Best degree programs for Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary, ranked by enrollment
7 college programs and 758 schools train Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $105,870 median wage, 328,330 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
7 college programs at 758 schools train education administrators, kindergarten through secondary, graduating 36,533 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Educational Leadership and Administration, General. The job pays a median of $105,870 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About education administrators, kindergarten through secondary
Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
7 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 13.0401 | 31,615 | 86.5% | 708 | $37,480 | $23,000 |
| 2 | CIP 13.0404 | 1,918 | 5.3% | 78 | $37,480 | $23,000 |
| 3 | CIP 13.0408 | 1,306 | 3.6% | 30 | $37,480 | $23,000 |
| 4 | CIP 13.0411 | 1,176 | 3.2% | 83 | $37,480 | $23,000 |
| 5 | CIP 13.0409 | 397 | 1.1% | 23 | $37,480 | $23,000 |
| 6 | CIP 13.0414 | 99 | 0.3% | 8 | $37,480 | $23,000 |
| 7 | CIP 13.0412 | 22 | 0.1% | 4 | $37,480 | $23,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What education administrators, kindergarten through secondary earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $93,910 | 37,140 | 1.25× | 52 | 3,821 |
| Indiana | $98,770 | 6,990 | 1.03× | 16 | 2,435 |
| New York | $138,830 | 19,210 | 0.94× | 45 | 2,162 |
| Arizona | $97,480 | 5,270 | 0.77× | 10 | 2,053 |
| California | $159,950 | 31,370 | 0.82× | 52 | 1,811 |
| Pennsylvania | $118,710 | 14,460 | 1.13× | 45 | 1,351 |
| Florida | $96,490 | 16,960 | 0.81× | 30 | 1,318 |
| Virginia | $106,100 | 8,470 | 0.98× | 18 | 1,297 |
| Missouri | $100,400 | 7,120 | 1.15× | 22 | 1,239 |
| Illinois | $113,360 | 14,850 | 1.15× | 25 | 1,186 |
| Georgia | $103,360 | 7,530 | 0.73× | 17 | 1,177 |
| North Carolina | $83,180 | 11,220 | 1.07× | 37 | 1,094 |
| Tennessee | $97,590 | 6,180 | 0.89× | 21 | 1,041 |
| Utah | $128,880 | 2,940 | 0.80× | 7 | 993 |
| Minnesota | $127,000 | 4,120 | 0.66× | 16 | 946 |
| New Jersey | $137,440 | 11,450 | 1.27× | 18 | 904 |
| Arkansas | $86,330 | 2,760 | 1.00× | 10 | 876 |
| Ohio | $99,590 | 12,480 | 1.06× | 26 | 872 |
| Oklahoma | $86,630 | 4,320 | 1.20× | 13 | 740 |
| Massachusetts | $128,430 | 10,570 | 1.38× | 19 | 650 |
| Alabama | $97,480 | 3,020 | 0.68× | 13 | 587 |
| Wisconsin | $117,010 | 4,030 | 0.65× | 15 | 574 |
| Maryland | $131,510 | 7,200 | 1.23× | 14 | 559 |
| Mississippi | $82,800 | 3,170 | 1.29× | 8 | 523 |
| Michigan | $104,020 | 9,610 | 1.03× | 19 | 510 |
| Louisiana | $83,360 | 5,080 | 1.24× | 14 | 486 |
| Kentucky | $99,920 | 4,940 | 1.17× | 14 | 483 |
| Nebraska | $110,580 | 1,860 | 0.86× | 10 | 444 |
| Kansas | $100,530 | 2,520 | 0.83× | 12 | 417 |
| South Carolina | $102,440 | 5,000 | 1.03× | 14 | 390 |
| Connecticut | $156,240 | 4,610 | 1.29× | 10 | 384 |
| Colorado | $110,530 | 5,760 | 0.95× | 11 | 353 |
| Iowa | $104,260 | 3,310 | 1.00× | 9 | 343 |
| Washington | $166,590 | 6,470 | 0.86× | 12 | 305 |
| Oregon | $130,050 | 4,160 | 1.00× | 6 | 297 |
| Delawaremoderate | $132,710 | 1,100 | 1.08× | 3 | 237 |
| West Virginia | $80,650 | 1,480 | 1.00× | 8 | 201 |
| New Hampshire | $104,910 | 1,590 | 1.10× | 9 | 200 |
| Idaho | $101,090 | 1,830 | 1.01× | 5 | 172 |
| Maine | $102,890 | 1,710 | 1.26× | 5 | 155 |
| District of Columbiamoderate | $137,470 | 1,930 | 1.30× | 4 | 154 |
| New Mexico | $107,720 | 2,290 | 1.24× | 6 | 129 |
| North Dakotamoderate | $107,940 | 810 | 0.90× | 4 | 101 |
| South Dakota | $88,390 | 680 | 0.70× | 5 | 86 |
| Montanamoderate | $95,700 | 930 | 0.86× | 3 | 85 |
| Hawaiilimited | $126,760 | 1,910 | 1.44× | 2 | 78 |
| Nevadamoderate | $109,420 | 2,490 | 0.76× | 3 | 63 |
| Alaskalimited | $125,520 | 890 | 1.29× | 2 | 59 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $119,980 | 1,160 | 1.10× | 2 | 26 |
| Wyominglimited | $105,480 | 410 | 0.69× | 1 | 25 |
| Vermontlimited | $105,350 | 1,000 | 1.55× | 2 | 21 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Observe teaching methods and examine learning materials to evaluate and standardize curricula and teaching techniques and to determine areas for improvement.
- Collaborate with teachers to develop and maintain curriculum standards, develop mission statements, and set performance goals and objectives.
- Enforce discipline and attendance rules.
- Recruit, hire, train, and evaluate primary and supplemental staff.
- Plan and lead professional development activities for teachers, administrators, and support staff.
Skills
- Speaking4.9
- Active Listening4.8
- Learning Strategies4.6
- Reading Comprehension4.5
- Critical Thinking4.5
- Writing4.5
- Monitoring4.3
- Active Learning4.0
Knowledge areas
- Education and Training4.6
- Administration and Management4.3
- English Language4.0
- Administrative3.6
- Mathematics3.6
- Customer and Personal Service3.5
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.9
- Written Comprehension4.8
- Oral Comprehension4.8
- Speech Clarity4.6
- Deductive Reasoning4.5
- Written Expression4.4
Core activities
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships4.9
- Training and Teaching Others4.8
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.7
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.7
- Developing and Building Teams4.6
- Getting Information4.6
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Master's degree
- Work experience needed
- 5 years or more
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 7 majors mapped to Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary7 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 13.0401Educational Leadership and Administration, General
- 13.0404Educational, Instructional, and Curriculum Supervision
- 13.0408Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship
- 13.0409Secondary School Administration/Principalship
- 13.0411Superintendency and Educational System Administration
- 13.0412International School Administration/Leadership
- 13.0414Early Childhood Program Administration
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary?+
Master's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Educational Leadership and Administration, General, which awarded 31,615 degrees in 2024-25, 86.5% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Education Administrator, Kindergarten through Secondary?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 7 programs to this occupation. The largest are Educational Administration and Supervision. Together they graduate about 36,533 people a year.
How much do education administrators, kindergarten through secondary earn?+
The median is $105,870 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $76,280 at the 10th percentile to $167,770 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for education administrators, kindergarten through secondary growing?+
BLS projects a -1.5% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 20,800 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
758 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 7 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do education administrators, kindergarten through secondary work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Principal, Superintendent, Elementary Principal, Middle School Principal (MS Principal) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 11-9032.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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