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Adult Education Administration

A program that focuses on the principles and techniques of administering programs and facilities designed to serve the basic education needs of undereducated adults, or the continuing education needs of adults seeking further or specialized instruction, and that prepares individuals to serve as administrators of such programs. Includes instruction in adult education principles, program and facilities planning, personnel management, community and client relations, budgeting and administration, professional standards, and applicable laws and policies.

Types of Degrees Adult Education Administration Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Adult Education Administration have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Master’s Degree	273
Doctor’s Degree	57

What Adult Education Administration Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing Adult Education Administration emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Education and Training — Importance 4.9 / 5; level 6.8 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.4 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Personnel and Human Resources — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.6 / 7.

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

Skills

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

• Learning Strategies — Importance 4.2 / 5; level 5.2 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Adult Education Administration careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Speech Recognition — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Speech Clarity — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Adult Education Administration graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Training and Teaching Others	4.9 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.8 / 7
Working with Computers	4.7 / 7
Getting Information	4.7 / 7
Coaching and Developing Others	4.7 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.6 / 7
Developing and Building Teams	4.5 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.5 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.3 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.3 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Adult Education Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Learn.com CourseMaker Studio	Computer based training software	—
Pathlore LMS	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Presenter	Computer based training software	—
Eedo Knowledgeware Eedo Force Ten	Computer based training software	—
Adobe Captivate	Computer based training software	—
The Human Equation InSite LMS	Computer based training software	—
Microsoft Visual Basic	Development environment software	—
Dazzlersoft DazzlerMax	Presentation software	—
Operitel LearnFlex	Computer based training software	—
Learning management system LMS	Computer based training software	✓
Intelligent Information Conversion Technologies MeritScholar	Computer based training software	—
Rapid Intake Unison	Computer based training software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Adult Education Administration graduates include:

• Apprenticeship Consultant
• Training Supervisor
• Training and Development Director (T and D Director)
• Employee Development Manager
• Manpower Development Manager
• Development Director
• Learning Manager
• Employee Development Director
• Staff Development Director
• Training Manager
• Training Executive
• Staff Development Coordinator
• Training Director
• Organizational Development Manager (OD Manager)
• Training Development Director

Education Typically Required

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

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	71.4%
Master’s degree	21.4%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	7.1%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in Adult Education Administration?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 70.6% of Adult Education Administration degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	233	70.6%
Men	97	29.4%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	155	47.0%
Asian	10	3.0%
Hispanic or Latino	32	9.7%
Black or African American	77	23.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	2	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1	0.3%
Two or More Races	10	3.0%
Race Unknown	37	11.2%
International Students	6	1.8%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Adult Education Administration Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Adult Education Administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise 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 Adult Education Administration Programs

Online study is tracked by IPEDS for Adult 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
Master’s	4	2
Doctoral (Research)	2	0

^{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 Adult Education Administration Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, Adult 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Educational Administration and Supervision	42,255
Educational Leadership and Administration, General	29,806
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration	4,404
Learning Sciences	4,044
Educational Administration and Supervision, Other	1,941
Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision	1,682
Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship	1,258
Superintendency and Educational System Administration	1,056
Secondary School Administration/Principalship	460
Community College Administration	335
Administration of Special Education	228
Early Childhood Program Administration	104

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.