University administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a university administrator. University administrators usually study business, english, or computer science. 56% of university administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 168 real university administrator resumes to see exactly what university administrator education sections show.

The most common colleges for university administrators are the Elizabeth City State University and the Elizabeth City State University.

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

What education do you need to become a university administrator?

What degree do you need to be a university administrator?

The most common degree for university administrators is bachelor's degree, with 56% of university 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 14%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 14%

High School Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a university administrator?

You should major in business to become a university administrator. 17% of university administrators major in business. Other common majors for a university administrator include english and computer science.

Business, 17%

English, 9%

Computer Science, 9%

Communication, 7%

Other Majors, 58%

Most common colleges for university administrators

University administrators often get their degrees at Elizabeth City State University, Colorado Technical University, and Saint Cloud State University. Here are the most common colleges for university administrators in the US based on their resumes.

University administrator common college	Percentages
Elizabeth City State University	12.90%
Colorado Technical University	9.68%
Saint Cloud State University	6.45%
Illinois State University	6.45%
University of Illinois at Chicago	6.45%

Show more common university administrator colleges

Best majors for university administrators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	17.1%
2	English	8.5%
3	Computer Science	8.5%
4	Communication	7.3%
5	Education	7.3%

Show more common university administrator majors

Best colleges for university administrators

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

A university 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 university 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 university administrators.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

20 best online courses for university administrators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for university administrators

The most affordable schools for university administrators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for university 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 university 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

9. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

10. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for university administrators

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

Some great schools for university 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 university 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

10. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for university administrators

The easiest schools for university administrators to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

Average university administrator salary by education level

According to our data, university administrators with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $53,078 annually. University administrators with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $46,554.

University administrator education level	University administrator salary
Master's Degree	$46,554
Bachelor's Degree	$38,656
Doctorate Degree	$53,078

University administrator education FAQs

What is the best college for University Administrators?

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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

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