Higher Education, Higher Job Satisfaction: From Online Degree Program to Educational Administrator

A career in higher education is more than just a job--it's a literal "calling." If you find yourself being called to one of these university leadership roles, your first step is an online degree program. Here's an overview of higher education careers, the areas of the country that best cultivate our leaders, and model administrators that turned dream into reality.

Higher Education Career Profiles: Why These Jobs are so Coveted

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment of education administrators at post-secondary institutions is projected to increase by 12 percent through 2016--that's about as fast as the national average for all occupations. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Higher Education Administrator as a Best Career for 2009 because growth in this sector is expected to be particularly strong.

The job titles offering top benefits in higher education include:

• Chancellor. The head of a college or university, sometimes referred to as Rector or President--the Chancellor is empowered to hire other administrative leaders as they see fit.
• Provost. Provosts are typically non-resident heads and chief executives of a university. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, a provostship is a traditional career path to the presidency
• Dean. The leader of a specific academic department within the college or university. Deans manage their professors with respect to evaluations, class assignments, and other duties.

Where Higher Education is King: States Making the Grade

Just as school performance varies from state to state, so do the preparation environments for leaders of post-secondary institutions. One method of gauging a state's effectiveness in preparing the educational administrator, chancellor, provost or dean is to look at the top-performing colleges and universities in that state. According to Indianapolis Public Education Examiner Jeanette Gorin, the top educated states and those that offer quality opportunities for higher education online degree programs include:

• Vermont. Has received the nation's Smartest State Award for two consecutive years
• Massachusetts. Home to two of the Top 5 universities ranked by US News & World Report--Harvard and MIT
• Connecticut. Home of the United States Coast Guard Academy and the University of Connecticut
• New Jersey. Boasts Montclair State University and the College of New Jersey
• Maine. Features the University of Maine and the Maine Maritime Academy

Educational Administrator Bios: A Who's Who in Higher Education

As Presidential hopeful and legendary businessman Ross Perot once said, if you want to be successful, find another successful person and do what they do. If your career dreams include dean, provost or chancellor, here are some fairly admirable--and well paid--models to follow:

• David J. Sargent, Suffolk University, $2.8 million
• Henry Bienen, Northwestern, $1.74 million
• Lee Bollinger, Columbia, $1.4 million
• Shirley Ann Jackson, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, $1.3 million
• E. Gordon Gee, Ohio State, $1.3 million

The best part is that, through the distance learning format, you can keep your eyes on the prize without sacrificing personal and professional commitments. An administrative role in higher education might be more attainable than you realize.