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Community College Education

A program that focuses on the principles and techniques of administering community and junior colleges and related postsecondary systems, the study of community and junior colleges as objects of applied research, and that may prepare individuals to function as administrators in such settings. Includes instruction in community and junior college finance; policy and planning studies; curriculum; faculty and labor relations; higher education law; student services; research on community and junior colleges; institutional research; marketing and promotion; and issues of evaluation, accountability and philosophy. Examples: [Community College Leadership], [Community College Education]

Types of Degrees Community College Education Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Community College Education can earn degrees at several award levels.

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

What Community College Education Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Community College Education build 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

This major prepares you for careers needing 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 built by a Community College Education 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.
• Monitoring — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Time Management — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical 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.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.8 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 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
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	4.1 / 7
Thinking Creatively	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
Pear Deck	Presentation software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
Blackboard software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Google Classroom	Project management software	—
ParentSquare	Desktop communications software	—
Facebook	Web page creation and editing software	—
Ellucian Colleague	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Google Meet	Video conferencing software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
Blackbaud The Raiser’s Edge	Customer relationship management CRM software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Community College Education graduates include:

• Student Activities Director
• Enrollment Management Vice President (Enrollment Management VP)
• Admissions Coordinator
• University Registrar
• Registration Specialist
• Faculty Dean
• Registrar
• Higher Education Administrator
• Summer Sessions Director
• Academic Dean
• University Dean
• Physical Education Director
• Division Director
• College President
• Student Affairs 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. 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 Community College Education Programs

Distance learning is tracked 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?

Strictly by 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Educational Administration and Supervision	42,255
Educational Leadership and Administration, General	29,806
Higher Education/Higher Education Administration	4,404
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
Adult and Continuing Education Administration	330
Administration of Special Education	228
Early Childhood Program Administration	104
International School Administration/Leadership	22

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.