The 30-credit degree runs in eight-week courses and can be finished in about 18 months, awarding the same diploma as the on-campus version. It does not lead to an educator license, positioning it as advanced study for practicing professionals rather than a certification route. Backed by CAEP accreditation, it reads as a credible, career-flexible path for teachers integrating STEM across their instruction. As a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods, it adds to the master's-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods options in Indiana.
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.
- 7
University of Kentucky
- 2Master's/yr
- Master of Science in STEM Education
- Hybrid
About the programThe University of Kentucky offers a Master of Science in STEM Education designed around the realities of working P-12 educators, with evening, online, and hybrid scheduling that fits teaching alongside study. The 30-credit program was built in collaboration with P-12 school partners, and it lets students choose between a STEM Education Leadership track that carries eligibility for a Kentucky Rank II rank change and a more traditional research-focused track. Rather than preparing new teachers, it serves those who already hold initial certification and want to advance their standing or expertise. The degree culminates in a thesis study that students design themselves, giving the program an inquiry-driven character grounded in each teacher's own classroom. That combination reads as a practice-connected master's for educators ready to lead and investigate STEM instruction. This program offers a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods in Kentucky.
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 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 8
Arcadia University
- 2Master's/yr
- Integrative STEM Education, M.Ed.
- Online
About the programArcadia University offers an Integrative STEM Education, M.Ed. aimed at current PK-12 educators who want to weave STEM planning, teaching, and assessment more deliberately into their classrooms. The program is not a certification path but a professional deepening, and it gives teachers two ways through: a fully online 12-credit option, or a 15-credit pathway that is online except for a capstone course requiring travel to Philadelphia and Sicily, Italy. That international travel component sets the longer pathway apart and hints at a program willing to connect STEM pedagogy to a broader cultural and experiential lens. The compact credit load keeps it manageable for working teachers. Overall it reads as a flexible, classroom-oriented master's for educators building integrative STEM practice. This program offers a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods in Pennsylvania.
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 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 9
Lebanon Valley College
- 4Master's/yr
- Integrative STEM Education Certificate (embedded in the Master of Education); the standalone Master of Science in STEM Education is no longer accepting applications
- Pennsylvania Department of Education ACT 48 recognized-accredited
- Online
About the programLebanon Valley College has reshaped its STEM offering around an Integrative STEM Education specialization delivered as a 4-course, 12-credit certificate, after its original standalone Master of Science in STEM Education stopped accepting applications. The certificate can stand on its own or be embedded within LVC's Master of Education, and it is taught in accelerated seven-week online terms aligned to Pennsylvania's STEELS science standards. That structure, along with recognized ACT 48 continuing education credit, points to a program tuned for Pennsylvania educators fitting graduate study around full teaching schedules. Upon completion, Pennsylvania teachers become eligible to apply for the appropriate PDE endorsement through the state, giving the credential a concrete professional payoff. The overall design reads as a flexible, standards-driven way for in-service teachers to add STEM expertise. This program offers a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods in Pennsylvania.
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 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 10
California State University-San Bernardino
- 24Master's/yr
- Master of Arts in STEM Education
- Hybrid
About the programCalifornia State University, San Bernardino offers a hybrid Master of Arts in STEM Education that requires relevant K-12 teaching experience for admission, marking it as a program for practicing teachers rather than a route to a first credential. Across 30 units of five core courses, electives, and a culminating project, thesis, or advanced-topics comprehensive exam, students can approach STEM through discipline-specific or integrated lenses, and a classroom-based action research requirement keeps the study rooted in their own teaching. The degree is efficient and adaptable, completable in as few as two semesters, with room to fold in up to 12 units from a CSUSB credential program or transfer up to 9 units from elsewhere. Classes meet on the San Bernardino campus with a Zoom option that extends access to teachers in outlying desert communities. This is a practical, research-informed program for K-12 educators strengthening their STEM instruction while remaining in the classroom. As a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods, it adds to the master's-level science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods options in California.
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 24 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.
- 11
Western Oregon University
- 5Master's/yr
- STEM Education, M.S.Ed.
- Online
About the programWestern Oregon University offers a STEM Education, M.S.Ed. delivered online as a substantial 45 credit-hour program. The curriculum layers a professional education core with dedicated STEM education coursework and a set of electives, giving students room to shape the degree toward their interests. Its culminating experience can take the form of either a thesis or a professional project, letting candidates lean toward research or applied practice depending on their goals. That flexible structure suits educators who want a broad, self-directed graduate credential in STEM teaching completed at a distance. It is a master's degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (stem) educational methods at the master's level, based in Oregon.
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 5 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.