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Best Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

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2023 Best Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

186 Schools Ranked

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 186 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region of the U.S.

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
$58,790 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Princeton University to be the best school for students who want to pursue a master’s degree in the Middle Atlantic Region .

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Princeton does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 53% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Princeton University

#2

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
$30,006 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Cornell University is a great place for students working on their master’s degree.

Cornell does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 85% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Cornell University Report

#3

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
$47,347 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent master’s degree programs at Carnegie Mellon University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in the Middle Atlantic Region .

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Carnegie Mellon. In fact, around 6% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Report

#4

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$42,932 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UPenn. In 2019-2020 about 74% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on University of Pennsylvania

$35,054 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Teachers College at Columbia University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Teachers College does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 98% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Teachers College at Columbia University

#6

Georgetown University

Washington, District of Columbia
$55,128 Average Tuition & Fees

Georgetown University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

Since the graduate programs at Georgetown are online, the school is an excellent choice for graduate students who need more flexibility than what is offered at some other schools.

Full Georgetown University Report

#7

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
$61,202 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their master’s degree.

Johns Hopkins does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 85% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#8

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania
$21,199 Average Tuition & Fees

Villanova University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list.

One thing to take note of is that Villanova does offer online graduate classes in some areas. In 2019-2020 about 89% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Full Villanova University Report

#9

The College of New Jersey

Ewing, New Jersey
$15,031 Average Tuition & Fees

The College of New Jersey came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at TCNJ. In fact, around 99% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full The College of New Jersey Report

#10

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania

Elizabethtown College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Etown. During the 2019-2020 year, about 72% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Elizabethtown College

#11

Lehigh University

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
$27,130 Average Tuition & Fees

Lehigh University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

Online graduate courses are available at Lehigh, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 24% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Lehigh University

#12

The Graduate Center, CUNY

New York, New York
$10,410 Average Tuition & Fees

The Graduate Center, CUNY did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #12 on the list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at The Graduate Center. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

$52,924 Average Tuition & Fees

Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #13 on the list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Columbia. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Report

#14

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$22,644 Average Tuition & Fees

Thomas Jefferson University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #14 on the list.

Thomas Jefferson University does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 65% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#15

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
$16,995 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #15 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UMCP. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Report

#16

Saint Vincent College

Latrobe, Pennsylvania
$14,748 Average Tuition & Fees

Saint Vincent College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.

Saint Vincent does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 9% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Saint Vincent College Report

#17

University of Scranton

Scranton, Pennsylvania
$11,630 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Scranton landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

University of Scranton does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 93% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#18

Rutgers University - Newark

Newark, New Jersey
$20,466 Average Tuition & Fees

Rutgers University - Newark landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Rutgers Newark does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 23% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Rutgers University - Newark

#19

George Washington University

Washington, District of Columbia
$32,904 Average Tuition & Fees

George Washington University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #19 on the list.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at GWU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 37% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#20

New York University

New York, New York
$38,206 Average Tuition & Fees

New York University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

NYU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 79% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#21

Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, Maryland
$18,600 Average Tuition & Fees

Loyola University Maryland landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree programs.

Loyola Maryland does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 97% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Loyola University Maryland

#22

Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Saint Joseph’s University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.

St. Joe’s does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 94% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#23

Ithaca College

Ithaca, New York
$22,206 Average Tuition & Fees

Ithaca College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list.

Online graduate courses are available at Ithaca, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 99% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#24

University of Delaware

Newark, Delaware
$18,128 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Delaware ranked #24 on this year’s Best Master’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UD. In 2019-2020 about 81% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#25

Wagner College

Staten Island, New York
$23,340 Average Tuition & Fees

Wagner College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list.

Read More…

Rest of the Top 15% Best Master's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region of the U.S.

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Seton Hall University

South Orange, New Jersey
#27

University of Rochester

Rochester, New York

View Best Master’s Degree Master’s Degree Schools Nationwide >

Honorable Mentions

These schools also performed well in our best schools ranking:

Rank School Location
29 Syracuse University Syracuse, NY
30 Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, NJ
31 Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA
32 American University Washington, DC
33 York College of Pennsylvania York, PA
34 Ramapo College of New Jersey Mahwah, NJ
35 New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, NJ
36 Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ
37 DeSales University Center Valley, PA
38 Hood College Frederick, MD

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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