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Best states for a college dean
Quoted expert
Suzanne T. Ortega
- Rank 1 - 10
- 11 - 20
- 21 - 30
- 31 - 40
- 41 - 51
Do you wonder which states in the U.S. are the best for college deans? If so, we have the full list of best to worst states for college dean jobs for you to check out and see if you think it's time to move and start anew. Not all states fare the same when it come to job opportunity and pay.We wanted to look at the best states for college deans -- where there are plenty of college dean jobs to go around and college deans get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
Connecticut is the best state for jobs for college deans, and Kansas is the worst. The most common pay in Connecticut is $109,139, while the median pay in Kansas is $52,619.Connecticut is the best state, and Greenwich is the city with the highest pay for college deans.
10 best states for college deans in 2025
1. Connecticut
Total college dean jobs: 29 Average annual salary: $109,139 Lowest 10 percent earn: $65,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $181,000 Location Quotient: 1.58
2. District of Columbia
Total college dean jobs: 22 Average annual salary: $107,962 Lowest 10 percent earn: $63,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $182,000 Location Quotient: 2.36
3. New York
Total college dean jobs: 126 Average annual salary: $97,393 Lowest 10 percent earn: $57,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $163,000 Location Quotient: 1.77
4. Michigan
Total college dean jobs: 71 Average annual salary: $92,565 Lowest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.65
5. West Virginia
Total college dean jobs: 13 Average annual salary: $90,604 Lowest 10 percent earn: $50,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $161,000 Location Quotient: 1.54
6. Ohio
Total college dean jobs: 57 Average annual salary: $93,542 Lowest 10 percent earn: $52,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 1.01
7. Oregon
Total college dean jobs: 34 Average annual salary: $88,421 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $158,000 Location Quotient: 1.48
8. North Carolina
Total college dean jobs: 51 Average annual salary: $90,392 Lowest 10 percent earn: $49,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $165,000 Location Quotient: 0.96
9. Wisconsin
Total college dean jobs: 45 Average annual salary: $83,697 Lowest 10 percent earn: $46,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $150,000 Location Quotient: 1.47
10. New Jersey
Total college dean jobs: 43 Average annual salary: $92,982 Lowest 10 percent earn: $54,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $157,000 Location Quotient: 0.98
College dean jobsNear Columbus, OH
How Zippia determines the best states to be a college dean
You can read about how the best state rankings are calculated here.
Detailed list of the best states for a college dean
| Rank | State | Average salary | Lowest 10% earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $109,139 | $65,000 | 3,588,184 | 29 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $107,962 | $63,000 | 693,972 | 22 |
| 3 | New York | $97,393 | $57,000 | 19,849,399 | 126 |
| 4 | Michigan | $92,565 | $53,000 | 9,962,311 | 71 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $90,604 | $50,000 | 1,815,857 | 13 |
| 6 | Ohio | $93,542 | $52,000 | 11,658,609 | 57 |
| 7 | Oregon | $88,421 | $49,000 | 4,142,776 | 34 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $90,392 | $49,000 | 10,273,419 | 51 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $83,697 | $46,000 | 5,795,483 | 45 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $92,982 | $54,000 | 9,005,644 | 43 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $86,061 | $50,000 | 6,859,819 | 87 |
| 12 | Nevada | $101,961 | $56,000 | 2,998,039 | 1 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $88,376 | $51,000 | 12,805,537 | 46 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $84,715 | $49,000 | 1,059,639 | 9 |
| 15 | California | $93,503 | $50,000 | 39,536,653 | 138 |
| 16 | Maryland | $88,763 | $51,000 | 6,052,177 | 37 |
| 17 | Maine | $80,422 | $46,000 | 1,335,907 | 8 |
| 18 | Arizona | $78,159 | $40,000 | 7,016,270 | 33 |
| 19 | Virginia | $79,424 | $44,000 | 8,470,020 | 71 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $79,198 | $42,000 | 4,454,189 | 11 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $80,095 | $44,000 | 5,576,606 | 30 |
| 22 | Delaware | $87,330 | $50,000 | 961,939 | 1 |
| 23 | Vermont | $76,773 | $44,000 | 623,657 | 5 |
| 24 | Montana | $72,658 | $40,000 | 1,050,493 | 9 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $77,458 | $39,000 | 4,684,333 | 9 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $79,545 | $46,000 | 1,342,795 | 5 |
| 27 | Washington | $79,307 | $44,000 | 7,405,743 | 32 |
| 28 | Indiana | $69,371 | $37,000 | 6,666,818 | 39 |
| 29 | Texas | $73,834 | $37,000 | 28,304,596 | 79 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $69,726 | $38,000 | 869,666 | 5 |
| 31 | Colorado | $67,460 | $35,000 | 5,607,154 | 104 |
| 32 | Illinois | $72,697 | $39,000 | 12,802,023 | 59 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $69,837 | $35,000 | 2,088,070 | 9 |
| 34 | Alaska | $62,123 | $41,000 | 739,795 | 21 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $70,763 | $36,000 | 5,024,369 | 13 |
| 36 | Utah | $64,814 | $33,000 | 3,101,833 | 19 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,749 | $35,000 | 3,145,711 | 12 |
| 38 | Missouri | $64,195 | $33,000 | 6,113,532 | 28 |
| 39 | Florida | $64,414 | $32,000 | 20,984,400 | 69 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $66,423 | $37,000 | 755,393 | 2 |
| 41 | Alabama | $65,290 | $33,000 | 4,874,747 | 9 |
| 42 | Idaho | $66,744 | $35,000 | 1,716,943 | 4 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $62,991 | $32,000 | 6,715,984 | 20 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $65,625 | $35,000 | 579,315 | 1 |
| 45 | Georgia | $56,657 | $28,000 | 10,429,379 | 38 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $57,451 | $42,000 | 1,427,538 | 0 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $57,936 | $30,000 | 1,920,076 | 4 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $52,237 | $26,000 | 3,930,864 | 10 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $56,881 | $28,000 | 2,984,100 | 3 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $52,134 | $26,000 | 3,004,279 | 7 |
| 51 | Kansas | $52,619 | $27,000 | 2,913,123 | 6 |
Highest paying states for college deans
| Rank | State | Avg. College Dean Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | $109,139 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $107,962 |
| 3 | New York | $97,393 |
| 4 | Michigan | $92,565 |
| 5 | West Virginia | $90,604 |
| 6 | Ohio | $93,542 |
| 7 | Oregon | $88,421 |
| 8 | North Carolina | $90,392 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | $83,697 |
| 10 | New Jersey | $92,982 |
| 11 | Massachusetts | $86,061 |
| 12 | Nevada | $101,961 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | $88,376 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $84,715 |
| 15 | California | $93,503 |
| 16 | Maryland | $88,763 |
| 17 | Maine | $80,422 |
| 18 | Arizona | $78,159 |
| 19 | Virginia | $79,424 |
| 20 | Kentucky | $79,198 |
| 21 | Minnesota | $80,095 |
| 22 | Delaware | $87,330 |
| 23 | Vermont | $76,773 |
| 24 | Montana | $72,658 |
| 25 | Louisiana | $77,458 |
| 26 | New Hampshire | $79,545 |
| 27 | Washington | $79,307 |
| 28 | Indiana | $69,371 |
| 29 | Texas | $73,834 |
| 30 | South Dakota | $69,726 |
| 31 | Colorado | $67,460 |
| 32 | Illinois | $72,697 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $69,837 |
| 34 | Alaska | $62,123 |
| 35 | South Carolina | $70,763 |
| 36 | Utah | $64,814 |
| 37 | Iowa | $65,749 |
| 38 | Missouri | $64,195 |
| 39 | Florida | $64,414 |
| 40 | North Dakota | $66,423 |
| 41 | Alabama | $65,290 |
| 42 | Idaho | $66,744 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $62,991 |
| 44 | Wyoming | $65,625 |
| 45 | Georgia | $56,657 |
| 46 | Hawaii | $57,451 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $57,936 |
| 48 | Oklahoma | $52,237 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $56,881 |
| 50 | Arkansas | $52,134 |
| 51 | Kansas | $52,619 |
Expert opinions on the best states for college deans
Are there any particularly good places in the United States for college deans to find work opportunities?
Suzanne T. Ortega
President, Council of Graduate Schools
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, projected job growth for postsecondary teachers over the next decade is about 9 percent, which is much faster than the average, although there are differences in the academic field. Job growth is likely to occur in those regions and states with the most rapidly growing populations.
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Updated January 8, 2025