Careers in Higher Education Administration for EdD Graduates

Higher education administration is a fast-growing field, requiring skilled professionals to fulfill various positions. A Doctor of Education (EdD) degree prepares individuals for leadership roles, including careers in higher education administration, such as academic dean and college president.

What Is an EdD?

An EdD is a terminal degree—the highest degree of its type. Though it focuses on delivering and practicing education, it also highlights challenges in modern education and provides students with the leadership and critical thinking skills to overcome them. Furthermore, it prepares students for a wide range of professional educator licenses.

EdD Coursework

Though coursework may vary slightly by school, EdD programs with a concentration in higher education administration generally consist of 60 credits over three years and cover coursework such as the following: 

• Educational Research: Teaches and explores the overall research process while helping students develop educational research skills using statistics, methods, organizational strategies, and data collection tools. 
• Contemporary Issues in Higher Education: Reviews debates and issues in higher education, giving students the skills required to communicate their positions as not only scholars but also professionals. 
• Organizational Leadership and Change: Explores advanced topics in professional ethics, governance, and the perspectives of constituents. As universities find themselves being held to higher standards in terms of leadership and innovation, administrators will need the skills to navigate an evolving landscape.
• Advanced Student Development: Focuses on the skills and competencies required to develop a growingly diverse population of students. Learners identify, critique, and evaluate various theories regarding the development of students’ identities, morals, and cognition, as well as their impact on the learning and engagement process. 
• Dissertation Seminar: Requires students to explore and demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a topic of their choice through a dissertation.
• Budgeting and Finance: Teaches students how to take different budgeting approaches, read and interpret various financial documents, diversify their revenue sources, and implement procedures for budgeting and controls. Managing financial resources is an integral part of higher education administration.
• Strategic Management in Higher Education: Explores enrollment management, campus planning, and research at the institutional level. Using an institution’s resources and careful planning is essential to addressing the demographic, social, geographic, and other factors that affect the quality of education the institution can provide.
• Public Policy in Higher Education: Teaches students how to address public issues and understand the political motives that can impact higher education. Individual states, the federal government, and a wide range of boards, media, scholars, and other interested parties are responsible for developing the public policy that impacts higher education. 
• Teaching and Learning in Higher Education—Innovative Pedagogies: Examines ongoing tensions that spur curriculum reform in higher education institutions. 
• Promoting Access, Retention, and Achievement: Builds on public policy, student development, and leadership to identify ways to improve access and completion in higher education. 
• Preventive Law: Teaches students about legal issues in higher education through case law and scholarly literature. Numerous legal issues can impact higher education administration and education itself, particularly in postsecondary settings. 
• Comprehensive Project: Requires students to develop a scholarly article, policy analysis, curriculum, or program plan incorporating multiple areas of learning. 

Who Should Consider an EdD in Higher Education Administration?

An EdD is ideal for aspiring professionals who seek careers in higher education administration. Graduates often lead colleges and universities, work to influence or even reform public policy related to higher education, or pursue research-based careers focused on improving higher learning. 

Those committed to higher education, with an academic background and a completed graduate-level program in a related field, are strong candidates. In an EdD in Higher Education Administration program, they’ll be further equipped with the skills required to contribute to the education system as a whole or become subject matter experts. 

EdD Graduates: Careers in Higher Education Administration

Careers in higher education administration for EdD graduates range from university dean to higher education administrator. 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) categorizes these roles as postsecondary education administrators, with a median annual salary of $103,960 as of May 2024, and the highest-paid 10% earning more than $212,000. The BLS projects about 15,100 job openings for postsecondary education administrators each year between 2024 and 2034. 

Academic Dean

Academic deans are senior-level administrators at colleges, universities, and other educational institutions. Similar to principals or superintendents in primary and secondary school settings, their responsibilities can vary significantly based on the size and nature of their facilities, but typical functions include the following:

• Managing academic programs
• Overseeing faculty and staff 
• Serving as liaisons between external stakeholders and their institutions
• Managing budgets and other resources
• Developing and implementing plans for institutional growth and success

In some colleges and universities, deans may be called upon to oversee academic departments or entire colleges, while in other institutions, these responsibilities may fall to department heads or chairs. They may also be required to liaise with government agencies, accrediting bodies, and other institutions. 

The median annual salary for academic deans was about $105,460 as of October 2025, according to Payscale. 

College or University President

College presidents are responsible for setting, overseeing, and directing the goals of postsecondary educational institutions, often with a focus on operational management. Their responsibilities may include the following:

• Planning, organizing, and executing fundraisers 
• Supervising staff, including other administrative staff
• Promoting academic standards as set forth by the state or the institution itself 
• Planning and developing the services and programs offered by the college
• Representing the college at functions, conferences, and meetings
• Overseeing facility maintenance on campus
• Addressing students’ needs
• Engaging the community, the student body, the general public, and other external stakeholders 

College presidents rely on strategic thinking and leadership skills to manage the day-to-day operations of their institutions. Their median annual salary was about $155,620 as of April 2023, according to Payscale. 

Training and Development Manager

While many careers in higher education administration for EdD graduates involve working in colleges or universities, some roles—such as training and development manager—are based in adult learning agencies or large corporations. They’re often responsible for the following:

• Overseeing staff onboarding and ongoing training
• Assessing and determining individual employees’ training needs
• Ensuring that training aligns with organizational policies and goals
• Creating and working within training budgets
• Developing and implementing training programs
• Updating training programs for relevance and timeliness
• Reviewing and purchasing training materials
• Evaluating training programs and the effectiveness of their instructors

The majority of these individuals work in corporate management. Others work in professional, scientific, and technical services; finance and insurance; educational services; and healthcare and social assistance. Their median annual salary was $127,090 as of May 2024, according to the BLS. 

Department Chair

Department chairs are the primary administrators and academic leaders of individual university departments. Their main responsibilities typically include the following:

• Recruiting and hiring staff and faculty
• Promoting professional development for staff and faculty through mentorship and support programs
• Coordinating and handling formal evaluations, such as tenure and promotion reviews and dossiers
• Setting clear expectations for scholarly work and offering feedback
• Addressing performance issues
• Resolving interpersonal conflicts to ensure a professional atmosphere
• Overseeing curricula, including new courses, course delivery, and teaching schedules
• Helping instructors or professors resolve student issues
• Monitoring course enrollment 
• Overseeing department budgets
• Serving as liaisons between the department and the university as a whole

Salaries for department chairs can vary significantly based on the size, enrollment, and prestige of their schools. However, their median annual salary was about $97,050 as of December 2025, according to Payscale.

Chief Academic Officer

Chief academic officers (CAOs) are ultimately responsible for delivering education and developing curricula within a college or university. Their responsibilities can vary significantly based on the size of the school and the number of programs offered but typically include the following:

• Developing and overseeing academic policies that meet standards for best practices and accreditation
• Overseeing faculty recruitment, development, and evaluation to ensure delivery of high-quality academics, research, and instruction
• Managing budgets and resources across departments to support institutional growth
• Keeping programs relevant by taking an active role in curriculum development
• Partnering with external educational institutions and other organizations to enhance student opportunities and institutional resources 
• Tracking academic performance and retention rates, and developing programs to address issues when necessary
• Advocating for new technologies and innovative teaching methods to make learning more effective 

CAOs are top executives holding C-level positions, with a median annual salary of about $141,870 as of October 2025, according to Payscale.

Earn an EdD and Make an Impact with a Career in Higher Education Administration

Higher education administration is vital for ensuring that educational institutions run smoothly and that students receive the education to succeed and thrive in their professional lives. By managing financial issues, developing curricula, and supporting students and staff, they make the learning process more engaging and efficient, from orientation through graduation. 

Professionals interested in a career in higher education administration should consider New England College’s EdD in Higher Education Administration concentration. Our low-residency, three-year program can help you achieve your academic and professional goals and make a real difference in the lives of learners. Hybrid delivery ensures that you can manage your current professional obligations while still meeting in person with your cohort—spending two weekends per seven-week course and summer sessions—on our Henniker, New Hampshire, campus.

Find out how NEC can help you forge a rewarding career in higher education administration. 

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