Most Affordable Online EDD Programs in 2023

The curriculum for the Doctor of Educational Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands  combines core leadership and research coursework with courses in one of several specialty content areas that include education, criminal justice, English, health science, instructional technology, and seven others. Students complete their degrees by writing and defending original, research-based dissertations. The 60-credit hour program features 100% online coursework with most classes attended virtually at specific times, typically on weekday evenings. Students can attend some classes in person on UC’s campus in Williamsburg, Kentucky. 

Admissions requirements include an education-related master’s degree or higher with a minimum 3.0 GPA from a DOE-recognized accredited institution. A limited number of spaces are available in each cohort with selection based on an assessment of all information provided by applicants. 

Program Highlights:

Doctor of Educational Leadership

• Credits: 60
• Cost Per Credit: $375
• Est. Total Tuition: $22,500
• Length: Less than 3 years
• Format: Fully online
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) (school); Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (program)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) (Varies by specialization)
• EdD in Higher Education (Fully-online coursework with two-week, in-person campus summer residencies)
• EdD in P-12 School Administration (Fully-online)

Its low per-credit tuition rate and total of only 30 credit hours of required coursework for EdS degree holders makes the hybrid-formatted Doctor of Educational Leadership from Southwest Baptist University among the best deals for those wanting an affordable online EdD. The program uses a three-tiered “leveling options” model that allows students entering the program at different points along their academic paths to complete and pay for only the credits they need to earn their degrees. Students with Educational Administration MS degrees and building-level certifications, for example, complete a three-year, 51 credit program while students entering with a non-administration education master’s complete a 73-credit curriculum over four years. Some coursework is delivered online through a combination of synchronous lecture sessions and asynchronous assignments. Most coursework, however, is completed on SBU’s main campus in Bolivar, Missouri. 

Program Highlights:

• Tuition: $445/credit
• Credits: 30-73 (varies by track)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• EdD in Educational Leadership (Partially-online)

Focusing on educational equity, social justice, and border issues, the EdD degree offered by NMSU through its Educational Leadership Doctoral Program prepares students for advanced leadership roles at education institutions serving underrepresented populations. The 63-credit hour EdD cohort-model program begins annually every fall and progresses through six semesters (fall, spring, summer) of coursework followed by the writing and defense of doctoral dissertations. Coursework is presented in a hybrid (80% face-to-face/20% online) format. In-person classes are on NMSU’s Las Cruces campus with online classes attended at specific times. Students complete other coursework online both synchronously and asynchronously. Students are also required to attend at least two program-approved, research-focused academic conferences during their degree studies.

Program Highlights:

EdD in Educational Leadership

• Credits: 63
• Cost Per Credit (tuition and fees): $329.20 (New Mexico residents); $398.20 (out-of-state residents)
• Est. Total Tuition: $20,739.60 (New Mexico residents); $25,086.60 (out-of-state residents)
• Length: Minimum 3 ½ years
• Format: Partially online
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC) (school); Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (program)

Arkansas State University offers two doctoral degrees with substantial online program options. Their Doctor of Educational Leadership prepares students for top-level administrative and leadership roles in schools and school districts on all education levels. All courses are online in a combination of synchronous classes and additional asynchronous coursework. Students also participate in three, day-long summer seminars on the ASU campus in Jonesboro at the beginning, middle, and end of their pre-dissertation coursework.

ASU’s two-year, full-time Doctor of Nursing Practice is a post-master’s program also featuring fully-online didactic coursework along with on-campus immersion experiences before the beginning of each semester. As part of the curriculum, DNP students complete three internship courses totaling 540 clock hours of practice in an approved clinical setting.

Program Highlights:

• Tuition: $333/credit (DNP); $440/credit (EdD)
• Credits: 41 (DNP); 60 (EdD)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• Doctor on Nursing Practice (DNP) (Fully-online coursework with on-campus sessions each semester and in-person clinical practice internships)
• EdD in Educational Leadership (Fully-online coursework plus three, 3-day, on-campus seminars)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• EdD in Educational Leadership (Partially-online)

Operated by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Concordia University-St. Paul offers a Doctorate in Education program that carries its vision of “transforming communities through educational leadership” by developing student competencies in the areas of scholarship, leadership, community, and innovation. Students progress through the first three years as a cohort, completing all didactic coursework and three chapters of their five-chapter dissertations together. Most students then present and defend their dissertations in year four. The program allows students to complete their degrees while maintaining full-time employment. Except for week-long, on-campus residencies during the summers of the second and third years, all degree requirements are entirely online through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous coursework. 

Program Highlights:

Doctorate in Education

• Credits: 64
• Cost Per Credit: $615
• Est. Total Tuition: $39,360
• Length: 3 to 4 years
• Format: Fully online coursework with 1-week, in-person, on-campus summer residencies.
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC) (school); Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) (program)

The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, Curriculum & Instruction from Evangel University, a private Christian school affiliated with the Assemblies of God, prepares effective leaders in administrative and instructional leadership roles on the K-12 level. The program begins annually each fall. Students progress as a cohort through seven semesters (fall, spring, summer) before turning exclusively to dissertation preparation, writing, and defense in the spring of the program’s third year. The curriculum can be completed entirely online or through a combination of online coursework and in-person classes on EU’s Springfield, Missouri campus. This EdD degree requires 50 credit hours of coursework. However, students can transfer in up to 15 program-approved credit hours for previously completed coursework beyond the master’s degree level. 

Program Highlights:

EdD in Educational Leadership, Curriculum & Instruction

• Credits: 50
• Cost Per Credit: $600
• Est. Total Tuition: $30,000
• Length: 3 years
• Format: Fully online or partially online with blended format
• Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC) (school) 

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• EdD in Leadership (Fully-online coursework plus one educational trip to Washington, DC)
• PhD in Counselor Education & Supervision (Fully-online coursework with two face-to-face residencies and in-person field experiences)

Online Doctoral and PhD Programs

• EdD in Educational Leadership (Fully-online)