Ed.D. Programs in New York

Earning a Doctor of Education Degree in New York

New York’s Ed.D. landscape is dominated by private universities. Columbia, Hofstra, St. John’s University, the University of Rochester—you’re going to see a lot of their offerings in our school listings. But you’ll also find NYU, Hunter College at CUNY, and SUNY Binghamton, as well as some boutique doctorates of education that are well-worth considering.

Interested in distance learning? New York schools have developed a couple of online doctoral programs in education, including one with no dissertation requirement. Worried about the cost of tuition at a private university? Match your shortlist with our summaries of institutional doctoral scholarships & fellowships to see if you qualify for awards. Planning for NY administrative certifications? Learn more about SBL and SDL requirements.

We’ve also put together a number of career resources to help you post-graduation. Here you’ll find employment data, salary figures, and job boards for New York administrators. You may also be interested in the rundown of useful NY educational leadership organizations (e.g. SAANYS, The Council, etc.) and the list of educational leadership conferences & professional development opportunities.

Online Doctor of Education Programs in New York

Online Ed.D. Providers in New York

1. Fordham University (CAEP-Accredited)
2. New York University (CAEP-Accredited)

What to Know About New York Online Ed.D. Programs

You’ve got two choices for online doctoral programs in education in New York: Fordham and NYU. There’s a great deal that they share:

• Both schools are regionally accredited private universities with CAEP accreditation.
• Both online doctorates in education focus on leadership, administration, and organizational challenges.
• And both of them are academically solid. In U.S. News & World Report rankings for Best Education Schools, NYU is often in the top 10 and Fordham is often in the top 40.

Where they differ is focus. Fordham’s 50-credit Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, Administration and Policy is a 3-year program from a Jesuit research university. It’s a particularly strong pick if you’re interested in serving students in marginalized, urban, or underserved communities. Because of Fordham’s involvement in the CPED initiative, the program emphasizes improvement science and core practice areas. Learning is reinforced with two on-campus immersions.

In contrast, NYU Steinhardt’s 42-credit, cohort-based Online Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation is more of an executive program for mid-level professionals. It only takes 2 years to complete and candidates must have 7-10 years of experience to apply. In addition to tackling a problem of practice (a.k.a. a change management project), doctoral students attend two week-long immersions in NYC.

We went ahead and compared the price tags and found Fordham was cheaper—but not by much. If you’re looking at NYU’s program, be aware that fees and the on-site residencies may add to the total estimated cost.

Note: On the fence about distance learning? Check out our overview of online doctoral programs in education, which includes background info on accreditations and listings for online programs in other states. You should also review our rankings of the most affordable online Ed.D. programs in the country to get a sense of tuition and fee costs.

No Dissertation Ed.D. Programs in New York

Doctoral Research Projects & Capstones

NYU is the one leading the way in ditching the dissertation. For the on-campus Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration, you’ll be required to complete a culminating prospectus and project. This research-based work is designed to improve your professional practice through an intervention in the workplace. You’ll emerge with a Project Report and a Portfolio that includes project dissemination papers (e.g. journal article, book chapter, policy brief, curriculum design, etc.).

The Online Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation takes a similar approach. Instead of tackling a large written project, you’ll address a problem of practice (POP) that you’re facing at work (e.g. re-imagining a district special education program; implementing a new teacher evaluation system; improving racially disproportionate access to programs; etc.). You’ll complete three capstone seminars and four signature assignments to prepare for your culminating project. After original research and some real-world application, you’ll emerge with a praxis-based POP and a portfolio of work.

Doctoral Education Funding in New York

Internal Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

Many Colleges of Education offer institutional awards & scholarships to doctoral students—the trick is knowing where to find them. To save you time, we’ve highlighted major internal funding opportunities that apply to our school listings. You’ll typically have to supplement these sources with external fellowships & scholarships, federal loans, savings, and work income.

Columbia University in the City of New York

For doctorates in education from Columbia’s Teachers College, begin with Financial Aid for Prospective Students. This includes info on scholarships, fellowships, assistantships (e.g. Doctoral Research Fellows), and external aid. The scholarships are primarily for master’s students, but there are plenty of fellowships for doctoral students (e.g. Education Policy Dissertation Research Fellowship).

The second way to find funding is to talk to your department. For instance:

• The Department of Curriculum and Teaching, which runs many of the Ed.D. programs, also issues competitive stipends for conference attendance and presentations. Information on departmental scholarships can be obtained from the Director of Academic Affairs.
• The Department of Communication, Media & Learning Technologies Design, which runs Ed.D. programs in IT education and communication, has a separate section on Financial Aid & Other Assistance (check out the Ben and Grace Wood Fellowship).
• The Ed.D. in Adult Learning and Leadership (AEGIS) has a separate page on financial aid instructions.

D’Youville College

D’Youville has an assortment of Graduate Scholarships on tap, including merit-based scholarships ($2,000-$5,000) and endowed awards. About 41% of graduate students who apply for aid receive an institutional scholarship. In addition:

• Students from Canada are eligible for a 20% discount.
• Military veterans and their dependents are eligible for veterans waivers and discounts.

Fordham University

In Fordham’s Graduate School of Education (GSE) section on GSE Tuition and Financial Assistance, you’ll find info on GSE Scholarships and GSE Graduate Assistantships for students in on-campus programs. Fordham also offers a Monthly Payment Plan.

Unfortunately, students in the Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership are not eligible for GSE-based aid scholarships.

Hofstra University

Begin with the section on Graduation Tuition & Aid, which has details on loans, federal aid, graduate assistantships, and graduate scholarships. There are some funds for Ed.D. students. For example, the Ray Horton Endowed Scholarship is awarded to a doctoral student(s) in the Literacy Studies Program.

Hunter College at CUNY

The School of Education (SOE) has a section on SOE Scholarships and Opportunities, though we didn’t see any that were specifically for doctoral students.

Long Island University-Post

In LIU Post’s section on Types of Financial Aid, you’ll find info on graduate scholarships, graduate assistantships, federal aid, and loans. Graduate students are automatically considered for university merit-based scholarships and fellowships as part of the admission process.

New York University

NYU Steinhardt’s section on Graduate Financial Aid includes details on graduate scholarships, loans, veterans benefits, federal aid, and more. For instance, with the Mayor’s Graduate Scholarship Program, up to five partial tuition scholarships are available for part-time study to full-time New York City employees.

You should also browse through the Doctoral Studies Funding section. Despite the confusing language, Ed.D. students are eligible to apply for The Steinhardt Fellows Program, a superb funding package for full-time student (fellows in the Educational Leadership program include Ph.D. students). There are also various doctoral awards & grants for research and travel.

Finally, if you’re interested in the Ed.D. Educational Theatre, we wanted to highlight Educational Theatre Scholarships that are open to doctoral students.

St. John’s University

Your best bet is the School of Education’s section on Graduate Assistantships & Doctoral Fellowships. In return for generous tuition assistance, doctoral fellows are assigned to work with faculty members on research projects currently in progress.

SUNY at Binghamton

Binghamton’s Graduate School has a useful section on Financial Support, with sub-sections on assistantships & fellowships, tuition installment plans, and research & travel funds. On the Graduate Assistantships, Fellowships & Scholarships page, you’ll find more detailed information about general awards.

We’re also happy to report that the Department of Teaching, Learning and Educational Leadership (TLEL), which administers the Ed.D., offers a variety of TLEL-specific awards. In particular, the Edgar W. Couper Fellowship is given to full-time doctoral students in the Ed.D. in Educational Theory and Practice Program.

Syracuse University

The Financial Aid & Scholarships section in Syracuse’s School of Education can get you started. Be sure to visit the SOE’s section on Endowed Scholarships for info on general graduate scholarships and awards for doctoral students in the Department of Teaching and Leadership, including the James R. Manwaring Scholarship and S.U.S.A.A. Scholarship (Syracuse University Superintendents Alumni Association). Students have to apply separately for Endowed Scholarships.

In addition, Syracuse notes that applicants who are currently working in educational leadership positions can often get district reimbursement for the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership.

University at Buffalo

• If you’re considering the Ed.D. in Educational Administration, check out the sections on Financial Aid and Scholarships & Fellowships from the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy.
• If you’re eyeing the Ed.D. in Elementary Education, visit the sections on Financial Aid and Scholarships & Fellowships from the Department of Learning and Instruction.

Most of the awards apply to either Ed.D. However, Departments also nominate doctoral students for specific Endowed Scholarships & Awards. For example, the Educational Leadership awards the Robert E. Valenti Memorial Scholarship; Learning and Instruction awards the Yu-Chin Liu Graduate Assistance Research Award.

University of Rochester

The Warner School of Education has a large section on Financing Your Education. Many full-time doctoral students are awarded doctoral assistantships that provide a combination of tuition remission and a stipend. The Warner School also has agreements for matching tuition waivers with a select number of local employers.

Yeshiva University

All students admitted to the Executive Ed.D. are eligible for generous support through doctoral scholarships & fellowships. Support decisions are based on need and merit and aid can equal as much as 50% of tuition. You’ll need to submit a FAFSA. More info is available on the program website. Yeshiva also offers a monthly payment plan.

Note: If a university name is missing from the list, we didn’t find specific examples of Ed.D. funding beyond private & federal loans and external aid.

School Leader Certification Requirements in New York

School Administrator Certifications

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is responsible for issuing school administrator certifications at the PreK-12 level. There are two major administrative options:

• School Building Leader (SBL) —aimed at Principals
• School District Leader (SDL)—aimed at Superintendents

However, if you’re interested in financing & budgeting roles, you should take a look at the School District Business Leader (SDBL). All of these certificates are offered in a variety of types (e.g. Internship, Initial, Professional & Transitional). Professional certification is the standard qualification.

To earn any of these certificates, you will need to complete a state-approved preparation program that focuses on certification coursework. This is often a master’s, certificate of advanced study, Ed.D, or the like. NYSED maintains an Inventory of Registered Programs. (Search for programs leading to Teacher Certification; then select the category.)

Note: Coming from another state? NYSED’s Search Certification Requirements tool lists alternative pathways if you want to endorse an existing leadership certificate or you’ve completed an educational leadership preparation program outside of New York.

School Building Leader (SBL)

There are three types of SBL Certificate: Internship, Initial, and Professional. The Initial SBL Certificate is valid for five years. This leads to the Professional SBL Certificate. To apply for an Initial Certificate, you must:

• Hold a master’s degree from an institution of higher education approved by the Commissioner of Education or a regional accrediting agency.
• Complete a state-approved NYS Registered Program that contains studies required for School Building Leader certification. Your institution will also need to recommend you as a candidate for certification.
• Have three years of full-time, valid experience in the classroom teaching service or pupil personnel service (e.g. school counselor).
• Earn passing scores on the School Building Leader Assessment Test and the Educating All Students (EAS) Test.

In contrast, the Professional SBL Certificate requires candidates to have three years of full-time experience in an educational leadership position, including at least one year as a school building leader. Holders of the Professional Certificate must complete 100 hours of Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) every five years. View SBL Initial & Professional Experience Requirements.

School District Leader (SDL)

There are three types of SDL Certificate: Internship, Professional, and Transitional D. To apply for the Professional SDL Certificate, you must:

• Hold a master’s degree from an institution of higher education approved by the Commissioner of Education or a regional accrediting agency. Note: You must have completed at least 60 hours of graduate coursework.
• Complete a state-approved NYS Registered Program that contains studies required for School District Leader certification. Your institution will also need to recommend you as a candidate for certification.
• Have three years of full-time, classroom teaching, pupil personnel service, or educational leadership experience. View SDL Professional Experience Requirements.
• Earn passing scores on the School District Leader Assessment Test and the Educating All Students (EAS) Test.

The alternative route to Professional certification is the Transitional D Certificate. View Transitional D Certification Requirements.

Educational Leadership Jobs in New York

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

Like Texas, New York is a high-flying state for education employment. If you look at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)’s profiles of elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators, you’ll see how well educational leaders are doing.

In fact, the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area often has the highest employment levels for PreK-20 administrators in the country. We’re assuming that the density of New York City schools and the SUNY system will have helped to create that ranking.

If you want to dig deep, you can examine the Labor Statistics section on New York State’s Department of Labor website. This includes summaries of regional data (e.g. how many education jobs each NY region is gaining or losing) and long-term employment projections. Educational services are predicted to see a modest rise over ten years to 2026.

Educational Leadership Salaries

NYSED releases New York State School Administrator Salary Disclosure Data each year—it’s a list of school districts, titles (e.g. superintendent, director, principal, etc.), annual salaries, and benefits. The state’s Department of Labor also keeps tabs on Occupational Wages for Education, Training, and Library Occupations in NY, including administrator categories across the PreK-20 spectrum.

Overall, New York salaries for elementary & secondary school education administrators are consistently strong. In 2018, New York had the highest annual mean wage in the country and the New York-Newark-Jersey City triangle paid the third-highest wages among metropolitan areas. Administrators in the Central East New York nonmetropolitan area also did well. Naturally, some of these wages come with a higher cost of living.

For postsecondary education administrators, the news is equally good. In 2018, New York was in the fifth spot for top-paying states based on mean wages. In 2018, Ithaca was the top-paying metropolitan area in the country, and Rochester was in the top 10. Ithaca is the home of Cornell and Rochester is the home of the University of Rochester. Think private universities with large endowments.

Other useful resources to consult include the AASA’s Superintendents Salary and Benefits Survey published in AASA’s Research Papers section and Payscale’s cumulative data for all holders of the Doctor of Education (EdD) Degree. This allows you to compare salary data by job title (e.g. Elementary School Principal vs. Academic Dean).

Educational Leadership Job Boards

Well-known career sites are one place to start (e.g. Indeed, HigherEdJobs, SchoolSpring, LinkedIn, etc.). However, we also want to point you toward some NY-specific job boards that may prove helpful, including:

• SAANYS Career Center for school administrators.
• NYSSBA District Vacancies, which lists openings for principals, superintendents, educational leadership positions, and more.
• NYSUT Job Search, which includes higher education postings as well as PreK-12 jobs by region.
• NYC Department of Education’s Careers section, with jobs for principals, supervisors, CSA directors, and Education Administrators (EAs).
• NYAIS Job Openings for administrators in NY independent schools.
• The NYC Charter Schools Job Board.

Educational Leadership Organizations in New York

Educational Leadership Associations

• Association of Assistant Principals (AAP): AAP represents New York City public school assistant principals who work in schools from Pre-K through to eighth grade.
• Empire State Supervisors and Administrators Association (ESSAA): ESSAA is a professional organization representing public school administrators and supervisors throughout New York State. It provides members with services such as legal representation, government advocacy, and professional development.
• Middle School Principals Association NYC (MSPA NYC): MSPA NYC is a member organization representing middle school principals from all NYC Boroughs.
• New York City Elementary School Principals Association (NYCESPA): NYCESPA is an independent member organization that provides advocacy services and professional development programs to NYC elementary school principals.
• New York State Association for Women in Administration (NYSAWA): NYSAWA acts as an advocate for women’s employment rights efforts at the local and state levels of governance. It also provides networking & training opportunities (e.g. NYSAWA Summer Institute).
• New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA): NYSSBA serves more than 675 local school boards and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES), which represent more than 5,200 members—nearly half the elected officials in the state.
• School Administrators Association of New York State (SAANYS): SAANYS provides legislative and regulatory services, local representation, advocacy, and supporting benefits to over 7,200 public school principals, assistant principals, directors, and coordinators in many of New York’s public schools and BOCES.

Educational Leadership Professional Groups & Unions

• Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES): BOCES provide shared educational programs and services to school districts within the state. There are 37 BOCES in NY and a district superintendent is the CEO of an individual BOCES.
• Council of the Great City Schools (CGCS): CGCS is an organization of the nation’s largest urban school systems, including New York City.
• Council of School Supervisors and Administrators (CSA): CSA is the main union for 6,100 principals, assistant principals, supervisors, and education administrators who work in the New York City public schools and 200 directors and assistant directors who work in city-subsidized Centers for Early Childhood Education (ECE).
• New York State Council of School Superintendents (The Council): The Council is a professional and advocacy organization that serves school superintendents and assistant superintendents throughout New York State.
• New York State Educational Conference Board (ECB): ECB is comprised of 6 member organizations: The Conference of Big 5 School Districts, The Council, New York State PTA, NYSSBA, NYSUT, and the SAANYS.
• New York State Federation of School Administrators (NYSFSA): NYSFSA is the union for school administrators, professionals, and supervisors in New York State.
• New York State United Teachers (NYSUT): NYSUT is a federation of more 600,000 New York educators and 1,200 local unions. It’s affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA).
• The Conference of Big 5 School Districts: The Conference is a membership organization that represents the city school districts of Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers, Mount Vernon, and Utica. It focuses on the challenges of urban education.

Note: Remember that state and national educator organizations often have funds and scholarships available for continuing education (e.g. Ed.D.). Check the website and ask about opportunities.

Educational Leadership Events in New York

Educational Leadership Conferences

• AAP Annual Educational Conference: The AAP’s annual event for NYC public school assistant principals occurs in the fall.
• MSPA NYC Annual Conference: This one-day event for NYC middle school principals takes place in March.
• NYCESPA Annual Convention: The convention is the go-to event for NYC elementary school principals.
• NYSSBA Annual Convention & Expo: This is a large statewide event that attracts 2,000+ education leaders. Attendees discuss the needs, interests, and issues of concern to school board members across New York State.
• SAANYS Annual Conference: This two-day conference and trade show for NY school administrators takes place in the fall.
• The Council Fall Leadership Summit: This three-day event offers keynote addresses by national experts in the fields of leadership, education, and related areas, as well as opportunities for members to share best practices with colleagues. The Council also hosts a Winter Institute and Lobby Day.

Educational Leadership Training

• Educational Leadership Institute ([email protected]): ELI provides professional development programs, workshops, and conferences to the PreK-12 academic community (e.g. “Train Up to Move Up” workshops).
• LEAF, Inc. Programs: LEAF is the professional development arm of the New York State Council of School Superintendents (The Council). It offers research-based programs, institutes, and customized professional development services to superintendents and school district leadership team members.
• SAANYS PD Your Way: SAANYS helps organize professional development programs (e.g. administrative team meeting, after-school or full-day workshop, administrative retreat, superintendent’s conference day) for school leaders and/or teachers.