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Department administrator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a department administrator. Department administrators usually study business, psychology, or accounting. 54% of department administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,612 real department administrator resumes to see exactly what department administrator education sections show.
The most common colleges for department administrators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online department administrator courses to help get the education required to be a department administrator.
There are certain department administrator certifications that you should consider. These department administrator certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a department administrator?
What degree do you need to be a department administrator?
- Bachelor's, 54%
- Associate, 18%
- Master's, 15%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a department administrator?
- Business, 33%
- Psychology, 8%
- Accounting, 7%
- Nursing, 5%
- Other Majors, 47%
Most common colleges for department administrators
| Department administrator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 20.15% |
| New York University | 8.58% |
| Ohio State University | 5.97% |
| University of Houston | 5.97% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 5.60% |
Best majors for department administrators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 32.5% |
| 2 | Psychology | 7.7% |
| 3 | Accounting | 7.4% |
| 4 | Nursing | 5.3% |
| 5 | Management | 4.2% |
Best colleges for department administrators
The best colleges for department administrators are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A department 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 department 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 department administrators.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville
Morrisville, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,670
Enrollment
2,758
10. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
20 best online courses for department administrators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for department administrators
The most affordable schools for department administrators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and university of florida.
If the best universities for department 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 department administrators.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for department administrators
The hardest universities for department administrators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for department 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 department 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
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for department administrators
The easiest schools for department administrators to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a department 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 department administrators.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
7. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. University of Maine at Fort Kent
Fort Kent, ME • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
1,005
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average department administrator salary by education level
| Department administrator education level | Department administrator salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $56,980 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,019 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,678 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,739 |
Department administrator education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025