Ed.D. Programs in Pennsylvania

Earning a Doctor of Education Degree in Pennsylvania

In the realm of doctoral programs in education, Pennsylvania has a little something for everyone. If you browse through our school listings, you’ll see offerings from big public names, boutique private colleges, and CAEP-accredited universities (look for the CAEP badge). UPenn probably has the Best College of Education, but plenty of other PA schools participate in the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED).

Having such a nice range of quality programs means you can afford to be choosy. For example, you can decide whether any of the online doctorates in education suit your style. Or you can opt for an Ed.D. program that will help prepare you for Administrative-Supervisory Certifications (e.g. the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility). Or you could simply look for the best funding. Plenty of PA schools have modest Ed.D. fellowships & awards; some are even willing to organize doctoral assistantships.

Thinking about where the Ed.D. will lead you? Our career section has detailed data on Pennsylvania jobs & salaries for PreK-12 and postsecondary administrators, a list of useful professional associations (e.g. PASA), and links to helpful conferences & professional development events.

Online Doctor of Education Programs in Pennsylvania

Online Ed.D. Providers in Pennsylvania

1. California University of Pennsylvania (CAEP-accredited)
2. Drexel University
3. Duquesne University (CAEP-accredited)
4. Gratz College
5. Point Park University
6. Slippery Rock University (CAEP-accredited)
7. Wilkes University

What to Know About Pennsylvania Online Ed.D. Programs

Unlike some other big states, Pennsylvania’s online Ed.D. landscape is dominated by private universities. We found two public PA universities that were willing to offer a distance learning option for the doctorate in education—Cal U and Slippery Rock.

Within this list is a whole of choice. There are programs that can prepare you for the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility (e.g. Cal U, Drexel, Wilkes & Point Park), as well as degrees that are focused on specific leadership areas (e.g. Duquesne).

A few are 100% online, but a number of them are technically hybrid—they include summer residencies or orientations. We mention this because you’ll need to allow for time & travel in your final Ed.D. budget.

Note: Our overview of online doctoral programs in education has more details on important accreditations and listings for online Ed.D. programs in other states, plus rankings of the 23 best Ed.D. programs in the country.

Online Ed.D. Programs at Public Pennsylvania Universities

Cal U’s 57-credit Online Ed.D. in Education Administration and Leadership has a lot to recommend it. It’s 100% online, it includes a practical capstone project, and it’s designed to help students earn the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility. This particular doctorate also puts a great deal of emphasis on fiscal responsibility—a major area of concern for most Pennsylvania district-level leaders.

In addition, military and Pennsylvania residents have lower per credit tuition rates than out-of-state residents. Cal U would like to see a GPA of 3.5 or higher on your master’s work, but you can apply for conditional admission if it’s between 3.0 and 3.49.

You can compare Cal U’s program with SRU’s part-time, 60-credit Online Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration. This is also 100% online (with optional face-to-face dissertation seminars) and cheaper for in-state students than for out-of-state students. Again, like Cal U, SRU wants to see candidates with a 3.5 GPA on any graduate work.

Finally, if you can afford some trips to campus, SRU’s hybrid Ed.D. in Special Education is a blend of online courses in the fall/winter/spring and on-campus weekend coursework in the summer.

Online Ed.D. Programs at Large Private Pennsylvania Universities

We’re defining “large” as anything over 10,000 students. The two schools that fall into that category are Drexel and Duquesne.

Drexel’s flagship degree is the 60.5-61.5-credit Online Doctorate​ ​of​ ​Education​​ ​in​ ​Educational Leadership​ ​and​ ​Management. It’s cohort-based, time-flexible (3 or 5 years), and available in two formats (100% online or an executive option that’s hybrid). There are tons of concentrations, including ones that will prepare you for the Pennsylvania Superintendent Letter of Eligibility or Special Education Leadership certification. It’s also competitive (3.5 GPA for admissions) and fairly expensive. However, discounts are available for a variety of groups. See our Funding section.

Duquesne’s offering is around the same price per credit, but much more focused. The 57-credit Online Ed.D. in Instructional Technology & Leadership is a specialist program for educators who wish to infuse technology into their teaching and learning practices. You can choose to study for the degree in online courses, but all first-year students have to attend a three-day orientation. Duquesne is a CAEP-accredited school that’s taking part in the CPED initiative, so we have a lot of time for this Ed.D. We also like the fact the curriculum is shaped by strong tech organizations (e.g. ISTE, AACE, etc.) and graduates emerge with a digital professional portfolio.

Online Ed.D. Programs at Small Private Pennsylvania Universities

If you prefer something less expensive, but don’t want to sacrifice concentrations, you could consider the smaller schools. For instance, Wilkes University’s 60-credit Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership comes in four concentrations, including a K-12 Administration option with preparation for the Pennsylvania Superintendent Letter of Eligibility. There’s even an Online Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership – Instructional Leadership for International Educators. All of them are low-residency, cohort-based programs that include three in-person meetings (U.S. and international settings) and plenty of dissertation research.

Then there’s Point Park University. PPU’s 54-credit Online Doctor of Education in Leadership and Administration is an echo of its cohort-based, on-campus program. The online Ed.D. is offered in multiple concentrations, including one for the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility. Courses are eight weeks and run year-round. You’ll work on a dissertation, field-based administrative practicums (an aspect we always like to see), and interdisciplinary coursework. What’s more, if you have 18 post-master’s degree credits, you can transfer those into the program to reduce your required Ed.D. credits to 36.

Online Ed.D. Programs at Religious Pennsylvania Universities

And if none of those ring your bell, you might consider Gratz College’s 48-credit Online Doctorate of Education in Leadership, which has a similar per credit tuition price to the small private schools. Gratz’s online Ed.D. is offered in three concentrations (Pre K -12 Education, Jewish Education, and Higher Education) and grounded in a pluralistic approach to Jewish values. Like PPU, Gratz uses an eight-week accelerated model for courses. During your degree, you’ll be required to complete an applied dissertation and attend three summer residencies in Melrose Park. Gratz is very small (e.g. around 250 students in total), so your class may follow suit.

Doctoral Education Funding in Pennsylvania

Internal Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards

Pennsylvania universities can be a little scattershot in their approach to doctoral funding. Some provide clear guidance to financial aid options on their websites; some don’t. To save you time, we’ve highlighted internal opportunities (e.g. tuition discounts, fellowships, assistantships, payment plans, etc.) that may help you offset costs. In an Ed.D., you’ll usually need to supplement this kind of funding with external aid (e.g. federal loans, private savings, scholarships from PA leadership associations, etc.).

Cabrini College

Cabrini provides advice on Paying for a Cabrini Graduate Degree, with details about graduate assistant positions, grants & scholarships, and federal financial aid. Doctoral students are not eligible for discounts or internal graduate-level scholarships, but they can enroll in the interest-free payment plan.

California University of Pennsylvania

Cal U has a section on Scholarships for all graduate and doctoral students (including Global Online), as well as advice on Graduate Financial Aid. Students in the online Ed.D. are eligible for Cal U’s generous Military Tuition Discount. See the online tuition & fees calculator for estimates.

Drexel University

Discounts for the Online Ed.D. include:

• 30% tuition savings for military members serving on active duty or with the National Guard, as well as reserves, veterans, and military dependents
• 30% tuition savings for full-time faculty and staff employed at community colleges

Discounts for the Hybrid Ed.D. include:

• 30% tuition savings for military members serving on active duty or with the National Guard, as well as reserves, veterans, and military dependents
• 30% tuition savings for full-time faculty and staff employed at community colleges
• 30% tuition savings for full-time employees of the federal government, partner school districts, and municipalities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area
• Savings for PA Principal Association members

Duquesne University

Check the School of Education’s section on Graduate Scholarships to learn what’s open to doctoral students (e.g. Muscari Student Research & Development Fund). Duquesne also posts opportunities for university-offered graduate assistantships on its website. If you’re interested in assistantships offered by the School of Education, you will need to contact the Program Director for your preferred Ed.D. (listed under Faculty).

East Stroudsburg University

We especially recommend you ask the Ed.D. program coordinator if doctoral students are eligible for the PreK-12 Educator Tuition (P.E.T.) Program, which covers tuition expenses. The Graduate College also has a section on Assistantships & Student Support, though these may not be relevant if you’re juggling a full-time job.

Gratz College

Gratz lists scholarships opportunities under Fellowships & Scholarships. Ed.D. students are eligible for the JCC Association Professional Development Scholarship Program (up to $5,000/semester – max. $20,000 by graduation); they may also be eligible for endowed awards. In addition, Gratz has set up an interest-free payment plan.

Immaculata University

Ed.D. applicants should follow the procedures outline in Graduate Financial Aid. A limited number of full or partial graduate assistantships are available on a yearly basis. These provide for a tuition reduction and stipend.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus

Begin with IUP’s section on Graduate Funding, which has details on financial aid, scholarships, and graduate assistantships. IUP also offers internal funding graduate student research, including funds for conference travel, publication reimbursement, research, and more.

• If you’re interested in the DEd in Curriculum and Instruction, have a look at the section on assistantship requirements.
• If you’re interested in the DEd in Adminsitration & Leadership, see the section on graduate assistantships (GAs) in the FAQs.

Lehigh University

Lehigh’s College of Education (COE) has an important section on Financial Aid for all COE students. Tuition Scholarships and Pennsylvania Tuition Incentive Program are on offer. Top priority for tuition scholarship funding is given to full-time doctoral students. Additional assistance includes:

• Graduate assistantships (GAs): tuition credits plus stipend
• Research assistantships (RAs): tuition credits plus stipend
• Grant opportunities
• Personnel preparation/training grants

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

The Graduate School has info on Graduate Tuition & Funding, including Types of Graduate Support (e.g. assistantships) and Award Programs (e.g. fellowships). Graduate assistantships are awarded by academic departments. Penn states that you should contact the department directly to inquire about the availability of assistantships.

The College of Education, which runs most of the D.Ed. programs in our listings, has separate sections on Graduate Funding Opportunities (e.g. dissertation & travel grants) and COE Scholarships. There are general graduate awards and scholarships for specific disciplines. For instance, the Martorana Family Award is for doctoral degree candidates in higher education. Only one scholarship application form is needed.

If you’re interested in the D.Ed. in Mathematics, check out the Department of Mathematics’s section on Fellowship and Financial Aid, which has details on teaching assistantships and awards.

Point Park University

The Ed.D. students are not eligible for PPU’s tuition discount programs, but an interest-free payment plan is available.

Saint Joseph’s University

In the At a Glance section of the Ed.D., SJU states that graduate assistantships are offered on a limited basis. You’ll need to contact the program director for availability at Hawk Central.

Slippery Rock University

SRU does offer some Graduate Scholarships. Special Education candidates may want to ask if doctoral students are eligible to apply for the Candice D. Berner Adventurous Spirit Memorial Award.

Temple University

For the Ed.D. in Higher Education, visit the section on Scholarships & Financial Aid. The Education Tuition Award provides financial support to qualified full-time graduate students. In addition, a modest number of College of Education scholarships (e.g. Dr. Rita Wolotkiewicz Phi Delta Kappa Award Fund) and Graduate School scholarships are open to doctoral students. Students can also apply for research & teaching assistantships.

The Executive Educational Leadership Ed.D. has a separate Scholarships & Financial Aid section. There is not much internal aid on offer, but in-state residents still pay less in tuition than out-of-state residents.

University of Pennsylvania

Start with the Graduate School of Education’s section on Paying for Penn, which has details on fellowships. For example, Ed.D. students are eligible for the Dean’s Fellowship, a package that includes partial tuition support, a living stipend, and a research and teaching apprenticeship.

Students in the Mid-Career and Executive doctoral programs pay for their degrees through a combination of external sources (e.g. federal and private loans, private scholarships, employer support, etc.).

University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

UPitt’s School of Education, which runs the university’s Ed.D. programs, has a section Tuition & Financial Aid, which contains details on graduate aid options and info about assistantships and teaching fellowships. Keep in mind, too, that Pennsylvania residents pay significantly less in tuition than out-of-state residents.

We also suggest you take a look at the section on School and Departmental Financial Aid. For example, grants of up to $1,500 are available to support student research.

West Chester University

The Graduate School has a helpful section on Financial Support and Awards, with details on its Employer Reimbursement Plan, assistantships, and graduate financial aid.

Widener University

Widener’s section on Graduate Financial Aid states that assistantships & fellowships may be available to students enrolled in specific graduate programs, but that’s about all it states. The university suggests you contact the Ed.D. program coordinator/office for more info.

Wilkes University

Wilkes’s section on Graduate Financial Aid has specifics on its monthly payment plan and tuition deferment. Wilkes also has limited openings for doctoral graduate assistants to support the efforts of faculty working in the doctoral program. Doctoral graduate assistants are eligible for tuition remission based on the hours worked (up to 20 hours of work per week on-site).

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 Administration Certification Requirements in Pennsylvania

Administrative-Supervisory Certifications

The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) handles administrative-supervisory certifications for educational leaders. We cover two of the major PA school administrative qualifications below (principal & superintendent), but there are others you may wish to investigate, such as:

• Career and Technical Administrative Director Certificate
• District-Wide Supervisory Certificate, Curriculum & Instruction
• District-Wide Supervisory Certificate, Pupil Personnel Services
• Single Area Supervisory Certificates, K-12

A large number of Ed.D. programs in our listings incorporate PDE-approved Superintendent Letter of Eligibility and Principal PK-12 Certification studies into the curriculum, so you should feel free to ask the program coordinator about the process.

In addition, PDE posts an up-to-date list of Approved Certification Programs; it also has a useful section on Administrative, Supervisory and Superintendent FAQs.

Principal PK-12 Certification

Details on the Principal (75) Traditional Route and Principal (72) Alternative Route are outlined under the Principal Requirements section. For the traditional route, educators need to

• Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college/university.
• Meet PA statute requirements relating to good moral character.
• Provide verification of three years of relevant professional experience.
• Complete a Pennsylvania-approved, graduate-level principal certification program that includes an internship/practicum or an equivalent out-of-state program. You’ll need to earn a 3.0 GPA in this program.
• Earn a passing score on the Pennsylvania required test: School Leadership Licensure Assessment/SLLA (6990). 6990 replaced the older 6011 test in March 2019.

If you are already employed in a principal position in a PA public school or have received an offer of employment, you can take the alternative route. You’ll be issued an Administrative Provisional I certificate that you will need to convert into an Administrative II certificate within two years. See the Principal Requirements section for more details.

Superintendent PK-12 Letter of Eligibility

PDE’s section on Superintendent PK-12 Letter Requirements has details on the Letter of Eligibility (90) – Traditional Route and the Commission Qualification Letter (95) – Alternative Route. To go down the traditional route, aspiring superintendents must:

• Hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college/university.
• Meet PA statute requirements relating to good moral character.
• Provide verification of six years of satisfactory school experience; at least three of these years must be in a supervisory or administrative capacity.
• Complete a Pennsylvania-approved, graduate-level superintendent certification program that includes an internship/practicum or an equivalent out-of-state program. You’ll need to earn a 3.0 GPA in this program.
• Earn a passing score on the Pennsylvania required test: Educational Leadership: Admin & Supervision (5412). 5412 replaced the older 5411 test in March 2019.

If you have been working in a related field (e.g. finance, business, management, etc.), check out the requirements for the alternative route.

Educational Leadership Jobs in Pennsylvania

Educational Leadership Career Outlook

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) creates job maps for elementary & secondary school education administrators and postsecondary education administrators. These show that Pennsylvania—like its neighbors, New York and Ohio—tends to have high levels of employment for educational leaders.

The major center of educational job activity in the state is the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD metropolitan area, which often ranks right up with there with areas such as New York City, LA, and Dallas.

So you should have some options upon graduation. While you’re preparing your job search, we also recommend you consult PDE’s series of data-driven annual reports. You’ll discover insights into the state’s education system, such as:

• Professional Staff Summary Reports, which provide details on professional personnel in PA public schools (e.g. administrative staff counts, average salaries, level of education, etc.).
• Public & Private School Enrollment Reports and School District Enrollment Projections.

Interested in investigating the current state of PA colleges and universities? College Navigator, the IPEDS Data Center, and The Snyder Report may be of some help.

Educational Leadership Salaries

With a little sorting, the Professional Staff Summary Report will tell you a lot about Pennsylvania educational administrative wages in PreK-12. Unsurprisingly, the best wages can be found around Philadelphia. For instance, in 2018:

• School administrators in Bucks, Montgomery, and Chester counties—counties that lurk on the northern & western outskirts of the city—had the highest salary averages. The lowest averages were in Warren, Huntingdon, and Fulton.
• Similarly, superintendents in Abington SD and Philadelphia City SD commanded the highest individual salaries.

Overall, BLS suggests that mean wages for postsecondary education administrators and elementary & secondary school education administrators in Pennsylvania are high—but not outstanding.

We can also recommend a couple of national reports. The AASA publishes an annual Superintendents Salary and Benefits Survey in its section on Research Papers. Meanwhile, Payscale records cumulative data for all holders of the Doctor of Education (EdD) Degree. You can use these numbers to compare average salaries by job title (e.g. High School Principal vs. Education Director).

Educational Leadership Job Boards

You’re bound to find PA education postings on traditional job sites (e.g. Indeed, HigherEdJobs, SchoolSpring, etc.). But we also wanted to point you toward a few PA-specific job boards that are devoted to educational leaders & administrators, including:

• PASA Career Center, which posts superintendent/executive director vacancies, public & charter school administrator openings, and more.
• Pennsylvania REAP Administrative Job Listings, which you can filter by region and position.
• PASBO Job Search, which features search options for superintendents, directors, business managers, and more.
• PARSS Job Postings, with openings for teachers and administrators in PA’s rural school districts.

Educational Leadership Organizations in Pennsylvania

Educational Leadership Associations

• Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units (PAIU): PAIU is a non-profit organization made up of the executive directors of Pennsylvania’s 29 intermediate units.
• PA Association for Middle Level Education (PAMLE): PAMLE is an affiliate of AMLE. It represents and supports kids ages 10-15 and the teachers and school administrators who work with them.
• Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS): PARSS assist rural school districts and provides resources & assistance with management issues. It represents rural education before the General Assembly, the governor, and the Pennsylvania State Board of Education.
• Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators (PASA): This is the one to bookmark. PASA is a membership organization of chief school administrators, central office administrators, and other administrative professionals in PA. It has 900+ members, including school district superintendents, IU executive directors, and charter school chief administrative officers.
• PA Association of School Business Officials (PASBO): PASBO is a statewide association representing 3,000 members. It supplies education, training, professional development, and access to legislative and policy news.
• PA Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (PASCD): PASCD is the state affiliate of ASCD. It’s dedicated to the improvement of curriculum development, supervision, instruction, promotion of professional growth, and education of children. Members include classroom teachers, school administrators, superintendents, and university professors.
• Pennsylvania Principals Association (PA Principals Association): PA Principals Association is a professional organization dedicated to the support and well-being of school administrators with a special emphasis on elementary, middle, and high school principals.
• Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA): PSBA is a non-profit statewide association of public school boards, pledged to the highest ideals of local lay leadership for Pennsylvania public schools.

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 Pennsylvania

Educational Leadership Conferences

• PA Educational Leadership Summit: Co-sponsored by PASA, the PA Principals Association, PASCD, and PAMLE, this three-day event in August brings together school district administrative teams and instructional leaders to learn and collaborate.
• PASA Leadership Forum: This two-day summit in March focuses on education policy & leadership issues that affect school administrators.
• PASA-PSBA School Leadership Conference: This is a three-day conference in October that features speakers and workshops, educational sessions, the Pennsylvania Excellence Fair, exhibits, PASA Recognition and Women’s Caucus luncheons, networking, and more.
• PASBO Annual Conference: PASBO’s four-day conference in March includes educational seminars, mini-seminars, help desks, an exhibit floor, networking opportunities, and more.
• PASCD Annual Conference: PASCD’s November conference often explores topics related to curriculum, technology, educator effectiveness, and purposeful teaching strategies.
• PA Summit for Aspiring Superintendents: Run by PASA, this is a one-day event in October that dives deep into issues that affect PA assistant superintendents.
• Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Data Summit: PDE’s four-day summit explores topics such as data governance, reporting school data, improving data quality, and making data decisions.
• Pennsylvania Principals Conference: The state conference of PA Principals is a two-day event that usually takes place in October.
• Women’s Caucus Annual Spring Conference: Run by PASA, this three-day event for women in school administration includes opportunities for leadership development, networking, and professional learning.

Educational Leadership Training

• Neubauer Fellowship in Educational Leadership: Offered by the Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, this is a two-year program that helps fellows hone skills and become entrepreneurial leaders who leverage staff talents and cultivate other partners to increase student achievement.
• PAMLE Summer Institute: Geared toward middle grade educators, PAMLE’s institute explores best practices and new ideas. Schools sometimes go as teams.
• PASA Professional Development Programs: PASA organizes a number of professional development programs for school administrators, including the New Superintendents’ Academy, Aspiring to Leadership Workshops (two one-day programs), an Education Research Symposium, and a PASA Mentoring Program.
• PASCD Academies: PASCD runs a number of professional development academies for central office administrators, principals, assistant principals, and other educational leaders. Academy topics inclue curriculum leadership, digital leadership & innovation, evaluation, supervision, leading for learning, whole child, and more. They can be used to accrue Act 45 PIL hours.
• Pennsylvania Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP): This is a professional development program for PA individuals whose work record reflects strong leadership abilities. Past fellows have included principals, directors, superintendents, specialists, and more. The program is available in Pennsylvania through The Education Policy and Leadership Center.
• Pennsylvania Leadership Development Center (PLDC): PLDC is a non-profit organization that provides professional learning opportunities to educational leaders. It offers Pennsylvania Department of Education PIL-Approved Programs that count toward continuing education credits.