Adult & Continuing Education

Types of Degrees Adult & Continuing Education Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many adult and continuing education graduations there were in 2018-2019 for each degree level.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	864
Graduate Certificate	162
Doctor’s Degree	128
Bachelor’s Degree	44
Associate’s Degree	15
Basic Certificate	9

What Adult & Continuing Education Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, adult and continuing ed majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Adult and Continuing Ed 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.
• 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

A major in adult and continuing ed prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

• 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

As you progress with your adult and continuing ed 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.
• 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?

People with a adult and continuing ed degree often go into the following careers:

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?

This major is dominated by women with about 82% of recent graduates being female.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	1
Black or African American	7
Hispanic or Latino	1
White	33
International Students	0
Other Races/Ethnicities	2

How Much Do Adult & Continuing Education Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $44,960 to $58,110 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to adult and continuing ed. 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.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Adult & Continuing Education

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. 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 adult and continuing ed careers below.

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 2018-2019 academic year, 94 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)	6	1
Certificate (1-2 years)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	4	1
Bachelor’s Degree	28	12
Post-Baccalaureate	6	1
Master’s Degree	67	33
Post-Master’s	10	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	19	5
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!

Majors Related to Adult & Continuing Education

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

Major	Number of Grads
Elementary Education	39,946
Early Childhood Education	31,056
Secondary Education	9,585
Teacher Education	7,895
Teacher Development & Methodology	5,446
Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education & Teaching	3,330
Kindergarten/Preschool Education & Teaching	2,085
Montessori Teacher Education	360

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 Vgrigas under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.