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Higher Education Administration

Types of Degrees Higher Education Administration Majors Are Earning

Those studying Higher Education Administration have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Associate’s Degree	15
Bachelor’s Degree	3
Master’s Degree	3,318
Doctor’s Degree	1,068

What Higher Education Administration Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Higher Education Administration build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Higher Education Administration graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Higher Education Administration 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 Higher Education Administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

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

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Higher Education Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• 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.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Higher Education Administration 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 Higher Education Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Oracle PeopleSoft Financials	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Visio	Process mapping and design software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
Jenzabar EX	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Enterprise resource planning ERP system	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Nolij Corporation Nolij Transfer	Data base user interface and query software	—
GroupMe	Instant messaging software	—
IBM Cognos Impromptu	Business intelligence and data analysis software	—
Schoology	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Higher Education Administration graduates include:

• Testing Director
• Extension Work Director
• Education Director
• Continuing Education Director
• Admissions Director
• Academic Affairs Vice President (Academic Affairs VP)
• Admissions Coordinator
• Provost
• University Administrator
• Extension Division Director
• Education College Dean
• College President
• Education Dean
• University Dean
• Financial Aid Director

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Higher Education Administration 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 Higher Education Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.1% of Higher Education Administration degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	3,088	70.1%
Men	1,316	29.9%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,079	47.2%
Asian	170	3.9%
Hispanic or Latino	752	17.1%
Black or African American	833	18.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	33	0.7%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	8	0.2%
Two or More Races	149	3.4%
Race Unknown	218	5.0%
International Students	162	3.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Higher Education Administration Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Higher Education Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Distance learning is reported by IPEDS for Higher Education Administration. 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
Associate’s	1	0
Bachelor’s	1	0
Master’s	73	37
Doctoral (Research)	31	11

^{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 Higher Education Administration Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Higher Education Administration 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
Community College Administration	13.0407
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
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.