Best Master's in Secondary School Principalship Programs by Local Teacher Pay

1. 1

   Western Michigan University

   Kalamazoo, MIPublicOnline available

   • 4Master's/yr
   • $63,450Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Arts in Principal Leadership
   • Online
   About the program

   Western Michigan University offers a Master of Arts in Principal Leadership, a 30-credit online program that recognizes the experience practicing educators bring by allowing up to 15 credits through Prior Learning Assessment. CAEP-accredited, the program recommends graduates for the Michigan School Administrator Certificate pending state approval, with out-of-state candidates potentially qualifying through reciprocity. Two pathways shape the experience: a core Principal Leadership track and an alternative Principal & Athletic Leadership route for those combining building leadership with athletic administration. Cohort options are available for partnering school districts, counties, or regions, signaling a program comfortable training whole leadership teams rather than only individuals. Its claim that 97% of graduates were rated effective or highly effective within three years of completion points to a design measured by on-the-job leadership performance, not just coursework. For Michigan educators aiming at the principalship, it offers a credit-efficient, certification-focused path. This program offers a master's degree in secondary school principalship in Michigan.

   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. Its graduates step into Kalamazoo-Portage, MI, where elementary teachers earn a median $63,450, roughly $66,902 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

   McKendree University

   Lebanon, ILPrivate nonprofitOnline available

   • 32Master's/yr
   • $60,650Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) in Educational Administration & Leadership - Secondary School Administration
   • Online
   About the program

   McKendree University offers a Master of Arts in Education in Educational Administration & Leadership with a Secondary School Administration focus, an online program aimed at experienced teachers moving toward the principalship. The curriculum pairs 29 credit hours of coursework with a 7-credit internship, structured in three parts across spring, summer, and fall so that candidates complete their field experience alongside a current school administrator without stepping away from their own teaching positions. This design assumes a working professional at its center, someone with the four years of teacher-of-record experience Illinois requires for the Principal license. Graduates prepare for that license by passing the Principal as an Instructional Leader assessment. By weaving internship work into the school year rather than demanding a leave of absence, the program offers secondary educators a practical, uninterrupted route into Illinois school leadership. As a master's degree in secondary school principalship, it adds to the master's-level secondary school principalship options in Illinois.

   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 32 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into St. Louis, MO-IL, where elementary teachers earn a median $60,650, roughly $63,783 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

   Campbell University

   Buies Creek, NCPrivate nonprofit

   • 23Master's/yr
   • $54,930State teacher pay
   • Master of School Administration
   • Hybrid
   About the program

   Campbell University offers a Master of School Administration that pairs online flexibility with hands-on fieldwork for aspiring North Carolina school leaders. The 34-hour program runs nine three-credit courses fully online alongside seven one-credit in-person internship modules, all packaged into fast 8-week terms that suit educators balancing a full teaching schedule. Rather than closing with a thesis or comprehensive exam, candidates assemble an electronic evidence portfolio, a capstone that asks them to document leadership competence through real artifacts of practice. The School of Education and Human Sciences supports candidates toward licensure from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The structure reads as a competency-driven, practice-anchored program tailored to teachers moving deliberately toward the principalship. This program offers a master's degree in secondary school principalship in North Carolina.

   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 23 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into North Carolina statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $54,930, roughly $58,234 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

   University of North Carolina at Pembroke

   Pembroke, NCPublicOnline available

   • 59Master's/yr
   • $54,930State teacher pay
   • Master of School Administration
   • Online
   About the program

   The University of North Carolina at Pembroke offers a CAEP-accredited Master of School Administration delivered fully online for educators pursuing K-12 leadership licensure. The 36-hour program pairs eleven core courses and an elective with a structured full-academic-year internship woven directly into the coursework, so candidates practice leadership across an entire school cycle rather than in a single term. A partnership with fourteen school districts secures the field placements that make that year-long experience possible close to home. Approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, the program fulfills the state's requirement for K-12 school administration licensure. It reads as an accessible, district-connected route that keeps online convenience anchored to sustained work in real schools. This program offers a master's degree in secondary school principalship in North Carolina.

   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 59 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into North Carolina statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $54,930, roughly $58,234 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

   Southeast Missouri State University

   Cape Girardeau, MOPublicOnline available

   • 10Master's/yr
   • $47,100Metro teacher pay
   • Master of Arts in Educational Leadership
   • Online
   About the program

   Southeast Missouri State University offers a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, a 30-hour online program that experienced teachers can complete in as few as five semesters through year-round enrollment. Organized around Missouri's five leadership domains of visionary, instructional, managerial, relational, and innovative practice, the curriculum culminates in two internship courses, Leadership for Research in Action and Leadership for Experiential Learning, both completed within the candidate's own district so field learning connects directly to a familiar setting. The program fulfills requirements for the K-12 Building Level Principal certification in Missouri and builds certification test preparation into the coursework, reflecting a design focused on getting graduates licensed and ready to lead. Accredited through NCATE, it targets educators who want a compact, efficiently paced path from the classroom into the principal's office. For working Missouri teachers, it offers a district-grounded, licensure-oriented route to school leadership. As a master's degree in secondary school principalship, it adds to the master's-level secondary school principalship options in Missouri.

   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 10 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Cape Girardeau, MO-IL, where elementary teachers earn a median $47,100, roughly $54,718 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

   University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

   Chapel Hill, NCPublicOnline available

   • 24Master's/yr
   • Master of School Administration in Educational Leadership
   • Hybrid
   About the program

   The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers a Master of School Administration in Educational Leadership that combines cohort community with a nationally regarded reputation. Delivered in a hyflex format that mixes online and in-person learning over roughly two and a half years, the program moves a shared group of aspiring leaders through study while they serve a full- or part-time administrative internship as an assistant principal. That embedded internship makes the degree less a classroom exercise than a supervised transition into real leadership work. Graduates are eligible for K-12 principal licensure from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and qualify for principal licensure in most other states. Ranked #17 in the nation for Educational Administration and Supervision by U.S. News in 2026, it reads as a selective, cohort-driven pathway for educators aiming high. As a master's degree in secondary school principalship, it adds to the master's-level secondary school principalship options in North Carolina.

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

   School site
7. 7

   Furman University

   Greenville, SCPrivate nonprofitOnline available

   • 3Master's/yr
   • Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) in School Leadership
   • On-campus
   About the program

   Furman University offers a Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) in School Leadership, a 36-credit, on-campus program built expressly for practicing teachers moving toward administrative roles. Admission itself signals that focus, requiring a valid South Carolina teaching certificate and at least two years in the classroom, and candidates choose between Elementary School Leadership for K-6 and Secondary School Leadership for grades 9-12. The degree culminates in a year-long, six-credit internship supported by monthly seminars, which by design follows the completion of all coursework so leadership practice caps rather than accompanies the academic study. Graduates position themselves for South Carolina administrative certification, which additionally calls for three years of teaching experience and a passing PRAXIS Education Leadership subtest score. The structure reads as a deliberate, capstone-driven bridge from experienced teacher to school administrator. It is a master's degree in secondary school principalship at the master's level, based in South Carolina.

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

   School site
8. 8

   Appalachian State University

   Boone, NCPublicOnline available

   • 35Master's/yr
   • Master of School Administration
   • Online
   About the program

   Appalachian State University offers a Master of School Administration as an entry-level, site-based route into North Carolina principal licensure. The 36-hour program is delivered through App State Online, blending synchronous and asynchronous coursework so working educators can keep their footing in a school while they study. Its site-based orientation keeps candidates close to the daily realities of leadership rather than treating administration as an abstraction. An admissions exam waiver for applicants with a strong undergraduate record or five or more years of K-12 experience signals a program that recognizes classroom veterans and clears a path for them. Together these choices read as a practical, access-minded design aimed at teachers stepping up to become principals. As a master's degree in secondary school principalship, it adds to the master's-level secondary school principalship options in North Carolina.

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

   School site
9. 9

   North Carolina A & T State University

   Greensboro, NCPublicHBCU

   • 5Master's/yr
   • Master of School Administration
   • CAEP-accredited
   • On-campus
   About the program

   North Carolina A&T State University offers a CAEP-accredited Master of School Administration that leans heavily on immersive field experience. The 30-hour, on-campus program devotes 18 hours to major coursework and a substantial 12 hours to a full-time, field-based internship and seminar completed over 24 months, a balance that treats leadership as something learned in the building. Candidates earn licensure by passing the School Leaders Licensure Assessment, tying the degree directly to demonstrated readiness for the principalship. A DPI stipend available to full-time students helps make that immersive, residency-style year feasible. The result reads as a serious, apprenticeship-heavy preparation for candidates who can commit to sustained time in schools. It is a master's degree in secondary school principalship at the master's level, based in North Carolina.

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

   School site
10. 10

    Widener University

    Chester, PAPrivate nonprofit

    • 2Master's/yr
    • Master of Education (M.Ed.) in K-12 Educational Leadership
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Widener University offers a Master of Education in K-12 Educational Leadership, a 33-credit hybrid program that blends online study with on-campus work and typically finishes in one to two years. Its concentrations point in distinctly different directions, from a Pennsylvania principal certification track and an instructional coaching endorsement to an international and independent schools leadership option with a low-residency path that includes three-week summer residencies in Athens, Greece. That range lets candidates shape the degree toward domestic public-school leadership or a more globally minded career, and it can lead to Pennsylvania principal, supervisor, or director certification alongside the master's. Prospective applicants should note that, as of this research, Widener's Center for Education is no longer accepting new students into its graduate education programs. Where available, it reads as a flexible, internationally flavored leadership credential. This program offers a master's degree in secondary school principalship in Pennsylvania.

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

    School site
11. 11

    University of Mary

    Bismarck, NDPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 1Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in School Administration
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    The University of Mary offers a Master of Education in School Administration designed to move working educators into leadership on an accelerated timeline. Approved by the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board and aligned with CAEP Advanced standards, the program can be finished in as few as one and a half to two years. It is delivered primarily online with in-person summer classes on the Bismarck campus, and it is taught by working administrators who bring current practice into the coursework. Because certification rules vary, students are directed to confirm licensure and endorsement requirements with their own state's Department of Education. The blend of speed, practitioner instruction, and summer residency reads as a program built for teachers who want to lead without stepping away from their careers. As a master's degree in secondary school principalship, it adds to the master's-level secondary school principalship options in North Dakota.

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

    School site
12. 12

    Lindenwood University

    Saint Charles, MOPrivate nonprofit

    • 12Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in School Administration
    • Hybrid
    About the program

    Lindenwood University offers a Master of Arts in School Administration on an Initial Certification track that prepares experienced Missouri teachers to become school principals. Available at the Lindenwood St. Louis campus in St. Charles as well as through an online and blended format, the program emphasizes reflective leadership across instruction, management, supervision, and problem-solving, framing the principal as a thoughtful practitioner rather than only a manager. It leads to Missouri's initial principal administration certificate and assumes candidates already hold a valid professional initial teaching certificate and two years of teaching experience. The College of Education and Human Services carries accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission and Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, and is a member in good standing of the Teacher Education Accreditation Council. For teachers stepping into their first administrative role, the program balances classroom-grounded leadership training with a defined certification outcome. As a master's degree in secondary school principalship, it adds to the master's-level secondary school principalship options in Missouri.

    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.

    School site
13. 13

    Wayne State College

    Wayne, NEPublicOnline available

    • 27Master's/yr
    • Master of Science in Education (MSE) in School Administration
    • Online
    About the program

    Wayne State College offers a Master of Science in Education in School Administration built for practicing teachers ready to step into a principal's office. The online design lets candidates choose the grade span that matches their career plans, with 36-hour tracks for 7-12 or PK-8 leadership and a broader 45-hour PK-12 option, plus optional focus areas in athletic administration or special education supervision. Coursework moves through the practical machinery of running a school, including school law, finance and facilities, and supervision, and pairs it with an internship the college arranges cooperatively in a real building. The program prepares candidates for Nebraska administrator certification as a principal, assistant principal, or director, a pathway that assumes a completed master's degree and two years of verified teaching experience. It reads as a grounded, certification-focused route for educators moving into leadership without leaving the classroom behind. This program offers a master's degree in secondary school principalship 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 27 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
14. 14

    North Carolina Central University

    Durham, NCPublicHBCUOnline available

    • 30Master's/yr
    • Master of School Administration
    • On-campus
    About the program

    North Carolina Central University offers a Master of School Administration structured around an intensive, immersive route to the principalship. The on-campus program adapts to different starting points through First Degree, Second Degree, and Principal Fellows tracks, and it asks candidates for a demanding commitment of one year of full-time academic study followed by a year-long full-time internship in an NC public school. The Principal Fellows track adds a scholarship loan tied to a service obligation, requiring four years of North Carolina school leadership within six years of finishing. That design reads as a state-invested pipeline meant to move committed candidates quickly and fully into administrative roles. The program prepares graduates for North Carolina principal and school administrator licensure. It is a master's degree in secondary school principalship at the master's level, based in North Carolina.

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

    School site
15. 15

    Gwynedd Mercy University

    Gwynedd Valley, PAPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 19Master's/yr
    • Master of Science in Educational Administration with K-12 Principal Certification
    • Online
    About the program

    Gwynedd Mercy University offers a Master of Science in Educational Administration with K-12 Principal Certification, a fully online program aimed at experienced Pennsylvania teachers. Coursework is entirely asynchronous and delivered one class at a time in seven-week accelerated sessions, letting candidates finish in roughly 23 months while managing a full teaching load. The 30-credit design combines 18 credits of educational administration with a 12-credit concentration, and it grounds theory in an in-person practicum completed in the student's own school under a mentor administrator. Graduates are prepared for Pennsylvania Administrative I certification as a K-12 principal, including the School Leaders Licensure Assessment, a path that assumes at least three years of full-time teaching with Instructional I certification. The structure reads as a career-friendly route that keeps leadership training rooted in the candidate's own building. This program offers a master's degree in secondary school principalship 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 19 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
16. 16

    Missouri Valley College

    Marshall, MOPrivate nonprofitOnline available

    • 9Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in Educational Administration
    • Online
    About the program

    Missouri Valley College offers a Master of Arts in Educational Administration, a fully online program organized around the Missouri Model Leader Standards and their vision of visionary, instructional, managerial, relational, and innovative leadership. Spanning a minimum of 36 graduate credits, the program embeds two internship experiences, one folded into a course and a separate 3-credit placement, so candidates practice leadership rather than only study it. Delivered in accelerated 7.5-week terms with six start dates a year, the format is built for working educators who need to enter and progress on their own timeline. The curriculum leads to K-12 administration certification in Missouri, contingent on passing the Building Level Administrator assessment through the state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. For teachers seeking a flexible, standards-driven route into school administration, the program pairs frequent entry points with clear certification alignment. As a master's degree in secondary school principalship, it adds to the master's-level secondary school principalship options in Missouri.

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

    School site
17. 17

    Charleston Southern University

    Charleston, SCPrivate nonprofit

    • 6Master's/yr
    • Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Administration and Supervision PK-12
    • On-campus
    About the program

    Charleston Southern University offers a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in School Administration and Supervision PK-12, a fully online, roughly 33-credit path designed for classroom teachers ready to step into building and district leadership. The program pairs its coursework with two supervised internships spanning the elementary and secondary levels, so candidates rehearse the principal's work at both ends of the PK-12 span. Mentorship from experienced school and district leaders grounds that field experience in real practice, while a Christian-worldview framework shapes how candidates approach ethics and service. Graduates who complete the degree and pass Praxis Exam 5412 qualify for South Carolina certification as a principal and supervisor. Offered alongside other M.Ed. tracks such as Special Education and coaching, it reads as a focused, faith-centered route into school administration for working educators. It is a master's degree in secondary school principalship at the master's level, based in South Carolina.

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

    School site

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