Types of Degrees Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many higher education/higher education administration graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	3,839
Doctor’s Degree	872
Graduate Certificate	309
Associate Degree	15
Bachelor’s Degree	2

What Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to higher education/higher education administration and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Majors

A major in higher education/higher education administration prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Higher Education/Higher Education Administration Majors

As you progress with your higher education/higher education administration degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with higher education/higher education administration:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Distance Learning Coordinators	10.7%	$82,850
Postsecondary Education Administrators	10.1%	$94,340

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in ?

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of higher education/higher education administration majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	0
Black or African American	0
Hispanic or Latino	1
White	0
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	1

How Much Do Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $89,570 to $111,210 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to higher education/higher education administration. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to

Some careers associated with higher education/higher education administration require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for higher education/higher education administration careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	14.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	1.6%
Master’s Degree	53.5%
Doctoral Degree	25.6%
Post-Doctoral Training	4.6%

Online Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	1	0
Bachelor’s Degree	68	24
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	214	65
Post-Master’s	28	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	108	26
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	5	2
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	1	1

Is a Degree in Worth It?

The median salary for a higher education/higher education administration grad is $89,570 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 124% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $993,400 after 20 years!

Majors Related to

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to higher education/higher education administration.

Major	Number of Grads
General Educational Leadership & Administration	33,008
Other Educational Administration & Supervision	2,212
Educational, Instructional, & Curriculum Supervision	1,715
Elementary & Middle School Administration/Principalship	1,488
Superintendency & Educational System Administration	1,178
Urban Education & Leadership	832
Secondary School Administration/Principalship	448
Community College Education	412
Adult & Continuing Education Administration	365
Administration of Special Education	190
Early Childhood Program Administration	68
International School Administration/Leadership	21
Education Entrepreneurship	1

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Shai-WMIL under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.