Best institutions to study Network and System Administration/Administrator
A program that prepares individuals to manage the computer operations and control the system configurations emanating from a specific site or network hub.
204 U.S. institutions graduated 5,461 Network and System Administration/Administrator students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 11.1001, a specialization of Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (CIP 11.10), and leads most directly to the Network and Computer Systems Administrators occupation (BLS SOC 15-1244).
About Network and System Administration/Administrator programs
A program that prepares individuals to manage the computer operations and control the system configurations emanating from a specific site or network hub. Includes instruction in computer hardware and software and applications; local area (LAN) and wide area (WAN) networking; principles of information systems security; disk space and traffic load monitoring; data backup; resource allocation; and setup and takedown procedures.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Network and System Administration/Administrator program prepares individuals to effectively manage computer operations and system configurations within specific sites or network hubs. This program is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in computer and information technology management, focusing on the administration of networks and systems.
Students in this program gain essential skills in computer hardware and software, local and wide area networking, information systems security, and data management. Coursework typically includes hands-on training in monitoring systems, performing backups, and troubleshooting network issues.
Credentials awarded
What Network and System Administration/Administrator graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Award of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year2,181 graduates / yr · 95 institutions40%
- Associate's degree1,548 graduates / yr · 120 institutions28%
- Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years888 graduates / yr · 58 institutions16%
- Award of less than 12 weeks506 graduates / yr · 14 institutions9.3%
- Bachelor's degree191 graduates / yr · 22 institutions3.5%
- Award of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years112 graduates / yr · 18 institutions2.1%
- Master's degree35 graduates / yr · 3 institutions0.6%
Graduates over time
Network and System Administration/Administrator completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 5,901 |
| 2013 | 5,951 |
| 2014 | 6,204 |
| 2015 | 5,701 |
| 2016 | 6,322 |
| 2017 | 5,866 |
| 2018 | 5,930 |
| 2019 | 5,773 |
| 2020 | 5,468 |
| 2021 | 5,497 |
| 2022 | 4,779 |
| 2023 | 4,695 |
| 2024 | 4,742 |
| 2025 | 5,461 |
Top 50 institutions for Network and System Administration/Administrator, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valencia College Orlando, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 540 | 48% | — | $45,819 |
| 2 | Gwinnett Technical College Lawrenceville, GAPublicAward of less than 12 weeksAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years | 461 | 32% | — | $43,930 |
| 3 | ECPI University Virginia Beach, VAPrivate for-profitAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 437 | 42% | $21,909 | $43,314 |
| 4 | Chattahoochee Technical College Marietta, GAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years | 234 | 38% | — | $44,372 |
| 5 | Broward College Fort Lauderdale, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 168 | 39% | — | — |
| 6 | Central Georgia Technical College Warner Robins, GAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic yearsAssociate's | 140 | 47% | — | — |
| 7 | Brigham Young University - Idaho Rexburg, IDPrivate not-for-profitAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 121 | 55% | $6,760 | — |
| 8 | Miami Dade College Miami, FLPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate's | 108 | 46% | — | $39,418 |
| 9 | Seminole State College of Florida Sanford, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 96 | 41% | — | — |
| 10 | Rasmussen University - Minnesota St. Cloud, MNPrivate for-profitAssociate'sBachelor'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 85 | 53% | $19,944 | $42,043 |
| 11 | Mesa Community College Mesa, AZPublicAward of less than 12 weeksAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 84 | 16% | — | — |
| 12 | MyComputerCareer at Indianapolis Indianapolis, INPrivate for-profitAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 84 | 69% | $26,295 | — |
| 13 | Florida State College at Jacksonville Jacksonville, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAssociate's | 78 | 37% | — | $47,420 |
| 14 | MyComputerCareer at Raleigh Raleigh, NCPrivate for-profitAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 76 | 60% | $26,791 | — |
| 15 | Bossier Parish Community College Bossier City, LAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate's | 74 | 15% | — | $40,080 |
| 16 | Wichita Technical Institute Wichita, KSPrivate for-profitAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 65 | 55% | $20,276 | — |
| 17 | MyComputerCareer at Columbus Columbus, OHPrivate for-profitAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 64 | 70% | $26,186 | $46,099 |
| 18 | Palm Beach State College Lake Worth, FLPublicAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 59 | 41% | — | $51,368 |
| 19 | Tarrant County College District Fort Worth, TXPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 57 | 34% | — | — |
| 20 | Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City, IAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAssociate's | 56 | 50% | — | $23,745 |
| 21 | Bellevue College Bellevue, WAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of less than 12 weeks | 56 | 36% | — | — |
| 22 | Georgia Piedmont Technical College Clarkston, GAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic yearsAssociate's | 52 | 44% | — | — |
| 23 | Tallahassee State College Tallahassee, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 51 | 38% | — | — |
| 24 | Ensign College Salt Lake City, UTPrivate not-for-profitAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearBachelor's | 50 | 43% | $11,149 | — |
| 25 | Hillsborough College Tampa, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAssociate's | 47 | 34% | — | $40,619 |
| 26 | Phoenix College Phoenix, AZPublicAward of less than 12 weeksAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 44 | 14% | — | — |
| 27 | Whatcom Community College Bellingham, WAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearBachelor'sAward of less than 12 weeks | 43 | 36% | — | — |
| 28 | Oconee Fall Line Technical College Sandersville, GAPublicAssociate'sAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic yearsAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 43 | 65% | — | — |
| 29 | Essex County College Newark, NJPublicAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 41 | 20% | — | — |
| 30 | Laredo College Laredo, TXPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAssociate's | 40 | 30% | — | — |
| 31 | St Petersburg College St. Petersburg, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate's | 36 | 38% | — | $41,114 |
| 32 | San Antonio College San Antonio, TXPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate's | 36 | 26% | — | — |
| 33 | Eastern Florida State College Melbourne, FLPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 35 | 52% | — | — |
| 34 | Athens Technical College Athens, GAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years | 35 | 51% | — | — |
| 35 | South Georgia Technical College Americus, GAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic yearsAssociate's | 34 | 61% | — | — |
| 36 | New Mexico State University - Dona Ana Las Cruces, NMPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 33 | 19% | — | — |
| 37 | Glendale Community College Glendale, AZPublicAward of less than 12 weeksAssociate'sAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 32 | 16% | — | — |
| 38 | Midland College Midland, TXPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 32 | 23% | — | — |
| 39 | Augusta Technical College Augusta, GAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 2 but less than 4 academic years | 31 | 31% | — | $36,047 |
| 40 | Northwood Technical College Rice Lake, WIPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 31 | 56% | — | $41,473 |
| 41 | Orange Technical College - East Campus Orlando, FLPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 29 | 63% | — | — |
| 42 | Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport, IAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAssociate's | 29 | 45% | — | — |
| 43 | Portland Community College Portland, ORPublicAssociate's | 29 | 18% | — | — |
| 44 | North Carolina A & T State University Greensboro, NCPublicMaster's | 28 | 57% | — | $72,961 |
| 45 | Green River College Auburn, WAPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of less than 12 weeks | 28 | 39% | — | — |
| 46 | GateWay Community College Phoenix, AZPublicAward of less than 12 weeksAssociate's | 27 | 29% | — | — |
| 47 | Moore Norman Technology Center Norman, OKPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 27 | 91% | — | — |
| 48 | Orange Technical College - South Campus Orlando, FLPublicAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic yearsAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic year | 26 | 35% | — | — |
| 49 | Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, ILPublicAssociate's | 26 | 36% | — | $46,355 |
| 50 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College Minneapolis, MNPublicAward of at least 12 weeks but less than 1 academic yearAssociate'sAward of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years | 26 | 20% | — | $39,603 |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management field (CIP 11.10) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 38 states & territories
Where Network and System Administration/Administrator graduates come from. Each state links to all Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management programs offered there.
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 15-1244, Network and Computer Systems Administrators, and its national outlook.
Graduates can pursue careers as Network and Computer Systems Administrators, with an annual median wage of $96,800. Although the job outlook indicates a decline of 4.2%, there are approximately 14,300 annual openings in this field. A typical educational requirement is a Bachelor's degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 11.1001
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Network and Computer Systems Administratorsprimary SOC 15-1244 | $99,130 | -4.2% Decline | ~14,300 | Bachelor's degree |
Computer and Information Systems Managers SOC 11-3021 | $175,140 | +15.2% Much faster than average | ~55,600 | Bachelor's degree |
Information Security Analysts SOC 15-1212 | $129,180 | +28.5% Much faster than average | ~16,000 | Bachelor's degree |
Computer Network Architects SOC 15-1241 | $134,050 | +11.9% Much faster than average | ~11,200 | Bachelor's degree |
Computer Network Support Specialists SOC 15-1231 | $76,220 | +1.8% Little or no change | ~9,600 | Associate's degree |
Job Zone Four: Considerable Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
- Experience
- 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.
- Training
- Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Network and System Administration/Administrator programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Maintain and administer computer networks and related computing environments, including computer hardware, systems software, applications software, and all configurations.
- Perform data backups and disaster recovery operations.
- Diagnose, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, or other network and system problems, and replace defective components when necessary.
- Configure, monitor, and maintain email applications or virus protection software.
- Operate master consoles to monitor the performance of computer systems and networks and to coordinate computer network access and use.
- Monitor network performance to determine whether adjustments are needed and where changes will be needed in the future.
Tools and technology used
Other Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management specializations
The 6 other 6-digit CIP codes under Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (CIP 11.10).
- Computer and Information Systems Security/CIP 11.1003
Auditing/ Information Assurance 48,110 graduates / yr905 institutions - Computer/CIP 11.1099
Information Technology Services Administration and Management 6,540 graduates / yr92 institutions - Computer Support SpecialistCIP 11.10066,399 graduates / yr243 institutions
- Information Technology Project ManagementCIP 11.10053,763 graduates / yr80 institutions
- System, Networking, and LAN/CIP 11.1002
WAN Management/ Manager 1,582 graduates / yr72 institutions - Web/CIP 11.1004
Multimedia Management and Webmaster 754 graduates / yr81 institutions
See all Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management programs →
Common questions
What types of degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn an Award of at least 12 weeks, an Associate's degree, or an Award of at least 1 but less than 2 academic years.
What skills will I develop in this program?+
You will develop skills in critical thinking, monitoring, active listening, and troubleshooting.
What careers can I pursue after graduation?+
You can work as a Network and Computer Systems Administrator, among other roles in the technology field.
What is the job outlook for this field?+
The job outlook shows a decline of 4.2%, but there are still around 14,300 annual job openings.
What is the CIP code for Network and System Administration/Administrator?+
Network and System Administration/Administrator is CIP 11.1001 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (CIP 11.10). NCES defines it as: A program that prepares individuals to manage the computer operations and control the system configurations emanating from a specific site or network hub. Includes instruction in computer hardware and software and applications; local area (LAN) and wide area (WAN) networking; principles of information systems security; disk space and traffic load monitoring; data backup; resource allocation; and setup and takedown procedures.
How many institutions offer Network and System Administration/Administrator programs?+
204 U.S. institutions reported Network and System Administration/Administrator graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 38 states & territories, awarding 5,461 credentials in the year. That is 7.5% of all Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management graduates.
How much do Network and System Administration/Administrator graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Network and Computer Systems Administrators occupation, which Network and System Administration/Administrator most directly leads to, pays a median of $99,130 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management field report median earnings of $45,819 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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