by our College Data Analytics Team
[Educational Administration](/majors/education/educational-administration/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a educational administration degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools to find where educational administration graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send educational administration graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
For graduate earnings in educational administration, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Pembroke this year. Located in the town of Pembroke, University Of North Carolina At Pembroke is a public institution. Educational Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Pembroke earn a median of about $73,814 a year early in their careers.
University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill produces some of the highest-paid graduates in educational administration, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Chapel Hill, University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill is a public institution. Early-career educational administration graduates from University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill make a median of around $67,864 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in educational administration will find them at North Carolina Central University, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Durham, North Carolina Central University is a public institution. Educational Administration graduates of North Carolina Central University earn a median of about $71,038 a year early in their careers.
Western Carolina University came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying educational administration schools. Set in the town of Cullowhee, Western Carolina University is a public institution. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Western Carolina University typically earn about $68,759 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Queens University Of Charlotte one of the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Queens University Of Charlotte is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Charlotte. Educational Administration graduates of Queens University Of Charlotte earn a median of about $73,917 a year early in their careers.
Fayetteville State University landed the #6 spot for educational administration salaries this year. Set in the city of Fayetteville, Fayetteville State University is a public institution. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Fayetteville State University typically earn about $71,456 annually.
East Carolina University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying educational administration schools. East Carolina University is a public school located in the city of Greenville. Early-career educational administration graduates from East Carolina University make a median of around $82,441 per year.
North Carolina State University At Raleigh ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying educational administration schools. North Carolina State University At Raleigh is a public school located in the city of Raleigh. Educational Administration graduates of North Carolina State University At Raleigh earn a median of about $73,365 a year early in their careers.
Gardner Webb University landed the #9 spot for educational administration salaries this year. Set in the rural area of Boiling Springs, Gardner Webb University is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career educational administration graduates from Gardner Webb University make a median of around $75,553 per year.
University Of North Carolina At Charlotte placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a public school located in the city of Charlotte. Educational Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Charlotte earn a median of about $76,129 a year early in their careers.
Wingate University came in at #11 for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Wingate University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wingate. Educational Administration graduates of Wingate University earn a median of about $94,157 a year early in their careers.
University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earned the #12 position for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Wilmington, University Of North Carolina At Wilmington is a public institution. Educational Administration graduates of University Of North Carolina At Wilmington earn a median of about $90,021 a year early in their careers.
University Of North Carolina At Greensboro placed #13 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. University Of North Carolina At Greensboro is a public school located in the city of Greensboro. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from University Of North Carolina At Greensboro typically earn about $54,191 annually.
Appalachian State University came in at #14 for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the town of Boone, Appalachian State University is a public institution. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Appalachian State University typically earn about $59,944 annually.
North Carolina A And T State University ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying educational administration schools. Set in the city of Greensboro, North Carolina A And T State University is a public institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $54,600.
Strayer University North Carolina earned the #16 position for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Strayer University North Carolina is a private for-profit school located in the city of Greensboro. Early-career educational administration graduates from Strayer University North Carolina make a median of around $51,489 per year.
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 · 16 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.