The College of Education at Illinois' Online Master's in Education Programs have once again been named in the nation's top ten, according to the 2025 Best Online Master's in Education Programs list from U.S. News & World Report. Education at Illinois was ranked No. 3 (tie) out of 313 institutions.

The online master's degree options from the Department of Curriculum & Instruction ranked very high, coming in at No. 11 (tie) overall in the Best Online Master's Programs.

"We are very proud to once again be recognized among the best online programs in education," said Chrystalla Mouza, dean of the College of Education. "This accomplishment reflects the hard work, dedication, and commitment of our faculty and staff to uphold academic excellence and foster innovation. We remain committed in our mission to make an Illinois education both affordable and accessible to learners worldwide."

USNWR’s indicators for the Best Online Programs Ranking includes engagement (student satisfaction and instructor responsiveness), faculty credentials and training (how well an institution prepares instructors for online teaching), services and technologies (financial, technical and vocational support for students), and student excellence (selectiveness of admissions). Education at Illinois’ online master’s programs received great scores for these indicators and earned a total score of 96 out of 100 possible points.

"We are excited about our continued top ranking," said Sangeetha Gopalakrishnan, assistant dean for Online & Learning Innovation. "We won’t rest on our laurels, though. Education at Illinois will continue in our efforts to enhance quality in our online programs, foster online student engagement, and facilitate student success."

As one of the first colleges on the Urbana campus to provide an online degree program, Education at Illinois is a pioneer in the science of education. The College offers online graduate degrees, certificates, and endorsements for educators who work in both the public and private sectors, from pre-kindergarten through post-secondary.

View all Education at Illinois Online Programs.