Educational Administration graduates earn $47,433 four years out. The middle 50% of earners fall between $35,940 and $59,678. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and how far you advance in the field.
This page covers Educational Administration as a course of study: what it costs, where it is taught, and what graduates go on to earn. It sits inside the wider field of Education and how it pays overall, which is the better comparison if you are still choosing between subjects.
Educational Administration is a focused area of study within Education. Pick this and you can expect to earn around $47,433 four years out, a modest return for a focused credential. You will not have trouble finding it: 929 colleges offer this program, from community colleges to research universities. About 43,921 students complete it each year, most walking away with a master's. Coursework pairs research methods with the applied study of people and institutions.
Median Earnings · 1yr
$37,480
Median Earnings · 4yr
$47,433
Colleges Offering
929
Graduates / Year
43,921
Avg Net Price / yr
$17,761
How Much Do Educational Administration Graduates Earn?
Four years after finishing Educational Administration, a typical graduate earns $47,433, below average for bachelor's degree holders. Half of earners land somewhere between $35,940 and $59,678, so where you end up depends on the job and the employer. Source: College Scorecard.
Earnings grow steadily as you advance past entry-level roles. The four-year figure is a better long-term target.
$47,433
4-Year National Median
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
$46,541
4-Year Institutional Median
Median of per-school medians. Each reporting college counts equally, regardless of size.
Earnings Range
Not every Educational Administration graduate ends up in the same place. Earnings spread out a moderate amount, so know what pushes people to one end or the other. Degree level and sector drive the gap. Graduate-level government and research roles anchor the top; entry-level social services and nonprofit roles anchor the bottom.
$35,94025th pct.
$47,433Median
$59,67875th pct.
Understanding the Cost vs. Return
At median 4-year earnings of $47,433 and an estimated $71,044 four-year net cost, earnings breakeven against a baseline wage takes approximately 4.1 years. Compare specific programs before committing to a high-cost option.
Based on outcomes from 58 schools.
Colleges with fewer than 30 graduates are excluded from national averages.
Who Studies This? Credential Breakdown
Of the 43,921 students who complete Educational Administration programs each year, the majority (58%) earn a master's degree.
The breakdown below shows the full credential distribution.
58%
Master's58%
Doctorate18%
Post-Master's Cert.15%
What Can You Do With an Educational Administration Degree?
This degree does not lock you into one job. Educational Administration graduates show up in 4 different occupations, and Training and Development Managers pay the most at $133,000/yr median. Expand any card below to see daily responsibilities, in-demand skills, and 10-year growth projections.
Plan, direct, or coordinate the training and development activities and staff of an organization.
Analyze training needs to develop new training programs or modify and improve existing programs.
Evaluate instructor performance and the effectiveness of training programs, providing recommendations for improvement.
Plan, develop, and provide training and staff development programs, using knowledge of the effectiveness of methods such as classroom training, demonstrations, on-the-job training, meetings, conferences, and workshops.
SpeakingActive ListeningLearning StrategiesJudgment and Decision MakingReading Comprehension
Day-to-day responsibilities
Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.
Counsel and provide guidance to students regarding personal, academic, vocational, or behavioral issues.
Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities, policies, and student behavior or learning problems.
Determine the scope of educational program offerings, and prepare drafts of course schedules and descriptions to estimate staffing and facility requirements.
Plan, direct, or coordinate student instruction, administration, and services, as well as other research and educational activities, at postsecondary institutions, including universities, colleges, and junior and community colleges.
Design or use assessments to monitor student learning outcomes.
Recruit, hire, train, and terminate departmental personnel.
Direct, coordinate, and evaluate the activities of personnel, including support staff engaged in administering academic institutions, departments, or alumni organizations.
Plan, direct, or coordinate academic or nonacademic activities of preschools or childcare centers and programs, including before- and after-school care.
Confer with parents and staff to discuss educational activities and policies and students' behavioral or learning problems.
Monitor students' progress and provide students and teachers with assistance in resolving any problems.
Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff and recommend personnel actions for programs and services.
Top Colleges for Educational Administration
Not sure where to study Educational Administration? These 20 colleges graduate the most students in it each year. Scroll right to compare acceptance rate, net price, and median earnings side by side.
Ranked by Educational Administration graduate volume. Scroll right to compare key stats.
Read our methodology →
Related Education Programs
Educational Administration is not the only path through Education: 14 other specializations sit alongside it. The comparison below ranks them by 4-year median earnings so you can see where this one lands.
Decide with data, not guesswork. These tools turn the numbers on this page
into a personal plan. Estimate the real cost of an Educational Administration program, compare colleges side-by-side, weigh the long-term payoff, and find
schools that match your profile.
Educational Administration carries financial trade-offs prospective students should weigh carefully. The 3 strengths and 3 concerns below are drawn from College Scorecard earnings, BLS job growth data, and IPEDS completion counts.
PROS
Positive job outlookRelated careers project up to +6.4% job growth over the next 10 years, a solid signal for long-term demand.
Strong hiring volumeRelated occupations generate more than 44,400 job openings per year combined, creating consistent demand for graduates.
Wide availabilityOffered at 929 colleges nationwide, with options at every price point and institution type.
CONS
Modest median earningsFour-year median of $47,433 lags STEM and business fields, affecting ROI at higher-cost programs.
Advanced degree often expectedTop roles in this field typically expect a master's degree or higher. A bachelor's may be a starting point rather than a terminal credential for the most competitive positions.
Declining roles in some areas2 related careers show negative 10-year employment projections. Research specific roles before committing.
How much do Educational Administration graduates earn?
$47,433 four years after finishing the program. Half of graduates land between $35,940 and $59,678, so employer, role, and location move that number more than the degree itself. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the starting salary for an Educational Administration degree?
$37,480 in the first year out. That grows to $47,433 by year four, so do not judge this field on the entry-level number alone. Most of the gain shows up once you clear the first few years and move past entry-level roles. Source: College Scorecard.
What jobs can you get with an Educational Administration degree?
Training and Development Managers are one path, and it pays a median of $133,000 a year. It is not the only one: the Career Paths section below lists every occupation graduates actually go into, with wages and 10-year growth for each.
How long does an Educational Administration program take?
Four years for the bachelor's, plus one to two more if you continue on to a master's, which many Educational Administration students do. Some schools shorten that with an accelerated 5-year combined program.
How many colleges offer Educational Administration?
929 colleges and universities, so you are not short on options. That range runs from community colleges granting certificates and associate degrees to research universities with full doctoral tracks. Source: IPEDS.
Is an Educational Administration degree worth it?
$47,433 median earnings four years out against $17,761 a year in average net price. That is a slow payback, so cost matters more than usual here: a cheaper school changes the answer. Use the Top Colleges section below to compare specific schools before deciding. Source: College Scorecard.
What is the difference between Educational Administration and Education?
Educational Administration is the narrower of the two: Education covers the full discipline, while this program limits the curriculum to Educational Administration-specific courses, skills, and career tracks. Pick the specialization once you already know this is the direction you want; it gets you a more targeted credential, not a broader one.
What skills do employers look for in Educational Administration graduates?
Coursework alone will not get you hired. Employers hiring Educational Administration graduates consistently look for research methodology, interpersonal communication, and policy understanding. Experience with surveys, qualitative interviews, or statistical tools is often a differentiator in government, nonprofit, and research roles. Build those into your coursework and internships now, and the job search later gets easier.
What is the job outlook for Educational Administration graduates?
Outlook is slow overall: related occupations average +1.2% projected job growth over the next 10 years. Training and Development Managers are among the strongest-growth roles at +6.4%. That average hides real differences by role and location, so check the Career Paths section below for the projection on each specific occupation before you count on any single number.
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