by our College Data Analytics Team
[Educational Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
College Factual analyzed 22 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying educational administration schools.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose educational administration graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Roosevelt University the top school for educational administration graduate earnings in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $100,024.
A rank of #2 makes Northeastern Illinois University one of the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Northeastern Illinois University is a public school located in the city of Chicago. Educational Administration graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn a median of about $103,153 a year early in their careers.
Western Illinois University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in educational administration, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a public institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $82,067.
North Central College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying educational administration schools. Set in the city of Naperville, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. Educational Administration graduates of North Central College earn a median of about $81,014 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Governors State University earned it the #5 place for educational administration. Governors State University is a public school located in the suburb of University Park. Early-career educational administration graduates from Governors State University make a median of around $80,009 per year.
University Of St Francis came in at #6 for educational administration graduate earnings this year. University Of St Francis is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Joliet. Educational Administration graduates of University Of St Francis earn a median of about $111,233 a year early in their careers.
Concordia University Chicago landed the #7 spot for educational administration salaries this year. Located in the suburb of River Forest, Concordia University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $96,734.
Aurora University placed #8 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Set in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Aurora University typically earn about $80,383 annually.
Rockford College placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Rockford College is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Rockford. Educational Administration graduates of Rockford College earn a median of about $73,751 a year early in their careers.
Eastern Illinois University came in at #10 for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Eastern Illinois University is a public school located in the town of Charleston. Early-career educational administration graduates from Eastern Illinois University make a median of around $78,769 per year.
Illinois State University placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Illinois State University is a public school located in the suburb of Normal. Educational Administration graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of about $93,690 a year early in their careers.
Northern Illinois University landed the #12 spot for educational administration salaries this year. Northern Illinois University is a public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. Early-career educational administration graduates from Northern Illinois University make a median of around $96,881 per year.
Depaul University earned the #13 position for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Depaul University typically earn about $68,961 annually.
University Of Illinois At Chicago placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a public institution. Early-career educational administration graduates from University Of Illinois At Chicago make a median of around $76,082 per year.
Northwestern University landed the #15 spot for educational administration salaries this year. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Early-career educational administration graduates from Northwestern University make a median of around $75,644 per year.
National Louis University earned the #16 position for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Chicago, National Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $85,234.
University Of Illinois At Springfield earned the #17 position for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a public institution. Early-career educational administration graduates from University Of Illinois At Springfield make a median of around $65,279 per year.
Loyola University Chicago placed #18 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago typically earn about $67,737 annually.
Benedictine University landed the #19 spot for educational administration salaries this year. Set in the suburb of Lisle, Benedictine University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $86,303.
Mckendree University earned the #20 position for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Lebanon, Mckendree University is a private not-for-profit institution. Educational Administration graduates of Mckendree University earn a median of about $56,034 a year early in their careers.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying educational administration schools. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. Educational Administration graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of about $46,568 a year early in their careers.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #22 for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution. Educational Administration graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of about $50,782 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries educational administration graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 22 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.