5 Best Master’s Programs in Adult Education and Learning in 2021

The Indiana University of Pennsylvania offers a Master of Education in Lifelong Learning and Adult Education through two unlikely sources: IUP's Department of Adult and Community Education and the Department of Communications Media.

While students have the option to complete their entire two-year degree online, residential IUP students have access to a radio station, graphics lab, and animation studio on campus. Required courses include The Adult Learner, Issues in Distance Education, Program Planning in ACE, and Community-Based Education. Students also choose between completing a thesis or non-thesis option.

• Graduation rate: 53.3%
• School status (public/private): Public
• Tuition cost: $$$$ 
• Number of programs offered: More than 140 programs
• City location: Indiana, PA 
• Admission requirements: Transcripts, letters of recommendation, Goal statement, 
• Standardized test scores/requirements (is the GRE required and what is the average score for admission): No GRE or MAT scores required
• Contact: https://www.iup.edu/page.aspx?id=42867
• Website

James Madison University's Department of Learning, Technology and Leadership Education is now home to a comprehensive MS in Adult Education & Human Resource Development. JMU's unique degree program can be completed either online or through classroom instruction.

Required courses include Diversity and Ethics, Learning Theories and Practice, Learning in Adulthood, and Organizational Behavior. Students may choose between completing a research paper or a thesis project. Students of JMU's MS program have a 100 percent rate of employment within three months after graduation and boast an average annual salary of $60,000.

• Graduation rate: 82%
• School status (public/private): Public
• Tuition cost: $$$$ 
• Number of programs offered: More than 130
• City location: Harrisonburg, VA 
• Admission requirements: Online application, transcripts, GPA 2.75 or higher, personal statement, two letters of recommendation, resume
• Standardized test scores/requirements (is the GRE required and what is the average score for admission): GRE is not required
• Contact: [email protected]
• Website

Florida International is a public research university offering an MS in Adult Education and Human Resource Development through it's Department of Leadership and Professional Studies. Prospective students can apply during the fall, spring, and summer semesters and unlike many other graduate programs, the GRE is not required for admission.

Students who graduate from FIU will meet the requirements for Florida's certified program in Adult Education Administration after completing a minimum of 36 credit hours. Required courses include Adult Teaching Methods, Perspectives on Adults with Disabilities, Instructional Analysis and Design, and Computer Based Training. FIU is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top public schools in the U.S.

• Graduation rate: 72.3% 
• School status (public/private): Public
• Tuition cost: $$$ 
• Number of programs offered: More than 190 degree programs
• City location: Miami, Florida 
• Admission requirements: 3.0 GPA in upper-division coursework, applicant statement, two letters of recommendation, and a resume
• Standardized test scores/requirements (is the GRE required and what is the average score for admission): GRE not required
• Contact: Tonette S. Rocco
• Website

The University of South Florida offers students an MA in Adult Education through a 36-credit program offering 600-level courses such as The Adult Learner, Methods of Teaching Adults, and Adult Learning and Cognitive Styles.

USF's Adult Education program is intended for students who hold a non-education BA and who wish to work in health care delivery, business and industry, professional associations, or other non-school based working environments.

• Graduation rate: 69.4%
• School status (public/private): Public
• Tuition cost: $$$ 
• Number of programs offered: 180 undergraduate majors and degree programs 
• City location: Tampa, Florida
• Admission requirements: 3.0 GPA (some flexibility), statement of purpose, resume or vita, three letters of recommendation
• Standardized test scores/requirements (is the GRE required and what is the average score for admission): GRE not required
• Contact: http://www.grad.usf.edu/majors
• Website 

North Carolina State University's College of Education offers an MA of Education in addition to an MS with a specialization in Adult and Continuing Professional Education. NCSU's MS degree is a thesis-based program completed residentially, online, or both. Required courses include The Adult Learner, Instructional Strategies, and Teaching in an Online Environment.

NCSU is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the 32nd Top Public University in the United States in addition to ranking among the Best Colleges for Veterans, Best Value Schools, and Most Innovative Schools in the Country.

• Graduation rate: 77.2% 
• School status (public/private): Public
• Tuition cost: $$$ 
• Number of programs offered: More than 300
• City location: Raleigh, NC 
• Admission requirements: Submit transcripts, personal statement, CV/Resume, and education history through NCSU application portal
• Standardized test scores/requirements (is the GRE required and what is the average score for admission): GRE scores are currently waived
• Contact: Susan Barcinas, Ed. D. 
• Website