Systems support administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a systems support administrator. Systems support administrators usually study computer science, computer information systems, or business. 54% of systems support administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,467 real systems support administrator resumes to see exactly what systems support administrator education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a systems support administrator?

What degree do you need to be a systems support administrator?

The most common degree for systems support administrators is bachelor's degree, with 54% of systems support administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 29%

Master's, 8%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a systems support administrator?

You should major in computer science to become a systems support administrator. 20% of systems support administrators major in computer science. Other common majors for a systems support administrator include computer information systems and business.

Computer Science, 20%

Computer Information Systems, 15%

Business, 13%

Information Technology, 11%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for systems support administrators

Systems support administrators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for systems support administrators in the US based on their resumes.

Systems support administrator common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.19%
DeVry University	13.28%
Strayer University	7.03%
Texas A&M University - Central Texas	5.47%
Troy University	4.69%

Show more common systems support administrator colleges

Best majors for systems support administrators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	20.2%
2	Computer Information Systems	14.8%
3	Business	12.8%
4	Information Technology	11.3%
5	Electrical Engineering	5.3%

Show more common systems support administrator majors

Best colleges for systems support administrators

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

A systems support 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 systems support 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 systems support administrators.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

20 best online courses for systems support administrators

Advertising disclosure

1. System Administration and IT Infrastructure Services

This course will transition you from working on a single computer to an entire fleet. Systems administration is the field of IT that’s responsible for maintaining reliable computers systems in a multi-user environment. In this course, you’ll learn about the infrastructure services that keep all organizations, big and small, up and running. We’ll deep dive on cloud so that you’ll understand everything from typical cloud infrastructure setups to how to manage cloud resources. You'll also learn...

2. Desktop IT Support Level 1 & 2 in real life (Troubleshooting

4.2

(1,443)

Learn everything in real life Troubleshooting for IT Help Desk , Helpdesk , IT Support , System Administration and IT...

3. Essential Tools for Windows System Administrators

4.2

(325)

[Windows] [System Administration] Learn Windows Builtin Tools & Open Source Tools for Efficient System Administration...

4. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

4.5

(1,653)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Professionals...

5. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

4.1

(314)

For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...

6. Fundamentals of Unix and Linux System Administration

4.2

(1,085)

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

7. Advanced Linux System Administration

4.2

(283)

This course will teach you everything you need to know to be an Advanced system administrator...

8. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

4.5

(651)

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

9. IT Support Technical Skills Helpdesk

4.7

(1,561)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Learners...

10. Windows 10 System Administration & Basic Computer Skills

4.2

(441)

Learn the basics of system administration for the Windows 10 operating system, as well as some basic computer skills...

11. Linux Redhat System Administration I - SA1 (RHEL8)

4.3

(2,195)

Prepare for first level of Linux Exam and gain sufficient skill to perform core system administration tasks...

12. Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, GPO, R. Server Access

4.7

(4,916)

Training For Beginners - Become a Network Administrator in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with Remote Server Access!...

13. PowerShell for Active Directory Administrators

4.5

(5,027)

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

14. Windows Server 2012 System Administration: Get an IT Job!

4.6

(6,275)

Learn Systems Administration! The easiest way to stack your resume & get a high paying IT Job - Step-by-step guide!...

15. Apple macOS and iOS System Administration 2019

4.6

(1,070)

Manage different. Learn to install, configure, and automate the maintenance of hundreds of mac OS and i OS devices...

16. Basic Computer Course - Windows 7/10 - IT & Desktop Support

4.7

(1,213)

Basic computer course with troubleshooting skills -computer hardware and computer networking, for IT support technicians...

17. Linux Administration +Linux Command Line+Linux Server 3 in 1

4.4

(535)

Learn Linux Administration , Linux Command Line, Linux Server admin, Red Hat Linux, Cent OS - Get Linux Certification...

18. Complete Windows Server Administration Course

4.5

(3,749)

Installation and configuration of Domain Controller, Active Directory, DNS, Web Server (IIS), Group Policy, WSUS and more...

19. Apple macOS and iOS System Administration 2022

4.6

(420)

Learn to install, configure, and automate the maintenance of mac OS and i OS devices using modern MDM techniques...

20. Linux Foundation Certified Systems Administrator - LFCS

4.6

(789)

Prepare for the Linux Foundation Certified System Administrator (LFCS) Exam...

Top 10 most affordable universities for systems support administrators

The most affordable schools for systems support administrators are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for systems support 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 systems support administrators.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Socorro, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,770

Cost of attendance

21,244

10. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for systems support administrators

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

Some great schools for systems support 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 systems support 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for systems support administrators

The easiest schools for systems support administrators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

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

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

8. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

9. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average systems support administrator salary by education level

According to our data, systems support administrators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $94,328 annually. Systems support administrators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,854.

Systems support administrator education level	Systems support administrator salary
Master's Degree	$94,328
High School Diploma or Less	$84,477
Bachelor's Degree	$91,854
Some College/ Associate Degree	$85,292

Systems support administrator education FAQs

What is the best college for Systems Support Administrators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.

Search for systems support administrator jobs

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

Browse computer and mathematical jobs