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Best Master's in Community College Administration Programs by Degrees Awarded

Edited by Zoe MacDougall, BS in Psychology

Published ·Last updated

Ranked by the number of master's degrees awarded each year, the most established programs. The top 7 out of 7 programs reviewed from the IPEDS database.

  1. 1

    Northern Arizona University

    Flagstaff, AZPublic

    • 44Master's/yr
    • $53,900Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Education in Community College/Higher Education
    • Online
    About the program

    Northern Arizona University offers a Master of Education in Community College/Higher Education delivered fully online for professionals aiming at teaching and administrative roles within two-year and four-year institutions. The 30-unit curriculum pairs a 21-credit core in community college and higher education topics with a research sequence and six elective credits, and the absence of a thesis or GRE requirement signals a program built for practicing educators rather than research-bound scholars. Several emphasis areas allow optional fieldwork or an internship, giving those who want applied experience a path to it while keeping the degree accessible to busy working adults. Multiple start dates throughout the year reinforce that flexibility. This is a career-advancement credential rather than a route to K-12 certification, and it confers no state licensure. Learners drawn to postsecondary leadership without a licensure hurdle will find it a practical fit. As a master's degree in community college administration, it adds to the master's-level community college administration options in Arizona.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 44 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Flagstaff, AZ, where elementary teachers earn a median $53,900, roughly $53,725 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  2. 2

    Mississippi State University

    Mississippi State, MSPublic

    • 29Master's/yr
    • $49,790State teacher pay
    • Master of Science in Workforce Education Leadership
    • Online
    About the program

    Mississippi State University offers a Master of Science in Workforce Education Leadership delivered fully online as a 30-credit-hour program housed within the university's Community College Leadership area, positioning it as an on-ramp to the same field its doctoral track serves. The all-online format, acceptance of up to 12 transfer credits, and in-state tuition for every online student together make it an accessible option for working professionals across the region. A written comprehensive exam offered in March, June, and October caps the degree at regular intervals, giving learners predictable completion points. This is not an initial licensure program, though for Mississippi-certified teachers it can upgrade license status without adding a new endorsement. Its focus stays on preparing leaders for workforce and community college education settings. Educators and workforce staff seeking advancement will find it well suited. This program offers a master's degree in community college administration in Mississippi.

    Why it ranks here

    For a graduate program we set aside undergraduate figures and weigh three things instead: how established it is, the local market its graduates enter, and the institution's standing. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 29 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Mississippi statewide, where elementary teachers earn a median $49,790, roughly $57,261 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  3. 3

    Alcorn State University

    Alcorn State, MSPublicHBCUOnline available

    • 24Master's/yr
    About the program

    Alcorn State University is a public four-year institution in rural Alcorn State, MS offering a Master's in community college administration. It awarded 24 master's degrees in community college administration in the most recent reporting year, above the national median of 14. Total enrollment across the university is 2,995. It is a historically Black college or university. It is a master's degree in community college administration at the master's level, based in Mississippi.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 24 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  4. 4

    Rowan University

    Glassboro, NJPublic

    • 14Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in Higher Education: Administrative Track
    About the program

    Rowan University offers a Master of Arts in Higher Education with an Administrative Track oriented toward student affairs, one of two paths students can choose alongside a separate Academic Advising Track. At 36 semester hours the degree is more substantial than many peer programs, and its requirement of a thesis or major research project sets it apart as one that expects genuine scholarly engagement rather than a purely applied capstone. That research demand is balanced by a 6-credit Seminar and Internship in Higher Education Administration sequence, so students pair inquiry with supervised practice in a real administrative office. The combination suits learners who want both analytical grounding and field experience before entering the profession. The degree carries no state licensure. It fits aspiring administrators willing to invest in a research-informed, hands-on preparation. It is a master's degree in community college administration at the master's level, based in New Jersey.

    Why it ranks here

    Master's programs are judged differently here. Undergraduate stats do not apply, so the ranking looks at whether the program is established, the pay its graduates walk into locally, and how the university stands behind it. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 14 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  5. 5

    University of Arkansas

    Fayetteville, ARPublicOnline available

    • 4Master's/yr
    • $61,010Metro teacher pay
    • Master of Education in Higher Education: Community College Leadership Concentration
    • Online
    About the program

    The University of Arkansas offers a Master of Education in Higher Education with a Community College Leadership concentration built specifically for people already working in the two-year sector. The 30-hour program runs in accelerated eight-week online terms, a structure that lets employed staff stack coursework around full schedules, and it caps the degree with a written comprehensive exam embedded in a Critical Issues in Community Colleges capstone rather than a thesis. Because applicants must have current or prior community college employment, cohorts arrive with shared professional context, and the coursework reads as a direct pipeline toward advancement within those institutions. The emphasis throughout is applied leadership rather than research training. It carries no state licensure and is not a route to K-12 certification. Community college employees eyeing supervisory and administrative roles are its clear audience. As a master's degree in community college administration, it adds to the master's-level community college administration options in Arkansas.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort. Its graduates step into Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR, where elementary teachers earn a median $61,010, roughly $66,785 once local cost of living is factored in, a real-world read on what the credential is worth in that market.

    Area teacher pay: Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2025, adjusted for local cost of living via U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities. A location figure, not this program's graduate earnings.

    School site
  6. 6

    Central Michigan University

    Mount Pleasant, MIPublic

    • 4Master's/yr
    • Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and Social Justice
    • Online
    About the program

    Central Michigan University offers a Master of Arts in Higher Education Administration and Social Justice, an online, 30-credit program whose very title frames student affairs work through an equity lens. The curriculum is aligned with the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education, grounding it in the professional benchmarks that govern the field, and its accelerated design lets motivated students finish in under two years. Rolling admissions ease entry at multiple points, while an annual study-abroad option and a Student Affairs Graduate Assistantship Program for full-time students signal a program that wants learners immersed in practice, not just coursework. The assistantship in particular reads as built for early-career professionals seeking hands-on campus experience. The degree carries no state licensure. Those drawn to administrative and student-facing roles with a social justice orientation are its intended audience. This program offers a master's degree in community college administration in Michigan.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 4 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site
  7. 7

    Morgan State University

    Baltimore, MDPublicHBCU

    • 2Master's/yr
    • Master of Education in Community College Administration & Instruction
    • Online
    About the program

    Morgan State University offers a Master of Education in Community College Administration & Instruction, a cohort-based online program delivered through Canvas that moves a shared group of students through the degree together over two years. The unified curriculum keeps everyone on one track rather than splitting into specializations, preparing mid-level administrators, student affairs professionals, and instructional leaders side by side. That design, combined with a culminating 6-credit Community College Internship in the second year, marks it as a practice-oriented degree that ties classroom learning to a real institutional setting before graduation. The cohort structure builds a professional network alongside the coursework. It leads to no state licensure and is not a K-12 teaching or leadership certification. Aspiring community college leaders who value a guided, applied path will recognize themselves in it. This program offers a master's degree in community college administration in Maryland.

    Why it ranks here

    A master's degree earns its rank on program-appropriate signals, not undergraduate ones: established scale, local teacher pay, and institutional strength. On the first, it is clearly established, turning out 2 master's degrees a year, a steady if smaller cohort.

    School site

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