Post job

Senior program administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior program administrator. Senior program administrators usually study business, accounting, or psychology. 67% of senior program administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 351 real senior program administrator resumes to see exactly what senior program administrator education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior program administrators are the Strayer University and the Strayer University.

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

What education do you need to become a senior program administrator?

What degree do you need to be a senior program administrator?

The most common degree for senior program administrators is bachelor's degree, with 67% of senior program administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 8%.
  • Bachelor's, 67%
  • Master's, 18%
  • Associate, 8%
  • High School Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a senior program administrator?

You should major in business to become a senior program administrator. 37% of senior program administrators major in business. Other common majors for a senior program administrator include accounting and psychology.

Most common colleges for senior program administrators

Senior program administrators often get their degrees at Strayer University, University of Phoenix, and West Virginia University. Here are the most common colleges for senior program administrators in the US based on their resumes.
Senior program administrator common collegePercentages
Strayer University12.70%
University of Phoenix9.52%
West Virginia University6.35%
Howard University6.35%
University of Maryland - College Park6.35%

Best majors for senior program administrators

RankMajorPercentages
1Business36.8%
2Accounting8.1%
3Psychology5.4%
4Political Science5.4%
5Finance3.8%

Best colleges for senior program administrators

The best colleges for senior program administrators are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

A senior program 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 senior program 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 senior program administrators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

8. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for senior program administrators

Advertising disclosure

1. Digital Project Management

udacity

Build confidence translating business requirements into project scope statements, creating project plans in Waterfall or Agile, and developing a high-performing team...

2. Effective Human Resource Administration

udemy
4.5
(2,351)

Effective Human Resource Administration...

3. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

udemy
4.2
(2,380)

Your Guide to the Gold Standard of Project Management Certifications (PMI-PMP) (PMBOK7 updated) (40 PDUs minimum)...

4. Contracts Management in Construction Projects

udemy
4.3
(730)

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

5. Project Management Master Class: Government Projects

udemy
4.4
(350)

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

6. Project Management Office (PMO) Setup Guide

udemy
4.4
(471)

PMO Step-by-Step Implementation Plan...

7. Projects Cost Management, Estimating, Budgeting and Control.

udemy
4.1
(1,381)

Learn how to estimate costs for any project, how to determine budget and how to use Earned Value Management tools. 3 PDU...

8. Administrative Human Resources (HR) for Beginners

udemy
4.5
(5,746)

This course is an introduction to the role and duties of Human Resources (HR)...

9. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

udemy
4.6
(494)

Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

10. Program Management Fundamentals: The Essentials

udemy
4.4
(370)

In this course you will learn the essentials of program management. Become your bosses boss start this course today...

11. Audit - Financial Statement

udemy
4.4
(2,545)

Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

12. Mastering Agile Scrum Project Management

udemy
4.5
(5,170)

Review and master agile development & scrum methodologies for your career...

13. Certification Course in Human Resource Management

udemy
4.3
(1,337)

Curriculum commensurate to Top B School's Management Program : with downloadable resources, quiz, assessments & exercise...

14. Atlassian Confluence for Project Managers

udemy
4.4
(2,186)

Learn Confluence Project Management and how to manage projects and programs BETTER with Atlassian Confluence...

15. Project Management Office (PMO) for Management Consultants

udemy
4.3
(1,283)

A practical guide on how to build and run PMO on the level of top consulting firm Mc Kinsey, BCG, Bain, Pw C...

16. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

udemy
4.5
(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

17. Program Management Course - Program Manager Essentials

udemy
4.4
(1,222)

In this Program Management course you will learn the essentials and more to become an effective Program Manager...

18. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management

udemy
4.2
(632)

Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...

19. Construction Cost Estimating and Management

udemy
4.6
(642)

Learn the tools used by construction management professionals to ensure their projects finish under budget...

20. Master Course in Human Resources 2.0

udemy
4.3
(312)

Strategic human resource management, strategic planning, recruiting, training, HR management,Labour welfare...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior program administrators

The most affordable schools for senior program administrators are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for senior program 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 senior program administrators.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior program administrators

The hardest universities for senior program administrators to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.

Some great schools for senior program 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 senior program 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for senior program administrators

The easiest schools for senior program administrators to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a senior program 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 senior program administrators.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

10. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

Average senior program administrator salary by education level

Senior program administrators with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $94,135 annually. With a Master's degree, senior program administrators earn a median annual income of $88,326 compared to $77,412 for senior program administrators with an Bachelor's degree.
Senior program administrator education levelSenior program administrator salary
Master's Degree$88,326
High School Diploma or Less$58,760
Bachelor's Degree$77,412
Doctorate Degree$94,135
Some College/ Associate Degree$62,232

Senior program administrator education FAQs

Search for senior program administrator jobs

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.

Browse executive management jobs