Online Coaching Education Master's Program ranks #1 in U.S. for 2026 on OnlineMasters.com

According to OnlineMasters.com, Ohio University's Master of Science in Coaching Education program is ranked #1 in the country for the best online master's coaching program.

The program was ranked #6 in 2025 and is now at the top of the list in 2026, showing the program's progress and continued dedication to excellence.

OnlineMaster.com's rankings are determined through a vigorous research process. Their research team uses data from trusted sources such as the U.S. Department of Education's College Scoreboard, the National Center for Education Statistics and admissions offices. They also gather information from expert interviews and feedback from students and faculty.

After compiling over 100 data points, they review each program's academic quality, graduation outcomes, program cost and return on investment, and student support resources to create their rankings list.

Courses with real-life coaching application 

Ashley Allanson, the OHIO program's director and associate professor, stated that there are several things the program has implemented over the years that have contributed to its continued success. In addition to having internationally renowned coaching experts as faculty for the program's general coaching education track and soccer coaching track, they have made some changes to the curriculum to enhance the student experience and better meet the real-life needs of coaches.

"One of the things that I was really intrigued with when I started redeveloping the courses that I was teaching was taking these theoretical concepts and seeing how we can connect them to real-life coaching examples," Alanson said.

To accomplish this, the program started to integrate more coaching videos showcasing the different theoretical concepts as part of their curriculum.

"Now the students are getting a robust understanding of the content, especially the theory, and then being shown how they can apply that easily in their own environment," Alanson stated.

The professors have also started to implement more authentic assessments by asking students to video themselves doing coaching presentations. According to Allanson, getting students to video themselves demonstrating their coaching practice has allowed the professors, who are seasoned coaches themselves, to provide more in-depth feedback. Their feedback, in turn, helps elevate students' coaching performance.

"Moving away from mostly relying on discussion board posts to the video format has really elevated the curriculum and helped students become more engaged learners in the process," Allanson said.

High-quality support through OHIO Online

The program has also increased its support through OHIO Online. While professors were previously doing most of the program's recruitment and retention work by themselves, they now have additional staff to support prospective students and current students in various functional areas.

"I think part of the reason we've elevated so highly is because now we have teams that really assist, such as the OHIO Online enrollment advisors to help streamline recruitment effectively," Allanson said. The streamlined process allows professors to have more time dedicated to research and teaching, while OHIO Online helps handle routine questions and general program communications.  

With the more streamlined process, prospective students have gained more support as a result. For prospective students who are inquiring or applying for the program, they now have an OHIO Online enrollment advisor in addition to an expert professor from the program to answer any questions they might have.

"Once students are in the program, the OHIO Online Student Success team has been able to make sure that people who are maybe struggling in the program for whatever reason, have support. Those that are thriving in the program are able to continue thriving," Allanson explained.

Similarly to how prospective graduate students have two resources during the application process, current graduate students have two resources for their advising needs. 

They have a faculty advisor to help with course-specific and program-specific questions, and an OHIO Online advisor to answer their general advising questions.

From the admissions process to current student support, those interested in this program can rest assured that they will have dedicated staff members to guide them through their academic journey.  

A program that pays off

Most of the students in the coaching master's programs are actively coaching their own teams. For prospective students who are teaching and coaching at the high school level, receiving a master's degree can allow them to get an increase in pay in that position, while also gaining more knowledge and experience relative to coaching.

At every level, head coaches are usually expected to have at least a bachelor's degree, but earning a master's degree can help individuals advance to higher levels within larger programs. Additionally, many coaching positions at the collegiate level now require a master's degree. For those teaching at the secondary school level, earning their master's degree can help them break into the collegiate level.

"We've had students in the past who have gone from coaching at the high school level breakthrough to the college level. Some received positions as an assistant coach at a junior college or a division 2 or 3 team. For students who have gotten that kind of opening, then they can maybe jump to division 1 in the future," Allanson said.

Interested in learning more about OHIO Online's coaching program?

Here are some quick facts:

• 100% Online with asynchronous coursework (this program is also offered on campus in Athens)
• 30 credit hours 
• No thesis required
• No GRE required
• Courses are taught from internationally recognized faculty

For more information about the general coaching track, check out the Master of Science in Coaching Education webpage.

For those interested in the soccer track version of the program, you can request more information on Ohio University's Online Master of Science in Soccer Coaching Education webpage.