Disclaimers and Information Sources

OnlineEdDPrograms.com contains a comprehensive directory of Doctor of Education (EdD) programs offered online by accredited colleges and universities in the United States. The schools and programs included on this site were compiled from various sources and web searches, and then individually vetted for accuracy. Each program was examined to confirm that it could be classified as “online” based on our definition (see below), and to determine which specializations were available to students.

All school and program research was conducted in-house by OnlineEdDPrograms.com to ensure data consistency and accuracy. In order for a program to be included in our comprehensive directory, it must culminate in an EdD degree and be offered online. Schools and programs in our database are audited on a continual basis to ensure the site is current and up-to-date.

Disclaimers

  • Administrative Licensure (Principal and Superintendent): Licensing requirements for educational administrators (e.g., principals and superintendents) vary by state. Typically, an EdD is not required to obtain a license (most states require a master’s, graduate certification, and/or an Education Specialist (EdS) degree) and, therefore, many EdD programs do not prepare students for licensure. Online programs that do offer tracks intended to prepare students to meet licensing requirements typically have strict admissions policies and usually do not accept out-of-state students for those tracks.
  • Definition of Online Programs: On OnlineEdDPrograms.com, we only classify a program as “online” if it requires three or fewer campus visits per year. Programs that require more than three visits are classified as hybrid or campus programs, and are not currently included in our directory of programs.
  • Hybrid and Campus Programs: While hybrid and campus-based programs are not included in our database, they may be mentioned in certain sections across the site when inclusion makes sense for prospective students. However, this site does not contain a comprehensive directory of campus and hybrid EdD programs.
  • EdD Specializations/Concentrations: EdD programs on this site are categorized into specializations based on their area of focus or curricular content. This classification process is done by individually researching each program and its course offerings. Due to the nature of these programs, it is not uncommon for the same EdD program to be classified under more than one specialization. Programs that do not offer specific specializations must include significant coursework or offer several electives in a given specialization in order to be categorized under that specialization.
  • Tuition Costs: Any tuition costs listed on OnlineEdDPrograms.com should be considered as estimates only. Tuition numbers displayed on the site are calculated by multiplying the number of credits needed to graduate by the cost per credit hour (unless noted otherwise). Keep in mind, many programs also require additional fees which we do not currently include in the displayed tuition costs. Additionally, some schools may charge different tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state online students, and tuition rates and fees can change over time. Therefore, students should contact a school representative for the most up-to-date information regarding tuition and overall program costs.
  • Additional Expenses Related to Required Campus Visits: As mentioned above, some online EdD programs require students to attend a limited number of on-campus sessions or travel to a third party location for in-person instruction. Typically, the costs associated with travel and lodging for these required visits are not included in the program’s tuition costs and fees. Thus, students should make sure to account for these additional expenses when determining the overall cost of a program.
  • Admission Requirements: Many EdD programs have selective admissions policies, meaning that even if students meet the minimum requirements for admission, they still may not be accepted to the program. Admission to any school listed on this site is not guaranteed, regardless of meeting admissions requirements or criteria.
  • For Education Specialist Degree (EdS) Graduates: While the majority of online EdD programs require a master’s degree for admission, there are a limited number of programs that are specifically designed for students who already hold an EdS degree. Unlike typical EdD programs, these require an EdS for admission. Some programs that require a master’s for admission may also accept students who already hold an EdS degree and allow them to apply credits from their EdS towards their EdD requirements. In any case, EdS graduates should always check with an admissions advisor before applying to an EdD program to determine if their EdS credits can be transferred towards the EdD.
  • Related Degree Programs: While we may have content related to other types of degrees in the field of education, we have not conducted extensive research on schools offering those programs. Therefore, any mention of programs in those sections is for example purposes only and should not be considered a comprehensive listing.

While we do our best to ensure the data on this site is correct and up-to-date, schools reevaluate and make changes to their programs over time. Thus, we cannot guarantee that all the information on OnlineEdDPrograms.com is accurate. If we determine any data or program information on the site is out of date, we do our best to update that information as soon as possible. However, before applying to any program, students should always check with a school representative for the most up-to-date information regarding admission criteria, degree requirements, tuition costs, state restrictions for online students, and more.

State Restrictions for Online EdD Programs

While the majority of online EdD programs accept students nationally, some programs are restricted from accepting students from certain states. Schools that offer online programs must be approved to enroll students from states in which they do not have a physical campus, and are required to seek this approval on a state by state basis. When available, OnlineEdDPrograms.com may include state authorization information in program descriptions; however, state restrictions can change over time, so we do not guarantee this information to be accurate. Therefore, before applying to any online program based out of state, we recommend students check with an admissions advisor or school representative to confirm the program accepts students from their state of residence.

If you have any questions about our data sources, the disclaimers on this page, or our website in general, please use our Contact Us form and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Otherwise, visit our homepage to learn more about online EdD programs.