No matter your field — finance, healthcare, education, or beyond — there's a master's program to help you advance your skills and expand your career options.
An online master's program gives you the flexibility to earn an advanced credential without putting your life on hold, so you can work and manage other commitments while in school.
Explore graduate pathways, career outcomes, and our ranking of the top online master's programs.
Why Earn Your Master's Degree Online
- Increased job opportunities: A master's degree can prepare you for advanced career paths, including management and leadership roles.
- Flexibility: Online learning allows you to earn a degree without relocating to a new city or quitting your current job.
- Affordability: An online master's can help you save on expenses related to higher education, such as relocation, commuting, and childcare.
Top 5 Accredited Schools Offering Online Master's Degrees
Why Accreditation Matters for Master's Programs
When researching master's programs, only consider schools that are accredited. The accreditation process ensures that colleges and universities meet educational standards. Accreditation also enables enrolled students to receive federal financial aid and transfer their credits to other accredited schools.
Institutional accreditation applies to entire colleges and universities, while programmatic accreditation applies to individual programs or departments.
Regardless of your area of study, you should always make sure your school holds institutional accreditation from an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Professional fields like nursing or social work may also require programmatic accreditation for you to be eligible for professional licensure.
Types of Online Master's Degrees
You can pursue online master's degrees in nearly any professional or academic field. However, many programs fall under one of five categories. Explore some of the most common types of master's degrees below.
- Master of Arts (MA): Arts degrees may focus on humanities subjects such as English, history, or philosophy. MA degrees typically feature fewer hard science courses and less technical training.
- Master of Science (MS): MS programs often focus on mathematics, engineering, or hard sciences like biology and chemistry. Professional fields that rely on technical knowledge may also offer MS degrees, such as nursing and accounting
- Master of Business Administration (MBA): MBA programs build specialized skills for business leadership and management. Some programs focus on general business, while others let you choose a specialization, such as marketing, finance, or entrepreneurship.
- Master of Education (M.Ed.): Education degrees commonly focus on different student populations, such as early childhood, elementary, or special education. Other degrees highlight the administrative side of the field, such as curriculum design or education management.
- Master of Social Work (MSW): MSW programs train you to assist clients in social service settings, including child services, family counseling, and substance use counseling.
Explore Online Master's Degree Specializations
Is an Online Master's Degree Worth It?
$79,819
Average starting salary for master's graduates
2.2%
Unemployment rate for master's degree-holders
Generally, you can pursue better job prospects and a higher salary potential after earning a master's degree. For example, master's graduates earned an average starting salary of $79,819 in 2024 — more than $15,000 higher than bachelor's graduates. Unemployment rates among master's graduates are also slightly lower than bachelor's graduates.
While a master's degree can benefit your career, not all programs guarantee you a salary increase. In general, a degree in professional fields like law and medicine can lead to high salaries, though you typically need a doctoral degree. However, fields such as nursing or accounting may require a master's degree to obtain professional certifications or licensure.
Q&A With Real Online Master's Students and Grads
Q: Why did you choose an online master's program?
"I chose to pursue my MBA online because I needed a way to balance grad school work with my day-to-day life. As a mom who also works full time in a demanding, busy job, I knew that getting out of the house and attending classes in person somewhere just wouldn't work for my schedule. Online courses allow me to fit my school work in when it makes sense for me."
— Cassie Viau, Director of Marketing, CoreMedical Group
"An online master's degree allowed me to continue my education while on active duty in the Air Force. … My school and program offered me the flexibility to get my master's in education while continuing to serve in my full active duty capacity, including on two deployments to Afghanistan."
— Gina Smith, Air Force Officer (name has been changed upon request to protect the interview participant's privacy)
"I chose this specific program because it had synchronous meetings weekly for each course. This allowed me to travel and complete my coursework and meetings from all over the world. I attended class while in a car in Ireland, at the beach in Spain, and in the middle of a refugee camp in Jordan!"
— Emma Cole, Nurse Practitioner
Q: What surprised you most about earning your master's degree online?
"I found it to be more work than I expected. … [The instructors] wanted to see that I was keeping up with the work and engaging with the material and with my online classmates, so I had to post a lot in the portal about my thoughts on the material and respond to all the responses my classmates posted."
— Marie Coughlin, Associate Director, The New York Public Library
"My program was physically located on the East Coast, but I was able to complete my clinical education in my local community. This allowed me to create connections locally for post-grad employment but also allowed me to learn how to navigate the specific challenges of clinical care in my area."
— Emma C.
"The thing that has surprised me most about earning my MBA online is how much I'm enjoying all the independent reading and research. I'm genuinely enjoying reading the books and articles that are assigned!"
— Cassie V.
Q: What advice would you give to students considering online master's programs?
"Compare schools, programs, and tuition assistance options. Choose a school that is accredited, and ask your employer about tuition assistance."
— Gina S.
"Never expect it to be a cakewalk because it's online. I am glad I had the experience of doing an online master's program because it really did hold me accountable to do the work. There were several undergraduate courses where I could reasonably skate by; not so in online grad school!"
— Marie C.
"Put together a schedule for yourself at the start of the semester that you can stick to and keep yourself accountable. Mapping out assignments and deadlines up front on the calendar makes it feel much more manageable when life starts to get busy."
— Cassie V.