Find Teaching Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Adult & Continuing Education Major

Find Schools Near

Adult & Continuing Education

4 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
801 Master's Degrees Annually
#73 in Popularity
$44,960 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Adult & Continuing Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many adult and continuing education graduations there were in 2020-2021 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Master’s Degree 801
Doctor’s Degree 147
Graduate Certificate 111
Associate Degree 6
Basic Certificate 5
Bachelor’s Degree 4

What Adult & Continuing Education Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to adult and continuing ed were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Adult and Continuing Ed Majors

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

undefined
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
  • Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Skills for Adult and Continuing Ed Majors

adult and continuing ed majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

undefined
  • Instructing - Teaching others how to do something.
  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Learning Strategies - Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • 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.
  • Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Abilities for Adult and Continuing Ed Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a adult and continuing ed student include the following:

undefined
  • 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.
  • Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

What Can You Do With a Adult & Continuing Education Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with adult and continuing ed:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Self-Enrichment Education Teachers 16.2% $38,720

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Adult & Continuing Education?

4 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
100% Percent Women
0% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of adult and continuing ed majors is as follows:

undefined
Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 0
Black or African American 0
Hispanic or Latino 0
White 4
International Students 0
Other Races/Ethnicities 0

How Much Do Adult & Continuing Education Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Adult and Continuing Ed majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $44,960 to $58,110 (25th to 75th percentile). This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

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.

Median Salary for an Adult & Continuing Education Major  ( 44960 to 58110 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
0K
250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
0K
250K

Some degrees associated with adult and continuing ed may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to adult and continuing ed have obtained the following education levels.

undefined
Education Level Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 12.5%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 10.2%
Some College Courses 1.6%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 12.5%
Bachelor’s Degree 28.0%
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. 5.4%
Master’s Degree 27.8%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. 0.9%
Post-Doctoral Training 0.4%

Online Adult & Continuing Education Programs

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 93 schools offered some type of adult and continuing education program. 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 4 2
Bachelor’s Degree 32 12
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 63 24
Post-Master’s 10 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 21 3
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Adult & Continuing Education Worth It?

The median salary for a adult and continuing ed grad is $44,960 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 13% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $101,200 after 20 years!

undefined

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to adult and continuing ed.

Major Number of Grads
Elementary Education 43,003
Early Childhood Education 32,920
Secondary Education 10,547
Teacher Education 9,949
Teacher Development & Methodology 6,165
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching 3,517
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching 2,450
Montessori Teacher Education 252
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Educational Methods 140
College/Postsecondary/University Teaching 105
Online Educator/Online Teaching 79
International Teaching and Learning 25

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Teaching Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited education & teaching schools across the U.S.