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Plan administrator education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a plan administrator. Plan administrators usually study business, accounting, or finance. 70% of plan administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,518 real plan administrator resumes to see exactly what plan administrator education sections show.
The most common colleges for plan administrators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online plan administrator courses to help get the education required to be a plan administrator.
What education do you need to become a plan administrator?
What degree do you need to be a plan administrator?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Associate, 14%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a plan administrator?
- Business, 36%
- Accounting, 13%
- Finance, 8%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for plan administrators
| Plan administrator common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.22% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 9.05% |
| University of Central Oklahoma | 6.47% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 6.47% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.03% |
Best majors for plan administrators
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 35.6% |
| 2 | Accounting | 13.0% |
| 3 | Finance | 8.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.7% |
| 5 | Marketing | 3.6% |
Best colleges for plan administrators
The best colleges for plan administrators are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
A plan 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 plan 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 plan administrators.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
8. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
10. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
20 best online courses for plan administrators
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Top 10 most affordable universities for plan administrators
The most affordable schools for plan administrators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for plan 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 plan 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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
9. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for plan administrators
The hardest universities for plan administrators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for plan 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 plan 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
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. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Fordham University
Bronx, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,354
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for plan administrators
The easiest schools for plan administrators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, gwynedd mercy university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a plan 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 plan administrators.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
10. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
Average plan administrator salary by education level
| Plan administrator education level | Plan administrator salary |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,399 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $67,213 |
Plan administrator education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025