Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities. Their job duties vary depending on the department in which they work, such as admissions, student affairs, or the registrar’s office.
Education administrators’ duties depend on the size of their college or university. Small schools often have small staffs that take on many different responsibilities, but larger schools may have different offices for each of these functions. For example, at a small college, the Office of Student Life may oversee student athletics and other activities, whereas a large university may have an Athletics Department.
Postsecondary education administrators who work in admissions decide which applicants should be admitted to the school. They typically do the following:
Admissions officers also prepare promotional materials about the school. They often are assigned a region of the country to which they travel and speak to high school counselors and students.
Admissions officers who work with the financial aid department offer packages of federal and institutional financial aid to prospective students.
Postsecondary education administrators may be provosts or academic deans. Provosts, also called chief academic officers, help college presidents develop academic policies, participate in making faculty appointments and tenure decisions, and manage budgets. They also oversee faculty research at colleges and universities. Academic deans coordinate the activities of the individual colleges or schools. For example, a large university may have a separate dean for business, law, and medical schools.
Postsecondary education administrators who work in the registrar’s office, sometimes called registrars, maintain student and course records. They typically do the following:
Registrars’ duties vary throughout the school year. During registration and at the beginning of the academic term, for example, they help students sign up for, drop, and add courses. Registrars need computer skills to create and maintain databases.
Postsecondary education administrators who work in student affairs are responsible for a variety of cocurricular school functions. They typically do the following:
Postsecondary education administrators in student affairs may specialize in areas such as student activities, housing and residential life, or multicultural affairs. In student activities, they plan events and advise student clubs and organizations. In housing and residential life, they assign students to rooms and match them with roommates, ensure that residential facilities are well maintained, and train residential advisers. In multicultural affairs, they plan events to celebrate different cultures and diverse backgrounds. Sometimes, they manage multicultural centers on campus.
Postsecondary education administrators held about 210,100 jobs in 2021. The largest employers of postsecondary education administrators were as follows:
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | 81% |
| Junior colleges; state, local, and private | 12 |
Postsecondary education administrators generally work full time. Most work year-round, but some administrators may reduce their hours during the summer.
Postsecondary education administrators typically need a master’s degree. However, there will be some opportunities for those with a bachelor’s degree. Employers typically prefer candidates who have experience working in a postsecondary academic administrative office, particularly for occupations such as registrars and academic deans.
Postsecondary education administrators typically need a master’s degree. However, a bachelor’s degree may be sufficient for positions at small colleges and universities. Degrees may be in a variety of fields, such as education, business, or social science.
Provosts and deans often must have a Ph.D. Some begin their careers as professors and later move into administration. They have a doctorate in the field in which they taught or in higher education.
Employers typically prefer to hire candidates who have several years of experience in a college administrative setting. Some postsecondary education administrators work in the registrar’s office or as a resident assistant while in college to gain the necessary experience. For other positions, such as those in admissions and student affairs, experience may not be necessary.
Computer skills. Postsecondary education administrators need to be comfortable working with computers so they can use software to manage student and school records.
Interpersonal skills. Postsecondary education administrators need to build good relationships with colleagues, students, and parents. For example, those in admissions need to be outgoing so they can encourage prospective students to apply to the school.
Organizational skills. Administrators need to be organized so they can manage records, prioritize tasks, and coordinate activities with their staff.
Problem-solving skills. Administrators need to react calmly when a difficult situation arises and develop creative solutions.
Education administrators with advanced degrees may be promoted to higher level positions within their department or the college. Some become college presidents, an occupation discussed in the profile on top executives.
Median annual wages, May 2021
The median annual wage for postsecondary education administrators was $96,910 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $59,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $190,770.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for postsecondary education administrators in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools; state, local, and private | $98,180 |
| Junior colleges; state, local, and private | 94,120 |
As part of their employee benefits plan, many colleges and universities allow full-time employees to attend classes at a discount or for free.
Postsecondary education administrators generally work full time. Most work year-round, but some schools may reduce their hours during the summer.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
Employment of postsecondary education administrators is projected to grow 7 percent from 2021 to 2031, about as fast as the average for all occupations.
About 17,600 openings for postsecondary education administrators are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment growth in the occupation is tied to student enrollments at colleges and universities.
People will continue to seek postsecondary education to accomplish their career goals. As more people enter colleges and universities, more postsecondary education administrators will be needed to serve the needs of these additional students.
Additional admissions officers will be needed to process students’ applications. Registrars will be needed to direct student registration for classes and ensure that they meet graduation requirements. Student affairs workers will be needed to make housing assignments and plan events for students.
Provosts and academic dean positions will be limited, since there is typically a set number of these positions per institution.
Despite expected increases in enrollment, employment growth in public colleges and universities will depend on state and local government budgets. If there is a budget deficit, postsecondary institutions may lay off employees, including administrators. If there is a budget surplus, postsecondary institutions may hire more employees.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
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Education administrators, postsecondary |
11-9033 | 210,100 | 225,600 | 7 | 15,500 | Get data | |
For more information about registrars or admissions counselors, visit
American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers
For more information about education administrators specializing in student affairs, visit
NASPA - Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education