Ohio·Computer and Mathematical Occupations·SOC 15-1244

Best Network programs in Ohio, ranked by enrollment

Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers.

45 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 2,697 people a year. The job pays a median of $97,570 in Ohio across about 15,130 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledNetwork AdministratorSystems Administrator (Systems Admin)Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist)Local Area Network Administrator (LAN Administrator)Network ManagerSoftware ManagerSystems OperatorSystems Specialist
Graduates / yr
2,697
in Ohio
Median pay · Ohio
$97,570
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
15,130
people employed
Schools
45
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
45%
across those schools
Median net price
$21,785
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

3 programs in Ohio that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Ohio page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 11.0101In Ohio
1,365
50.6%
25$57,986$24,286
2
CIP 11.1003In Ohio
1,242
46.1%
28$48,185$25,250
3
CIP 11.1001In Ohio
90
3.3%
5$48,185$25,250

Top 25 schools in Ohio

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 13 of the 45 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1MyComputerCareer at Columbus
Columbus, OH Private for-profit · 2 feeder programs
666Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$46,09970%$26,186
2University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Cincinnati, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
470Computer and Information Sciences, General$69,54875%85%
3Wright State University - Main Campus
Dayton, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
410Computer and Information Sciences, General$69,07142%96%
4Columbus State Community College
Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
214Computer and Information Sciences, General28%
5Ohio State University - Main Campus
Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
167Computer and Information Sciences, General$82,44888%61%
6Lakeland Community College
Kirtland, OH Public · 3 feeder programs
122Computer and Information Sciences, General24%
7Sinclair Community College
Dayton, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
74Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance41%
8Franklin University
Columbus, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
62Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$65,12011%$22,280
9Clark State College
Springfield, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
50Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance22%
10North Central State College
Mansfield, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
50Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance36%
11Cuyahoga Community College District
Cleveland, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
49Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance31%
12Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
43Computer and Information Sciences, General81%$28,31334%
13University of Akron Main Campus
Akron, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
35Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance$44,21252%60%
14Lorain County Community College
Elyria, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
27Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance31%
15The University of Findlay
Findlay, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
18Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance58%$23,12883%
16University of Northwestern Ohio
Lima, OH Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs
18Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance54%$19,592
17Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Cincinnati, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
17Network and System Administration/Administrator$42,45216%
18Stark State College
North Canton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
17Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance23%
19University of Dayton
Dayton, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
17Computer and Information Sciences, General80%$28,56065%
20Global Tech College
Toledo, OH Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs
16Computer and Information Sciences, General3%$8,602
21University of Toledo
Toledo, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
14Computer and Information Sciences, General$49,83757%92%
22Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Bowling Green, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
13Computer and Information Sciences, General$53,25764%81%
23Edison State Community College
Piqua, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
13Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance38%
24Otterbein University
Westerville, OH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs
13Computer and Information Sciences, General68%$20,15085%
25Northwest State Community College
Archbold, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
11Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance46%

All 45 schools in Ohio

Every school in Ohio with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Ohio that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
MyComputerCareer at ColumbusColumbusPrivate for-profit6662
University of Cincinnati - Main CampusCincinnatiPublic4702
Wright State University - Main CampusDaytonPublic4102
Columbus State Community CollegeColumbusPublic2141
Ohio State University - Main CampusColumbusPublic1671
Lakeland Community CollegeKirtlandPublic1223
Sinclair Community CollegeDaytonPublic742
Franklin UniversityColumbusPrivate not-for-profit621
Clark State CollegeSpringfieldPublic501
North Central State CollegeMansfieldPublic501
Cuyahoga Community College DistrictClevelandPublic491
Oberlin CollegeOberlinPrivate not-for-profit431
University of Akron Main CampusAkronPublic351
Lorain County Community CollegeElyriaPublic271
The University of FindlayFindlayPrivate not-for-profit182

What network and computer systems administrators earn in Ohio

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Ohio
$97,570
Mean annual
$101,770
Jobs in state
15,130
What the range looks like
10th pct$62,170Median$97,57090th pct$143,780
Versus the national median
-1.6%

U.S. median $99,130. Ohio pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
1.35×

Concentrated here: Ohio employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.

Metro areas in Ohio

Columbus, OH
$105,750median
3,970 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$101,530median
2,960 jobs
Cleveland, OH
$96,140median
2,740 jobs
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
$95,680median
950 jobs
Akron, OH
$89,380median
810 jobs
Sandusky, OH
$87,470median
50 jobs
Toledo, OH
$84,130median
590 jobs
Springfield, OH
$82,260median
70 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
-4.2%
Decline
Openings per year
14,300
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
-13,800
331,500 → 317,700
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Network and Computer Systems Administrators page.

How to become a Network

Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0
Typical entry education
Bachelor's degree

Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.

A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.

Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.

Top skills

Critical ThinkingReading ComprehensionMonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Ohio

Every major mapped to this job

The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.

All 3 majors mapped to Network and Computer Systems Administrators3 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
  • 11.0101Computer and Information Sciences, General
  • 11.1001Network and System Administration/Administrator
  • 11.1003Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance

Common questions

Answers for people weighing network and computer systems administrators programs in Ohio.

What degree do you need to become a Network?+

Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Computer and Information Sciences, General, which awarded 1,365 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 50.6% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.

Which college majors lead to becoming a Network?+

The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 3 programs to this occupation. The largest are Computer and Information Sciences, Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management. Together they graduate about 2,697 people a year in Ohio.

How much do network and computer systems administrators earn in Ohio?+

The median is $97,570 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 1.6% below the U.S. median of $99,130. 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 network and computer systems administrators growing?+

BLS projects a -4.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, decline, with roughly 14,300 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.

How many schools offer programs for this career in Ohio?+

45 institutions in Ohio reported graduates from at least one of the 3 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 network and computer systems administrators work under?+

Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Network Administrator, Systems Administrator (Systems Admin), Information Technology Specialist (IT Specialist), Local Area Network Administrator (LAN Administrator) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 15-1244.

Network and Computer Systems Administrators in other statesTexasGeorgiaFloridaVirginiaUtahNew YorkMarylandCalifornia

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 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected 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 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, 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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