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Community College Education

Types of Degrees Community College Education Majors Are Earning

Those studying Community College Education may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	150
Doctor’s Degree	185

What Community College Education Majors Need to Know

Programs in Community College Education emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Community College Education graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Community College Education emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.5 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills emphasized by a Community College Education program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Community College Education careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Community College Education graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.4 / 7
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	4.2 / 7
Thinking Creatively	4.1 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Developing Objectives and Strategies	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Community College Education professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Hypertext markup language HTML	Web platform development software	—
Moodle	Computer based training software	—
SunGard Higher Education Banner Unified Digital Campus	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Google Sites	Web page creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Google Drive	Cloud-based data access and sharing software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
SAP BusinessObjects Crystal Reports	Data base reporting software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Student information systems SIS software	Data base user interface and query software	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Community College Education graduates include:

• Instruction Vice President (Instruction VP)
• Academic Affairs Dean
• University Department Chair
• Enrollment Services Dean
• University President
• Enrollment Coordinator
• Student Activities Director
• University Administrator
• Campus Director
• Commandant
• College Administrator
• Arts and Sciences Dean
• Campus Dean
• University Registrar
• Student Dean

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Community College Education graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Master’s degree	47.9%
Doctoral degree	37.2%
Bachelor’s degree	7.6%
Post-doctoral training	7.2%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Community College Education?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 69% of Community College Education degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	231	69.0%
Men	104	31.0%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Community College Education graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	137	40.9%
Asian	19	5.7%
Hispanic or Latino	64	19.1%
Black or African American	86	25.7%
American Indian / Alaska Native	5	1.5%
Two or More Races	9	2.7%
Race Unknown	11	3.3%
International Students	4	1.2%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Community College Education Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Community College Education graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$65,211
4 years	$67,022
5 years	$74,441

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $74,441 — roughly 14% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Community College Education Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Community College Education. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Master’s	2	4
Doctoral (Research)	2	5

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Community College Education Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Community College Education graduates earn a median of $67,022 four years after completion — roughly 76% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Educational Administration and Supervision	13.04
Administration of Special Education	13.0402
Adult and Continuing Education Administration	13.0403
Early Childhood Program Administration	13.0414
Education Entrepreneurship	13.0413
Educational Administration and Supervision, Other	13.0499
Educational Leadership and Administration, General	13.0401
Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision	13.0404
Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship	13.0408
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration	13.0406
International School Administration/Leadership	13.0412
Secondary School Administration/Principalship	13.0409

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.