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Data center administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a data center administrator. Data center administrators usually study computer science, business, or computer information systems. 49% of data center administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 468 real data center administrator resumes to see exactly what data center administrator education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a data center administrator?

What degree do you need to be a data center administrator?

The most common degree for data center administrators is bachelor's degree, with 49% of data center administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 30% and associate degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 49%
  • Associate, 30%
  • Master's, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a data center administrator?

You should major in computer science to become a data center administrator. 19% of data center administrators major in computer science. Other common majors for a data center administrator include business and computer information systems.

Most common colleges for data center administrators

Data center administrators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for data center administrators in the US based on their resumes.
Data center administrator common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix10.53%
Strayer University7.89%
University of Houston5.26%
University of Pittsburgh5.26%
Remington College5.26%

Best majors for data center administrators

Best colleges for data center administrators

The best colleges for data center administrators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

A data center 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 data center 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 data center administrators.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

8. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

9. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

10. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

20 best online courses for data center administrators

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4. Fundamentals of Unix and Linux System Administration

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Master Linux/Unix System administration through a practical and hands on approach...

5. Active Directory on Windows Server

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Learn how to deploy and manage all aspects of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS and many more technologies...

6. PowerShell for Active Directory Administrators

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Use Power Shell to manage Active Directory users, computer, groups, security settings and more on Windows Server...

7. Data Center Essentials: Mechanical & Cooling

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8. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

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Active Directory & Group Policy Administration Basics for Helpdesk and Desktop / IT Support Technicians...

9. TOTAL: Active Directory with Windows Server 2016

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Identity, Access, and Authentication with Microsoft AD and Identity with Windows Server 2016...

10. Data Center Essentials: Power & Electrical

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14. Azure Active Directory And Azure AD Domain Services

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17. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

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18. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell

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[Power Shell] Simplified practical knowledge for automation & management of [Active Directory] using Windows Power Shell...

19. CCIE Data Center - VXLAN EVPN

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20. Informatica Power Center Administration

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Learn the day to day activities required for you to be an Informatica Administrator...

Top 10 most affordable universities for data center administrators

The most affordable schools for data center administrators are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for data center administrators are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for data center administrators.

1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

7. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Ponce

Mercedita, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,914

Cost of attendance

13,564

10. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for data center administrators

The hardest universities for data center administrators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for data center 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 data center 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Amherst College

Amherst, MA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,449

5. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

6. Tufts University

Medford, MA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,461

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for data center administrators

The easiest schools for data center administrators to get into are Nyack College, saint martin's university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a data center administrator without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for data center administrators.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Linfield College

McMinnville, OR • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,117

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

74%

SAT average

1,061

9. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

10. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

Average data center administrator salary by education level

Data center administrators with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $61,489 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, data center administrators earn a median annual income of $57,683 compared to $48,267 for data center administrators with an Associate degree.
Data center administrator education levelData center administrator salary
Master's Degree$61,489
High School Diploma or Less$47,166
Bachelor's Degree$57,683
Some College/ Associate Degree$48,267

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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