by our College Data Analytics TeamA degree in General Educational Leadership & Administration covers Educational Leadership And Administration, General. A Program That Focuses On The General Principles And Techniques Of Administering A Wide Variety Of Schools And Other Educational Organizations And Facilities, Supervising Educational Personnel At The School Or Staff Level, And That May Prepare Individuals As General Administrators And Supervisors. Examples: [Educational Leadership And Policy], [Educational Administration And Policy], [K-12 Educational Leadership], [K-12 Educational Administration], [School Business Management]. Continue reading for the important information every general educational leadership & administration student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering general educational leadership & administration programs.
Nationwide, general educational leadership & administration is a popular field of study, with 29,806 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best General Educational Leadership & Administration Schools ranking analyzes these 706 schools to determine the best overall colleges for general educational leadership & administration students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of general educational leadership & administration programs later in this article.
Coursework for General Educational Leadership & Administration develop a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations general educational leadership & administration graduates commonly enter.
Skills emphasized by a general educational leadership & administration program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
Based on O*NET data, a general educational leadership & administration major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several general educational leadership & administration 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 | 2 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 262 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 22,951 |
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 6,591 |
People currently working in careers related to general educational leadership & administration tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Master’s degree | 46.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 15.4% |
| Doctoral degree | 14.2% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 7.1% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 5.2% |
| High school diploma or equivalent | 4.2% |
| Some college courses | 3.2% |
| Post-doctoral training | 2.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 1.0% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.0% |
See the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in general educational leadership & administration careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in general educational leadership & administration opens doors to numerous career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to general educational leadership & administration.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general educational leadership & administration.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 309,910 | 7.7% |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | 237,062 | -1.7% |
| Education Administrators, All Other | 234,350 | -0.8% |
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | 105,632 | 2.6% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of general educational leadership & administration graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $65,211 |
| 4 years | $67,022 |
| 5 years | $74,441 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for general educational leadership & administration graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers general educational leadership & administration grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | $178,795 |
| Education Administrators, Postsecondary | $161,927 |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | $129,049 |
| Education Administrators, All Other | $91,340 |
With 706 different general educational leadership & administration programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased general educational leadership & administration school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in general educational leadership & administration, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
