Technology is changing every aspect of our daily lives. It’s changing how we work, how we connect, and how we entertain ourselves. It’s also changing education. With new technology innovations coming at a rapid pace, the education sector needs dedicated experts who understand how to use technology for the best results. Consider one of the cheapest PhD educational technology online programs to become an expert in this space.
What technology is best? How should technology be used in the modern classroom? How can educators determine if technology is helping or hurting their efforts? After completing a PhD educational technology online program, you’ll be equipped to answer these questions.
We have identified 31 online PhD programs in educational technology from 24 schools. Ranging in price from roughly $17,000 to almost $83,000, these programs come with various focus areas, all related to the subject of educational technology.
ARTICLE NAVIGATION: Rankings Table | Career Guide
Average Cost (In-state): ~$38,200
Least Expensive: University of Wyoming ~$17,370
Most Expensive: Nova Southeastern University ~$82,775
We have created the most reliable system of rankings for anyone searching for an online PhD in educational technology. There are no complex formulas. We simply calculate the cost of tuition plus fees, giving you a clear, useful ranking. Everything above the dividing line is priced below the average price. Therefore, students looking for the cheapest PhD educational technology online program from an accredited school should start with these rankings.
19 Cheapest PhD Educational Technology Online Programs
| Rank | School / Degree | State | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | University of Wyoming | (WY) | $17,370.00 $26,370.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
2 | University of West Florida | (FL) | $20,768.00 $25,857.00 $20,768.00 | In-State Out-of-State Military |
3 | Kennesaw State University | (GA) | $25,718.00 | All Students |
4 |  National University | (CA) | $26,520.00 | All Students |
5 | Texas Tech University | (TX) | $27,703.00 $53,407.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
6 | University of Florida | (FL) | $27,985.00 $35,466.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
7 | Indiana University Online | (IN) | $31,196.00 $36,927.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
8 | National University | (CA) | $31,200.00 | All Students |
9 | Sam Houston State University | (TX) | $33,117.00 | All Students |
10 |  Liberty University | (VA) | $33,724.00 $14,950.00 | In-State/Out-of-State Military |
11 | Northern Illinois University | (IL) | $34,335.00 | All Students |
12 | Idaho State University | (ID) | $34,591.00 | All Students |
13 | National University | (CA) | $35,100.00 | All Students |
14 | Morehead State University | (KY) | $35,400.00 | All Students |
15 | Boise State University | (ID) | $35,940.00 | All Students |
16 | Baker University | (KS) | $36,100.00 | All Students |
17 | Old Dominion University | (VA) | $36,170.00 $37,610.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
18 | Liberty University | (VA) | $37,543.00 | All Students |
19 | SUNY at Albany | (NY) | $38,190.00 $44,112.00 | In-State Out-of-State |
| School / Degree | State | Price | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
University of West Alabama | (AL) | $38,220.00 | All Students | |
National University | (CA) | $39,000.00 | All Students | |
University of Memphis | (TN) | $39,360.00 | All Students | |
University of North Texas | (TX) | $42,100.00 $43,505.00 | In-State Out-of-State | |
Concordia University - Chicago | (IL) | $45,872.00 | All Students | |
Central Michigan University | (MI) | $46,112.00 | All Students | |
St. Thomas University | (FL) | $48,620.00 | All Students | |
Concordia University - Chicago | (IL) | $50,384.00 | All Students | |
Regent University | (VA) | $55,300.00 | All Students | |
Regent University | (VA) | $60,750.00 | All Students | |
Nova Southeastern University | (FL) | $82,775.00 | All Students |
Program Note: To qualify for a ranking, the online PhD programs in educational technology must be regionally accredited. Additional programmatic accreditation is noted in the rank table. Degrees labeled with superscript 14 indicate that options for this program have changed since publication.
CAEP Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
AAQEP Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation
Rankings Note: These online college rankings are based on a GetEducated Winter/Spring 2023 review of regionally accredited PhD educational technology online programs. Total cost includes full-time tuition and fees and was valid at the time of collection and specific to the online learning program. School profiles for the online PhD educational technology programs in our directory may reflect a slightly different cost based on different editorial update schedules. The published cost is an estimated sticker price for the entire online PhD in educational technology including fees. Actual costs may vary by student. Factors such as transfer credits, prerequisite courses, professional licensing and financial aid availability will affect final cost.
Editorial Note: Online schools do NOT pay to be included in any GetEducated online degree ranking. These rankings are editorially independent, open to any regionally accredited or candidate college that offers a PhD educational technology online program that is available at least 80 percent through online learning and that is open to enrollment by the public. If your online college is regionally accredited and not currently reviewed by GetEducated, please contact us for inclusion.
These rankings of the cheapest PhD educational technology online programs may NOT be re-posted online or reprinted in any format without a license from GetEducated ®. Consumer finance bloggers and writers can contact our editors for a free custom article on the cheapest PhD educational technology online programs for use on your website. Our mission: Help consumers GetEducated ® about the best online colleges for cost and credibility.
Why Should I Choose One of the Cheapest PhD Educational Technology Online Programs?
There are numerous reasons why you might consider an online PhD educational technology:
- Become an expert: After completing an online PhD in educational technology, you’ll be one of the top experts in the fields of education, instruction, and curriculum development.
- Potentially lucrative salary: People with doctorate degrees (all doctorates, not just education) have median weekly salaries over $2,000, which means many earn $100,000 or more a year.
- A growing need: Technology is growing and changing rapidly, and the education sector continues to evolve. With a doctorate in education technology, you’ll be ready to help schools and companies deal with these changes, placing your skills in high demand.
What to Expect from One of the Cheapest PhD Educational Technology Online Programs
These programs are for people with a master’s degree, professional experience with education and technology, and the desire to be a leading expert in their chosen field. They are rigorous, challenging, and time-consuming. They require a level of dedication unmatched by other academic achievements. You may have cruised through bachelor’s and master’s programs, but the next step in your education will challenge you in new ways.
What is Educational Technology?
It may seem fairly obvious, but educational technology has many interpretations and definitions. You should understand what it is, and what it is not, before enrolling.
Educational technology, also called instructional technology, is a field of study that investigates the high-tech tools and media that support teaching. Essentially, it’s a knowledge of the different technologies, including software and hardware, used to deliver or enhance learning.
Systems in educational technology can include organization and management software, virtual-reality technology, video systems, mobile devices, and much, much more. It includes artificial intelligence, gamification, web conferences, online classrooms, and countless other innovations yet to be discovered.
What Will You Learn, and How Long Will It Take?
During these programs, you’ll learn to blend education with technology. You’ll learn top practices that make for effective technology in the classroom, and how to build learning environments that are enhanced, not hindered, by these technologies.
The emphasis of these programs is to prepare graduates for the highest levels of leadership, working as university presidents, deans, and provosts within a school or university system. Students can also become technology officers, training managers, and instructional coordinators, either inside or outside of academia.
You can find these degrees in various concentrations and subjects, including:
- Rural education
- E-learning
- Digital instruction
- Distance education strategies
- Systems design
Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Education vs Doctorate of Education (EdD)
There are two types of degrees in this list: doctorate of philosophy (PhD) and doctorate of education (EdD). While similar, they are very different and bring varying outcomes for your career.
A PhD is a broad-level research degree that helps you gain an expert level of knowledge in a specific field while contributing to the overall understanding of this subject. Someone with a PhD in educational technology is equipped to research issues impacting the topic and create data-backed suggestions for improvement.
An EdD is more focused. Often called an applied degree, these programs help you become a leader in education. These degrees are mostly for people who want to become administrators and leaders like a college president or dean.
Time to Complete These Online Programs
The length of time will depend on the type of degree you choose. A PhD requires four to six years in most cases, although students in certain programs may need as many as eight years. An EdD program requires about three years to complete.
Expect a Dissertation
Regardless of your program, you will need to complete a dissertation. A dissertation is a lengthy research paper, often 100 to 300 pages long, that takes a deep look at a specific subject. It requires massive research, multiple rounds of writing and editing, and a dissertation defense, where soon-to-be doctorate holders defend and explain the information, theories, and statements in their work. This is a challenging and rigorous project that separates a doctorate from all other degrees.
Courses in an Online Doctorate in Educational Technology
These programs are complex and diverse. Each one is different, so it helps to look closer at the structure and coursework from a few of the best online PhD educational technology programs:
Old Dominion University – Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Design & Technology
This PhD program is undoubtedly one of the cheapest online PhD educational technology options you can find. It encompasses 60 credit hours with core classes and technology research. The degree includes 21 credit hours of core classes, 15 hours of research, 9 hours in the instructional design concentration, and 15 hours of a capstone course. This last section includes a dissertation.
Courses throughout this program focus particularly on technology and how the human mind learns new information. Between the core and concentration courses, classes may include “Instructional Systems Design,” “Advanced Instructional Design,” “Theory and Design of Instructional Simulations,” and “Management of Technology Resources in the Classroom.”
University of West Florida – Doctor of Education in Instructional & Performance Technology
If you want to apply research and theory to achieve better results in the classroom, this program may be the ideal choice. During this applied doctoral degree, students learn to become education and training specialists, college leaders and administrators, and policy-influencing experts.
The program consists of instructional and performance technology as core courses. Encompassing 24 credit hours, the classes in this section include “Leadership in Performance Improvement,” “Performance Improvement Theory and Research,” and “Principles of Instructional Systems Design.” There is also a research and analysis core with classes like “Data Collection in Performance Improvement” and “Data Analysis in Performance Improvement.”
University of North Texas – Doctor of Philosophy in Learning Technologies
This program helps students understand the intersection between technology and learning, with the goal of creating graduates who can seamlessly combine the two. The program includes core classes (15 credit hours), electives (15), research (18), and a dissertation, which additionally counts for 12 credit hours.
During the core classes, doctoral students focus almost entirely on learning technology, completing classes that include “Philosophy of Computing in Learning Technologies” and “Emerging Technologies in Education.” Elective classes are more diverse and expansive, covering topics like artificial intelligence, creating tech-based learning environments, and advanced design of learning systems.
Accreditation for Education Technology Programs
In order to ensure you receive a quality education, you need to make sure the college you attend, and possibly the program as well, is accredited. Accreditation is a voluntary process where schools submit their programs for review by independent groups.
Entire colleges and universities can have institutional accreditation, which is granted by bodies that serve large regions of the country. For example, these regional accrediting groups include the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) and the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). All programs in our database specifically have institutional accreditation.
Although these programs deal with technology, they are essentially teaching degrees. They are taught by education departments, and deal with technology as it relates to education. Therefore, these degrees are not accredited by programmatic groups from the technology sector, such as the Computing Sciences Accreditation Board, but are instead accredited by education-focused groups like the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).
Several of the cheapest PhD educational technology online programs in this database have programmatic accreditation from the CAEP or AAQEP. However, programmatic approval, while beneficial, is not necessary. If you find a program that fits your needs, as long as it comes from an institutionally-accredited school, it will fit your needs.
Typical Admission Requirements for Online Doctorates in Education
Doctorates are extremely challenging. To make sure students are ready for the challenges, schools have intense admission requirements. These requirements include past academic performance and numerous documents. You’ll also need help from previous teachers, employers, and professional contacts.
Applicants need to first meet educational requirements. EdD and PhD programs require applicants to hold a master’s degree in education, technology, curriculum, or a related field. In addition, you’ll likely need a minimum GPA score, such as a 3.0 or even a 3.5 from previous studies.
These programs will require professional experience that relates to educational technology. Teaching is one option, but it could also include college administration, software development, or training. Most programs require about three years of experience.
To enroll in one of these programs, you’ll need to submit a variety of documents. These will include letters of recommendation from previous professors and supervisors. Another document you need to submit is a statement of purpose. This is an essay that describes why you want to complete the degrees and what you plan to do with your education.
Many schools will also require a pre-enrollment interview as part of the admission process. Online schools often use interviews to evaluate potential students.
How Much Will You Pay for the Cheapest PhD Educational Technology Online Program?
You might assume that because doctorates are elite-level educations, they come with elite-level price tags. This is not the case, as these programs are surprisingly affordable. If you meet the high admission requirements, you can likely find a program that fits your budget.
The average price for these programs is $38,200, so there are plenty of options to fit your needs. There are 19 programs priced below this average, with 12 programs priced below $35,000 for in-state tuition.
All students should research costs since there are numerous high-priced programs. Four programs in our database have a price tag over $50,000, such as the Doctor of Education / Instructional Technology & Distance Education from Nova Southeastern University. This program costs $82,775, which is more than double the average price.
The cheapest online PhD educational technology program is the Doctor of Education in Learning, Design & Technology from the University of Wyoming. For in-state students, this program has a total cost of $17,370. However, out-of-state students will pay $26,370 for the degree.
Overall for all students, the most affordable online PhD program in educational technology is the Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology from Kennesaw State University in Georgia. This program costs $25,718 for all students, including non-Georgia residents.
Licensing and Certification Requirements
Many careers require a license or certification. Teachers, lawyers, medical doctors, and engineers, to name a few, must have a license to practice their profession legally.
For careers in educational technology, especially academic research and collegiate leadership positions, licensing is not part of the requirement. You’ll need years of experience and a high level of expertise, but you won’t need to pass a licensing exam to become a university leader, instructional coordinator, or postsecondary education administrator.
The only potential license you may need is a teaching license before enrolling. These programs require professional experience, and some applicants may have experience teaching in public schools. Combined with a master’s degree, this may qualify an applicant for an online PhD in educational technology. But, to be fair, you won’t need a teacher’s license to enroll in these programs; it’s just one of the potential paths to enrollment.
Salary and Career Outlook for Doctors of Educational Technology
After completing affordable online PhD programs in educational technology, graduates can earn strong salaries in a stable, reliable field.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median weekly earnings for someone with a doctoral degree across all sectors is $2,083. So basically, if we assume a 52-week work year, that translates to $108,316.
Potential careers after completing online PhD programs in educational technology include:
- Instructional coordinator: $63,740
- Postsecondary education administrators: $96,910
- Top executive: $179,520
- Training manager: $120,130
It’s worth noting that none of these careers require a doctorate, so graduates with higher degrees, who can separate themselves from the crowd, may stand to earn more than the average.
The Next Step in Your Education
Technology is an ever-changing field, and while you may have reached the height of academic achievement, you need to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in ed tech. Long after graduating from one of the most affordable online PhD programs in educational technology, you should be attending seminars, reading trade publications, and reviewing the latest scientific literature.
You may not need formal continuing education classes, but you should always have a mind for learning.
Become an Educational Technology Expert!
The educational landscape is changing. With new technologies emerging every day, school districts, universities, and government agencies need experts in educational technology so that they can make the best decisions. Work with GetEducated.com to find the best online PhD educational technology program and become a part of this fascinating sector.