by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
With 328,588 degrees handed out in 2021-2022, education is the 4th most popular major in the United States. In , education graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $46,195 and had an average of $29,274 in loans still to pay off.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 15,143 education graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major” ranking analyzed 525 colleges that offered a degree in education. That schools that top this list have a program in education in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree education students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Taft University System. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Taft University System is a small school located in Lakewood, Colorado that handed out 21 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northcentral University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major. This fairly large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 376 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 1 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Trevecca Nazarene University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. TNU is a small school located in Nashville, Tennessee that handed out 102 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at Trevecca Nazarene University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Oakland City University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Oakland City is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oakland City, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William Woods University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Located in Fulton, Missouri, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s education students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Nebraska Methodist College is a small school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 39 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Education at Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing & Allied Health
Immaculata University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Immaculata, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s education degrees to 55 students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Abilene Christian University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Located in Abilene, Texas, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 49 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s education students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Gratz College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Melrose Park, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s education degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Gardner - Webb University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Gardner - Webb University is a small school located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina that handed out 64 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Gwynedd Mercy University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Located in Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 53 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s education students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Teachers College at Columbia University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Teachers College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 96 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Carson - Newman University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Carson - Newman University is a small school located in Jefferson City, Tennessee that handed out 70 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
St. Thomas University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. STU is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Miami Gardens, Florida. It awarded 29 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Cardinal Stritch University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s education degrees to 20 students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Regent University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking, coming in at #16. Regent University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 137 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Russell Sage College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking, coming in at #17. Russel Sage is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Troy, New York. It awarded 30 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Nova Southeastern University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Nova Southeastern University is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 318 doctorate’s education degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Education at Nova Southeastern University
University of New England ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Biddeford, Maine is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s education degrees to 45 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #20, Edgewood College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Edgewood is a private not-for-profit institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
American College of Education did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking, coming in at #21. American College of Education is a fairly large private for-profit school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 184 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #22, Bryan College of Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s education students in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Education at Bryan College of Health Sciences
Concordia University, Chicago came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 104 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, Point Park University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 40 doctorate’s education degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #25, A T Still University of Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Education Major list. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s education degrees to 55 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full A T Still University of Health Sciences Education Report
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Judson University | Elgin, IL |
| 52 | Lindenwood University | Saint Charles, MO |
| 53 | Missouri Baptist University | Saint Louis, MO |
| 54 | University of St. Thomas | Houston, TX |
| 55 | Milligan University | Milligan, TN |
| 56 | College of Saint Mary | Omaha, NE |
| 57 | Doane University | Crete, NE |
| 58 | Wilkes University | Wilkes-Barre, PA |
| 59 | Wingate University | Wingate, NC |
| 60 | Columbia International University | Columbia, SC |
| 61 | Southeastern University | Lakeland, FL |
| 62 | St John’s University - New York | Queens, NY |
| 63 | Creighton University | Omaha, NE |
| 64 | University of Mary Hardin - Baylor | Belton, TX |
| 65 | University of the Cumberlands | Williamsburg, KY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Manhattanville College | Purchase, NY |
| 67 | Mills College | Oakland, CA |
| 68 | University of the Virgin Islands | Charlotte Amalie, VI |
| 69 | Clark Atlanta University | Atlanta, GA |
| 70 | Morgan State University | Baltimore, MD |
| 71 | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| 72 | The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
| 73 | Wilmington University | New Castle, DE |
| 74 | Texas Wesleyan University | Fort Worth, TX |
| 75 | Tennessee State University | Nashville, TN |
| 76 | Freed-Hardeman University | Henderson, TN |
| 77 | Plymouth State University | Plymouth, NH |
| 78 | Texas A&M University - Commerce | Commerce, TX |
| 79 | Houston Baptist University | Houston, TX |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
