Most Affordable Online Doctorate in Education (EdD) Programs for 2024
Organizations require great leadership to reach their full potential and weather the worst storms. If you are looking to become a more effective and thoughtful manager or team leader, you may be considering a graduate degree program. For people who are further along in their careers and looking for a more flexible option, an online Ed.D. program in organizational leadership may be a good fit. But earning a doctorate degree requires a big investment of both time and money. So Fortune has ranked eight online Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) programs by affordability. Tuition amounts were compiled using data provided by schools for our ranking of the best online Ed.D. programs in 2022. If schools did not provide the total tuition cost of the program, we multiplied the cost per credit amount by the minimum credit hours required to graduate. Cost per credit amounts were either provided by schools or taken from the program webpage. This ranking was last updated December 2022.
Online Ed.D. from Top-5-Ranked Peabody College
Earn your doctor of education in leadership and learning in organizations online in as few as 3 years.
Earn your Ed.D. online from top-ranked Vanderbilt University Peabody College. Master's degree required.
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1. Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville, TNTrevecca Nazarene University ranked No. 3 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022. The school doesn’t require applicants to submit a GRE score to qualify for admission into its online Ed.D. degree program in leadership, but applicants must have a master’s degree. Two letters of recommendation are required for the 60 credit-hour program and international applicants are not required to submit TOEFL scores. Last year, students accepted into this program had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.68.
| Acceptance Rate | 52% |
| Credits required to graduate | 60 |
| Enrolled | 439 |
| Retention rate | DNP |
| Tuition | $41,940 |
2. Abilene Christian University
Abilene, TXAbilene Christian University ranked No. 5 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022. The school doesn’t require applicants to submit a GRE score to qualify for admission into its online Ed.D. degree program in organizational leadership, but applicants must have a master’s degree before they begin the program. No letters of recommendation are required for the 60 credit-hour program. International applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores and the program has a one-year retention rate of 97%.
| Acceptance Rate | 55% |
| Credits required to graduate | 60 |
| Enrolled | 205 |
| Retention rate | 97% |
| Tuition | $46,020 |
3. Spalding University
Louisville, KYSpalding University ranked No. 6 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022. The school doesn’t require applicants to submit a GRE score to qualify for admission into its online Ed.D. degree program in leadership, but applicants must have a master’s degree before they begin the program. Two letters of recommendation are required for the 60 credit-hour program. Last year, students accepted into this program had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.09. International applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores and the program has a one-year retention rate of 93%.
| Acceptance Rate | 71% |
| Credits required to graduate | 60 |
| Enrolled | 30 |
| Retention rate | 93% |
| Tuition | $49,500 |
Hawai‘i Pacific University M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
Complete in as few as 12 months
The online M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Hawai‘i Pacific University equips future-focused educators with enhanced leadership skills and the latest instructional technologies to activate transformative change in their schools, communities, and workplaces.
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4. Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VAVirginia Commonwealth University ranked No. 7 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022. The school doesn’t require applicants to submit a GRE score to qualify for admission into its online Ed.D. degree program in leadership and innovation, but applicants must have a master’s degree. Three letters of recommendation are required for the 48 credit-hour program. Last year, students accepted into this program had an average undergraduate GPA of 2.65. International applicants are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores, and the program has a one-year retention rate of 99%.
| Acceptance Rate | 84.30% |
| Credits required to graduate | 48 |
| Enrolled | 102 |
| Retention rate | 99% |
| Tuition | $61,056 |
5. University of Dayton
Dayton, OHThe University of Dayton ranked No. 8 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022. The school doesn’t require applicants to submit a GRE score to qualify for admission into its online Ed.D. degree program in leadership for organizations, but applicants must have a master’s degree. Two letters of recommendation are required for the 60 credit-hour program. Last year, students accepted into this program had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.09. International applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores, and the program has a one-year retention rate of 76%.
| Acceptance Rate | 96% |
| Credits required to graduate | 60 |
| Enrolled | 259 |
| Retention rate | 76% |
| Tuition | $72,675 |
6. Drexel University
Philadelphia, PADrexel University ranked No. 2 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022. Last year, students accepted into this program had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.38. The school doesn’t require applicants to submit a GRE score to qualify for admission into its online Ed.D. degree program in leadership, but applicants must have a master’s degree. International applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores, and the program has a one-year retention rate of 98%. Three letters of recommendation are required for the 60 credit-hour program.
| Acceptance Rate | 31% |
| Credits required to graduate | 60 |
| Enrolled | 381 |
| Retention rate | 97.97% |
| Tuition | $83,760 |
7. Baylor University
Waco, TXBaylor University ranked No. 4 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022, The school doesn’t require applicants to submit a GRE score to qualify for admission into its online Ed.D. degree program in learning and organizational change, but applicants must have a master’s degree before they begin the program. Three letters of recommendation are required for the 54 credit-hour program. Last year, students accepted into this program had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.17. International applicants are required to submit TOEFL scores, and the program has a one-year retention rate of 87%.
| Acceptance Rate | 56.10% |
| Credits required to graduate | 54 |
| Enrolled | 541 |
| Retention rate | 87.00% |
| Tuition | $96,390 |
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TNVanderbilt University ranked No. 1 among Fortune's best online doctorate in education (Ed.D.) programs in 2022. Last year, students accepted into this program had an average undergraduate GPA of 3.4. Three letters of recommendation are required for the 84 credit-hour program. Applicants to the program are not required submit a GRE score to qualify for admission, but applicants are encouraged to submit either GMAT or GRE scores. Prospective students don't need to have a master’s degree before they begin the program, but holding one is preferred for admission. International applicants are required to submit TOEFL or IELTS scores, and the program has a one-year retention rate of 96%.
| Acceptance Rate | 34% |
| Credits required to graduate | 84 |
| Enrolled | 491 |
| Retention rate | 96% |
| Tuition | $182,196 |
Maryville University’s Doctor of Education | Online
Great leaders don't accept the status quo. They accept to challenge it. Earn your online EdD with Maryville Univeristy.
Earn your Doctor of Education (EdD) in Higher Education Leadership online from Maryville University in as few as 32 months. Prepare to impact higher education on a sweeping scale.
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