by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in System, Networking, & LAN/WAN Management/Manager involves the study of System, Networking, And Lan/wan Management/manager. A Program That Prepares Individuals To Oversee And Regulate The Computer System And Performance Requirements Of An Entire Organization Or Network Of Satellite Users. Includes Instruction In Performance Balancing; Redundancy; Local Area (Lan) And Wide Area (Wan) Network Management; System Migration And Upgrading; Outage Control; Problem Diagnosis And Troubleshooting; And System Maintenance, Budgeting, And Management. Read on to learn the key facts every system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager major should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager programs.
Nationwide, system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager draws strong interest, with 1,925 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best System, Networking, & LAN/WAN Management/Manager Schools ranking analyzes these 84 schools to determine the best overall colleges for system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager programs later in this article.
Programs in System, Networking, & LAN/WAN Management/Manager build a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager graduates commonly enter.
Skills developed in a system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager 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 | 169 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 541 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 725 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 396 |
People currently working in careers related to system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree | 51.2% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 17.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 13.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.6% |
| Some college courses | 6.0% |
| Master’s degree | 3.1% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 0.9% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.3% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
Studying system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager can lead to numerous career paths. Here are some of the most common occupations related to system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analysts | 583,513 | 12.3% |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | 128,152 | -3.8% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 58,841 | 10.2% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $64,248 |
| 4 years | $56,780 |
| 5 years | $64,307 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $175,079 |
| Information Security Analysts | $111,930 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $107,799 |
With 84 different system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager school rankings to help you.
Those considering system, networking, & lan/wan management/manager, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
