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. 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 12 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.
Our analysis ranked Lipscomb University the top school for educational administration graduate earnings in Tennessee. Lipscomb University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Nashville. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Lipscomb University typically earn about $91,261 annually.
A rank of #2 makes Vanderbilt University one of the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Set in the city of Nashville, Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $89,577.
Strong graduate earnings at Tennessee Technological University earned it the #3 place for educational administration. Set in the town of Cookeville, Tennessee Technological University is a public institution. Educational Administration graduates of Tennessee Technological University earn a median of about $69,095 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in educational administration will find them at Middle Tennessee State University, which ranked #4. Middle Tennessee State University is a public school located in the city of Murfreesboro. Early-career educational administration graduates from Middle Tennessee State University make a median of around $60,553 per year.
A rank of #5 makes Lincoln Memorial University one of the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Located in the town of Harrogate, Lincoln Memorial University is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $61,482.
Austin Peay State University came in at #6 for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public institution. Early-career educational administration graduates from Austin Peay State University make a median of around $55,045 per year.
Trevecca Nazarene University ranked #7 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying educational administration schools. Located in the city of Nashville, Trevecca Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, educational administration degree recipients from Trevecca Nazarene University typically earn about $85,623 annually.
Union University landed the #8 spot for educational administration salaries this year. Union University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Jackson. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $78,079.
Carson Newman College came in at #9 for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Jefferson City, Carson Newman College is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the educational administration program here go on to a median salary of roughly $68,050.
East Tennessee State University earned the #10 position for educational administration graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Johnson City, East Tennessee State University is a public institution. Early-career educational administration graduates from East Tennessee State University make a median of around $85,265 per year.
University Of Memphis placed #11 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Set in the city of Memphis, University Of Memphis is a public institution. Early-career educational administration graduates from University Of Memphis make a median of around $74,676 per year.
Strayer University Tennessee placed #12 among the highest-paying schools for educational administration. Strayer University Tennessee is a private for-profit school located in the city of Memphis. Early-career educational administration graduates from Strayer University Tennessee make a median of around $51,489 per year.
This ranking is produced 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 · 12 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.