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Higher Education Administration

A program that focuses on the principles and practice of administration in four-year colleges, universities and higher education systems, the study of higher education as an object of applied research, and which may prepare individuals to function as administrators in such settings. Includes instruction in higher education economics and finance; policy and planning studies; curriculum; faculty and labor relations; higher education law; college student services; research on higher education; institutional research; marketing and promotion; and issues of evaluation, accountability and philosophy. Examples: [Higher Education Policy]

Types of Degrees Higher Education Administration Majors Are Earning

Students pursuing Higher Education Administration can earn 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

Studies in Higher Education Administration develop 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.
• Speaking — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Instructing — Importance 4 / 5; level 4 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to Higher Education Administration 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.
• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.9 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 4 / 5; level 4.1 / 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
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 Higher Education Administration professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Ellucian Colleague	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Social media sites	Web page creation and editing software	—
Oracle PeopleSoft	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Ellucian Degree Works	Project management software	—
Microsoft Publisher	Desktop publishing software	—
YouTube	Video creation and editing software	—
Intrado SchoolMessenger	Mobile messaging service software	—
Pear Deck	Presentation software	—
Fund accounting software	Accounting software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
Google Docs	Word processing software	—
GroupMe	Instant messaging 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
• Research Director
• Student Services Vice President (Student Services VP)
• Campus Coordinator
• Admissions Coordinator
• Nursing School Director
• University President
• Student Activities Director
• Academic Vice President (Academic VP)
• Extension Division Director
• College Registrar
• Admissions Dean
• College Administrator

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?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Higher Education Administration 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 Higher Education Administration Programs

Fully online options 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?

Strictly by 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	Annual Degrees Awarded
Educational Administration and Supervision	42,255
Educational Leadership and Administration, General	29,806
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
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.