Ranking Methodology and Sources: Top 10 Online Ed.D Programs in Educational Leadership

This ranking list has been created to outline the Top 10 Online Ed.D Programs in Educational Leadership. The factors considered include the following:

Overall Cost of Attendance

The first factor being considered is the overall annual cost of attendance. To formulate the best program offering a doctoral degree in educational leadership it is imperative to consider the overall cost of education and the amount of potential debt students will incur while enrolled in a doctoral training program. Each individual college or university reported the tuition data.

Points:
Under $10,000 = 2 Points

College Ranking

The next consideration is whether or not a school has been granted acknowledgement by a national ranking body. The major source of such national notoriety comes from the US News and World Report Best Colleges List. The data being considered for this ranking list is Best Online Graduate Education Programs, National Ranking and Best Value Ranking. The highest value was placed on the Best Online Graduate Programs in Education. US News and World Report used the following categories when determining placement on this important list:

• Student engagement (35 percent): Quality online graduate education programs grant aspiring teachers and educational administrators opportunities to readily interact with their instructors and classmates.
• Student services and technology (20 percent): Programs that incorporate diverse online learning technologies allow greater flexibility for students to take classes from a distance. Outside of classes, strong support structures provide learning assistance, career guidance and financial aid resources commensurate with quality campus-based programs.
• Faculty credentials and training (15 percent): Strong online programs employ instructors with academic credentials that mirror those of instructors for campus-based programs, and they have the resources to train these instructors on how to teach distance learners.
• Admissions selectivity (15 percent): Student bodies entering with proven aptitudes, ambitions and accomplishments can handle the demands of rigorous course work. Furthermore, online degrees that schools award judiciously will have greater legitimacy in the job market.
• Peer reputation (15 percent): A survey of high-ranking academic officials in education helps account for intangible factors affecting program quality that are not captured by statistics. Also, degrees from programs that are well respected by academics may be held in higher regard among employers.

Points:
US News Best National University Ranking:
Top 200 / Top 100 / Top 50
1 Point / 2 Points / 3 Points

US News and World Report Best Online Graduate Education Programs Ranking:
Top 25 / Top 10 / Top 5
1 Point / 2 Points / 3 Points

US News and World Report Best Graduate Program in Education Ranking:
Top 100 / Top 50 / Top 25
1 Point / 2 Points / 3 Points

US News and World Report Top Public or Best Value School:
Top 50 / Top 25 / Top 10
1 Point / 2 Points / 3 Points

US News and World Report Scores

Two of the highest priorities when ranking this list of qualified schools are the scores awarded in the categories of Faculty Credentials and Training and Students Services and Technology. The descriptions of these categories are outlined above.

Points:
Faculty Credentials and Training:
Greater than 90 / 80-90 / Less than 80
3 Points / 2 Points / 1 Point

Student Services and Technology:
Greater than 90 / 80-90 / Less than 80
3 Points / 2 Points / 1 Point

Accreditation

In order to be included in this ranking list, the school must be regionally or nationally accredited. Those schools that have received additional accreditation are given an edge over schools without the stamp of accreditation. Schools granted NCATE accreditation earned 2 extra points.

Points:
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE): 2 Points

Grading Process

Once the points have been tallied the schools are arranged into groups by the amount of points they have earned. In the event of equal scores, preference is given first to those schools who earned NCATE accreditation and second to the Best Graduate Program in Education ranking. The overall goal of this ranking list is to outline the best online doctoral programs in educational leadership in the United States. Specializations, awards and achievements earned by the school or department have also been noted.

Sources:

US News and World Report Best Online Graduate Programs in Education

United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Handbook

US News and World Report Top Public School List

US News and World Report National Ranking List

US News and World Report Midwestern Regional Ranking List

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Accredited Programs