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Best Higher Education Administration Schools Near Aberdeen, SD
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Aberdeen, South Dakota is home to about 28,297 residents. Median household income is $63,715 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 33.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Dakota, the top-earning higher education administration-related role is Education Administrators, Postsecondary at a median $126,160 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Higher Education Administration Schools to Aberdeen
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer higher education administration programs near Aberdeen, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Aberdeen city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
How We Rank Schools
Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most
recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS).
To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the
U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked
against schools at the same credential level:
BOCSCORE
Graduation rate 30%
Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
Average net price (lower is better) 20%
Retention rate 15%
Fully online availability 10%
Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score.
On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Aberdeen.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Higher Education Administration Wages Near Aberdeen
Occupation
Median Annual Wage (South Dakota, statewide)
Education Administrators, Postsecondary
$126,160
Educational, Guidance, and Career Counselors and Advisors
$51,830
Instructional Coordinators
$57,910
Training and Development Specialists
$61,570
Education Administrators, All Other
$108,990
Education Teachers, Postsecondary
$63,350
Social and Community Service Managers
$86,870
Human Resources Specialists
$67,590
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Aberdeen at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
28,297
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$63,715
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
33.6%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Other Aberdeen-Area Cities With Higher Education Administration Programs
What are the highest-paying higher education administration roles in South Dakota?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying higher education administration-related roles in South Dakota are: Education Administrators, Postsecondary ($126,160), Education Administrators, All Other ($108,990), Social and Community Service Managers ($86,870). Wages for Aberdeen workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Watertown instead of Aberdeen?
Watertown, SD is 74.6 miles from Aberdeen and has its own set of local higher education administration programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Aberdeen an affordable place to study higher education administration?
Aberdeen’s median household income of $63,715 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Aberdeen while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Dakota public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Learn More About Higher Education Administration Programs
Data verified: September 5, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.
