Contracts administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a contracts administrator. Contracts administrators usually study business, accounting, or political science. 61% of contracts administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 19,652 real contracts administrator resumes to see exactly what contracts administrator education sections show.

The most common colleges for contracts administrators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online contracts administrator courses to help get the education required to be a contracts administrator.

There are certain contracts administrator certifications that you should consider. These contracts administrator certifications include Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become a contracts administrator?

What degree do you need to be a contracts administrator?

The most common degree for contracts administrators is bachelor's degree, with 61% of contracts administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 17% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Associate, 17%

Master's, 10%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a contracts administrator?

You should major in business to become a contracts administrator. 40% of contracts administrators major in business. Other common majors for a contracts administrator include accounting and political science.

Business, 40%

Accounting, 8%

Political Science, 5%

Management, 5%

Other Majors, 42%

Most common colleges for contracts administrators

Contracts administrators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for contracts administrators in the US based on their resumes.

Contracts administrator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	22.05%
Strayer University	7.13%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.00%
George Washington University, The	5.80%
George Mason University	5.80%

Show more common contracts administrator colleges

Best majors for contracts administrators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	40.1%
2	Accounting	7.9%
3	Political Science	5.2%
4	Management	4.7%
5	Law	4.4%

Show more common contracts administrator majors

Best colleges for contracts administrators

The best colleges for contracts administrators are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A contracts administrator with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for contracts administrators. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become contracts administrators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for contracts administrators

Advertising disclosure

1. American Contract Law II

Course description: Contracts I & II provides a comprehensive overview of contract law in the United States. The course covers most of the key concepts found in a first year law school class. Each lecture is based on one or more common-law cases, integrating legal doctrines with policy discussions. The course also covers key sections from the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), which governs the sale of goods. By the end of the course, the learner should be able to understand: Formation defenses:...

2. Contract Management: Managing Contractual Risks

4.2

(295)

How to identify and deal with contract risks...

3. Contracts Management in Construction Projects

4.3

(730)

Contracts Management, Contract Administration, FIDIC, Bank Guarantees, Contracts, Letter Drafting, Quantity Surveying...

4. Learn Federal Government Contracting From An Expert

(443)

A comprehensive guide to Register, Search Opportunities, GSA, Certifications, Accounting, Marketing& Bidding to the feds...

5. Introduction to Contract Management

4.4

(1,511)

Understand what is involved in the contract management process and put this knowledge to work with confidence...

6. Learning Business Contracts for Beginners

4.5

(2,448)

An Introductory Guide to Drafting Winning Contracts, Negotiating Well, and Getting What You Want...

7. A Practical Approach to FIDIC Contracts

4.4

(292)

The interactive course is based on the FIDIC Approved Module 1 Workshop and introduces the FIDIC Suite of Contracts...

8. The complete course on the Indian Contract Act, 1872

4.6

(396)

Law of Contract in India as under Indian Contract Act, 1872...

9. Complete Contract Management Bootcamp: Zero to Hero

4.4

(1,217)

Learn essential post-contract management principles and practices, and gain access to over 30 free MS tools...

10. Law of Contracts in 60 Minutes: A Fast Track Course

(619)

A 60 minute fast track summary of the Law of Contracts, targeting all common law LL.B examinations!...

11. Wholesale Real Estate Contracts: Flip Houses Risk Free

4.5

(743)

Download A Full Package Of Strategically Developed Real Estate Contracts And Learn How To Leverage Them In Your Business...

12. Learn Solidity: Programming Language for Smart Contracts

(676)

Best Solidity Tutorial Available Online to Build Blockchain Based Decentralized Application DApps on Ethereum Network...

13. Blockchain For Finance: Using Blockchain & Smart Contracts

4.3

(647)

Emerging Blockchain & Smart Contract Applications Are Impacting The Financial Industry Today! Get Smart on Blockchain...

14. Microservices Contract Testing with Pact

4.2

(750)

This Course explains Why/How to write contract tests for Testing Microservices using Pact Testing tool on Live Projects...

15. Contracts, Delays and Claims with Primavera P6

4.6

(737)

Learn all about Contracts, Delays & Claims along with practical Delay Analysis using Primavera P6 software...

16. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects

4.4

(350)

Learn How To Win Big By Always Successfully Completing Government Projects Using Ninja Project Management Techniques...

17. Cloud Security Course: Cloud Compliance, Audits,Legal issues

4.4

(309)

For CCSK and CCSP Aspirants - Cloud Agreements/Contracts, Legal and Compliance Concepts...

18. English for Business and Law - Contract Law

4.5

(552)

An English language course for business and law...

19. All Export Documentation & Procedures Any Origin

4.2

(436)

Unlock the Secrets of Successful Exporting with Comprehensive Documentation, Procedural Expertise, Incoterms, Contract...

20. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for contracts administrators

The hardest universities for contracts administrators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for contracts administrators are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for contracts administrators based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

Average contracts administrator salary by education level

Contracts administrators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $69,976 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, contracts administrators earn a median annual income of $60,459 compared to $48,809 for contracts administrators with an High School Diploma degree.

Contracts administrator education level	Contracts administrator salary
Master's Degree	$69,976
High School Diploma or Less	$48,809
Bachelor's Degree	$60,459
Some College/ Associate Degree	$47,078

Contracts administrator education FAQs

What is the best college for Contracts Administrators?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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