by our College Data Analytics TeamStudying Organizational Leadership explores Organizational Leadership. A Program That Focuses On Leadership Skills That Can Be Applied To A Business, Government, Non-Profit, Or Educational Setting. Includes Instruction In Organizational Planning, Dynamics Of Leadership, Finance, Team Building, Conflict Resolution And Mediation, Communication And Other Management Skills. Examples: [Leadership Studies], [Nonprofit Leadership Studies]. Read on to learn the key facts every organizational leadership student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering organizational leadership programs.
Nationwide, organizational leadership draws strong interest, with 15,674 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best Organizational Leadership Schools ranking analyzes these 525 schools to determine the best overall colleges for organizational leadership students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of organizational leadership programs later in this article.
Studies in Organizational Leadership build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations organizational leadership graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a organizational leadership program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a organizational leadership major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several organizational leadership degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 59 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 349 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 4,663 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 9,281 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 1,198 |
People currently working in careers related to organizational leadership tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 62.5% |
| Master’s degree | 12.9% |
| Some college courses | 5.3% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 5.0% |
| Doctoral degree | 4.5% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 4.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 2.8% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 2.5% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.2% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in organizational leadership careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying organizational leadership prepares you for numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to organizational leadership.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to organizational leadership.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Management Analysts | 484,759 | 12.6% |
| Managers, All Other | 468,025 | 6.2% |
| Human Resources Managers | 404,262 | -3.6% |
| Training and Development Managers | 394,938 | -0.4% |
| Fundraising Managers | 340,731 | -1.0% |
| Compliance Managers | 310,203 | 13.0% |
| Loss Prevention Managers | 265,210 | 2.2% |
| Regulatory Affairs Managers | 206,415 | 9.9% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of organizational leadership graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $62,537 |
| 4 years | $63,883 |
| 5 years | $71,749 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for organizational leadership graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers organizational leadership grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Wind Energy Development Managers | $169,952 |
| Loss Prevention Managers | $165,723 |
| Training and Development Managers | $139,524 |
| Wind Energy Operations Managers | $122,567 |
| Compliance Managers | $117,178 |
| Brownfield Redevelopment Specialists and Site Managers | $99,321 |
| Human Resources Managers | $95,702 |
| Managers, All Other | $95,684 |
With 525 different organizational leadership programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased organizational leadership school rankings to help you.
Students interested in organizational leadership, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management, General | 336,590 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other | 12,497 |
| Operations Management and Supervision | 12,273 |
| Logistics, Materials, and Supply Chain Management | 10,865 |
| Project Management | 4,784 |
| Office Management and Supervision | 3,126 |
| Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management | 2,454 |
| Retail Management | 1,434 |
| Purchasing, Procurement/Acquisitions and Contracts Management | 1,230 |
| Transportation/Mobility Management | 579 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.
