Masters in teaching program rankings can be misleading. Once you know what the top ten or so teaching programs are then you may feel discouraged if you either could not get into those programs or if you were thinking about signing up for another program. Does that mean that other programs are not worthwhile? What do program rankings mean?

What Do Program Rankings Mean?

Program rankings just mean that out of the programs that were considered, the ones presented are the ones that ranked the best in whatever categories those doing the rankings used. There is no standardized formula for ranking schools. One institution ranking schools might use this method while this organization might use another.

Some rankings are compiled using rigorous standards but these rankings are still only as valuable as the standards they use. Depending on the criteria used to compile rankings and how much weight each of these criterions is given, the list could look completely different. This means that if you keep searching for program rankings you could find different programs taking the top spots. This may be confusing unless you know that ranking programs isn’t an easy proposition.

How Do You Rank Programs?

How do you decide which program is the best? Do you ask the students? The teachers? Both?

Do you look at the course materials yourself and see if one book looks better than another? Do you rank them based on which one is more affordable? Do you go by how many graduates find jobs immediately after successfully completing the program?

Ranking masters in teaching programs is not a simple task. Just consider how you would go about it if you were doing it yourself. The more you think about it the more factors you could take into consideration and the harder it would be to decide how to rank any school as being better than another in these often intangible or elusive criteria.

Are Programs That Don’t Rank Worthwhile?

By now you have probably realized that high quality programs may not make a list of program rankings. This may be a result of faulty rankings or just a list of rankings that did not go past the top 10. Good programs don’t always rank.

Masters in teaching program rankings are hard to put together and even harder to use intelligently. Knowing this, you have an advantage. You will not be overly swayed to choose a program because it made the list or to not choose one because it didn’t.

Teaching may be one of the most satisfying professions, as teachers generally take great joy in seeing the development in their students and knowing that they are contributing positively to many future sucesses. While private school teachers need not be licensed, public schools do require licensure. In some states, a master's degree in education is required to become a teacher; and in general, a holder of a master's degree will be more employable and receive higher wages. Below are the top online universities offering masters degrees in teaching.

MA.T. - Elementary Licensure MA.T. - Secondary Licensure M.Ed. - Teacher Leadership	University of Phoenix: The University of Phoenix MA in Teacher Education offers specializations in Elementary Licensure, Secondary Licensure, and Teacher Leadership in order to serve the needs of beginning and experienced teachers ready for the next step. Instructors are all teachers and education professionals with real world knowledge. Students enrolled in the program also have access to math and writing resources to brush up on the basics.
MS.Ed. Teacher Leadership MS.Ed. College Teaching MA.T. Early Childhood Edu. MA.T. Special Education More...	Walden University: The online MS in Education - teacher leadership (K-12) degree at Walden connects students with education experts, researchers and scholars. Students learn the latest technology for use in the classroom including podcasts and electronic portfolios. Walden offers several other teaching degree programs, including an MS in College Teaching & Leadership, an MA.T. in early childhood education, and two MA.T. in special education degrees (emotional/behavioral disorders and learning disabilities).
MA in Teaching MS in College Teaching	Kaplan University: Kaplan University offers an MA in Teaching and an MS in College Teaching. The MS in Higher Education offers further specializations in college administration and leadership, college teaching and learning, and online college teaching – everything the budding professor needs to know to secure a solid career in academia. The MA in Teaching is a more general degree that offers specializations in Mathematics, Science, Teaching with Technology, and teaching students with special needs.
M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership	University of Cincinnati: The University of Cincinnati's Master in Education with a focus on Teacher Leadership is completely online and combines theory, practice and policy in a 2-year program. The Master in Teacher Leadership is more flexible than a subject-specific Master in Education since the graduates can go into administration or use their leadership skills within the classroom.
MA.T. - Elementary Education MA.T. - Secondary Education MA.T. - Special Education M.Ed. in Teaching & Learning	Liberty University: Liberty University offers Master's in Teaching programs in Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Special Education, and Teaching & Learning. The M.A.T in Teaching & Learning is not intended for licensure, but the other programs are designed to prepare students for licensure.
MS in Special Ed Teaching MS in Curriculum & Inst. MS in K-12 Studies	Capella University: Capella University's MS in Special Education Teaching is developed around national special education standards, the latest teaching strategies and techniques. Courses include field experiences for students to practice their skills in real classroom situations. The MS in Curriculum & Instruction teaches education professionals how to create curriculums, assess them, manage classrooms, and reduce achievement gaps. The K-12 Studies specialization is intended for already licensed P-12 teachers or educational professionals.
MA.Ed. Teacher Leadership MA.T. Learning w/ Technology	Ashford University: Ashford University's MA in Teaching & Learning with Technology is a unique program that helps teachers improve their class presentation skills through the latest technology tools, as well as online teaching. The Masters of Education with a specialization in Teacher Leadership prepares licensed educators to monitor and evaluate curriculum and instruction, and to lead instructors and students toward positive change.
MS.Ed. in Teaching	Keiser University: Keiser University's Master of Science in Education - Teaching program includes core classes in affirming diversity, educational assessment and evaluation and curriculum design, as well as a specialization in Teaching and Learning. Courses for the Teaching specialization include some psychology, classroom instruction and management, problem solving, and the role of the teacher in American society.
MA.T. No Certification MA.T. Professional Learning M.Ed. in TESOL	Grand Canyon University: The online Master of Arts in Teaching degree program P-8th grade prepares students to meet the requirements to teach in elementary and middle schools. Classes cover trends in teaching techniques and grade-appropriate studies. The Masters in Teaching also offers specializations in Professional Learning Communities and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).
MS in Teaching MS in Math Teaching MS in Instruction	Drexel University: Drexel University's MS in Teaching offers specializations in Mathematics Teaching and overall Instruction. Lessons for the MS in Mathematics are based on research-based best practices in the classroom, and collaboration between Drexel's School of Education and Drexel's award-winning online math forum. Drexel's MS programs in teaching are designed for students who want a Master's degree while preparing themselves to qualify for state teaching certification.
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