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Deciding which college to attend can be a daunting task. For many, it will be the most important decision that they make in their lives. To make an informed decision, you have to consider a lot of variables, such as cost of attendance, financial aid, student/teacher ratio, academics, student life, and more. These factors will either positively or negatively impact the quality of education that you receive.

Do you want to acquire an online doctorate degree in higher education, but don’t know what institution you should attend? Well, if you are as ambitious as I was in my late teens, then you want to attend a top school, instead of an average or mediocre one. Fortunately, we have already done the legwork for you. To help you find the right school for your interests and goals, we’ve compiled a list of 2022’s best online doctorate in higher education programs.

What institution did we forget? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.

1. University of Florida Distance Learning, Gainesville, FL

The college’s online doctorate in higher education is a blended degree program that readies graduates to serve in leadership positions at higher education institutions or nonprofits focused on postsecondary education. Offered in a cohort format, the degree program takes place primarily online, with three-weekend campus sessions held each semester. Typically comprising two to three classes each semester, the degree can be finished within four years of part-time study. Learners investigate a broad selection of administration concepts, with classes such as learner affairs administration, community colleges in America, and educational statistics.

2. University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE

The University of Nebraska Lincoln is a major educational hub in the Midwest, serving more than 25,000 learners each year. The school has two programs for learners pursuing a doctorate in higher education online: an EdD or a PhD in educational studies with a concentration in higher education. While both programs offer a holistic view of higher education practices, they serve distinct objectives. The EdD is a focused degree that readies graduates to serve in leadership positions within colleges and institutions. The PhD is an academically focused degree that readies graduates for scholarly research into higher education practices. Accordingly, the EdD stresses more real-life administrative skills, while the PhD stresses more hypothetical skills rooted in scholarly inquiry. The EdD is available entirely online, while the PhD entails six credits of research classwork to be finished on campus.

3. Colorado State University-Fort Collins, Fort Collins, CO

The school’s PhD in higher education online builds leadership kills for learners who already work in academic institutions. Using a convenient, fully online format, this degree program caters to working adults, allowing learners to work on their doctorate while sustaining full-time employment.

Degree candidates finish the coursework in a cohort format, proceeding through most classes in a cohesive peer group. The cohort model encourages mutual support and designs a deeper network of professional colleagues for learners to draw on after graduation. The degree entails a total of 60 credits and normally takes five years. CSU is regionally sanctioned by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

4. Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL

The school’s doctor of education with a concentration in higher education leadership builds knowledge in key areas, including research, social intelligence, systems thinking, problem-solving, and professional development. The 54-credit doctorate in higher education online coursework usually takes learners three years to finish, with required components, including concentration classes, research classes, applied dissertation benchmarks, and electives or minor classes. Degree candidates select either a qualitative or quantitative research path based on the direction of their dissertation. Most class material is available entirely online, but all learners must attend a summer residency that contains substantial dissertation work. NSU is regionally sanctioned by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS).

5. University of Memphis–UM Online, Memphis, TN

Enrolling more than 21,000 learners annually, the University of Memphis (UM) is home to a sizable online learning degree program that includes an EdD in higher and adult education with a concentration in higher education. This professionally focused degree readies learners for mid- and senior-level leadership positions within colleges, institutions, and education agencies. UM stresses diverse approaches to education, and unlike many online doctoral programs in higher education, welcomes learners from backgrounds outside education, such as health, business, and law.

The degree program entails a minimum of 54 credits, with four core classes included in the higher education concentration: higher education administration, legal/ethical issues in higher education, higher education finance, and issues in teaching adults. Candidates also finish six endorsed elective hours that allow them to investigate any area connected to their higher education practice. UM is regionally sanctioned by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS).

6. Maryville University of Saint Louis, Saint Louis, MO

Maryville has an online doctorate in higher education that examines leadership from social, business, and political perspectives. Combining theory, practice, and the development of individualized leadership philosophies, the degree program uses a project-based cohort format that enables a group of 15 to 22 learners to move through the class sequence at the same pace.

Additionally, degree candidates finish a long-term internship spans the degree program, which builds a diverse body of professional experience. Maryville sustains partnerships with many organizations across the St. Louis area, delivering rare chances for internships and externships in various work environments, such as the Parkway School District or the St. Louis Cardinals. Marysville is regionally sanctioned by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

7. Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI

Andrews has three online doctoral programs in higher education administration. These programs feature an international focus. Learners usually visit colleges around the world, getting a cross-cultural viewpoint on education administration.

Admission to any of the three programs requires a master’s degree or equivalent from a sanctioned college. The degrees usually require four to five years, though candidates have a maximum of seven years to finish all classwork. Learners select from five start dates across the year (including three summer sessions), making it convenient for working adults to fit a degree into their schedule.

8. Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA

Regent has a doctor of education in higher education that readies graduates for careers as post-secondary administrators. The 66-credit degree program contains classes, such as a Christian worldview for educators, data-driven decision-making, and higher education finance. The school has its classwork primarily online, but all candidates must attend two week-long residency sessions held on campus. Worth two credits each, these residencies give learners the chance to collaborate with peers and professors for workshops, networking events, social gatherings, and dissertation work.

9. Notre Dame of Maryland University, Baltimore, MD

A private religious college in Baltimore, NDMU has a PhD in higher education leadership for changing populations, a degree program that addresses demographic shifts in higher education. Emphasizing policy and practice, this fully online PhD in higher education entails a total of 51 credits split among four major areas: the changing population’s core, the higher education core, the research core, and the dissertation. Some of the degree program’s classes consist of digital game-based learning, changing populations in a historical viewpoint, and coursework development for changing populations.

Along with the degree program core and the dissertation, degree candidates must also finish holistic oral and written examinations that assess procedural and conceptual knowledge. Some exam components are aimed at the focused area which candidates selected to perform their dissertation research.

10. Saint Peter’s University, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

The school’s online EdD in educational leadership with a concentration in higher education is for mid-career education professionals looking to move into leadership positions. Based around thought leadership, the degree investigates the strategic and operational issues that affect contemporary institutions, including enrollment management, state and federal policy, learner life, accountability and assessment, and financial models.

The online doctorate in higher education culminates with experiential learning and research, offering broad perspectives on education administration via the dissertation. The 48-credit coursework covers major concepts, such as enrollment management and marketing, ethical foundations and social responsibility, and learner development and programming.

11. Wilmington University, New Castle, DE

The school’s EdD in higher education leadership and innovation readies graduates to develop effective strategies for higher education supervision and leadership. The 54-credit coursework contains the degree program core, a fieldwork component, and a capstone project. The degree program core entails a total of 36 credits and features classes, such as supervisory behavior, pluralistic communities and administrative issues, and the art of leadership. The nine-credit field component entails 120 hours of clinical field experience in a higher education setting, giving candidates the chance to apply their class learning to professional practice.

12. Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN

The school’s PhD in educational administration with a concentration in leadership in higher education readies learners for leadership positions in two- and four-year colleges, technical schools, and other post-secondary institutions. This partially online doctorate in higher education contains classroom learning, independent study, and a substantial practicum component that enables learners to get real-life experience in a higher education setting.

Operating in a cohort format, the degree program requires learners to take three classes (nine credits) each semester, completing the coursework within two years of full-time study. ISU’s degree program uses a blended format that mixes online meetings with weekend workshops and seminar sessions held on campus. The degree program also requires candidates to attend a three-week summer residency on campus.