Best Database Administration Degree Programs 2026

Why it ranks #1

Ranked #1 among database administration bachelor's programs by Hakia Score (95.8/100): 91% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $64,990 in-state tuition, 108 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

91% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$64,990 in-state tuition
108 graduates annually

🥈

University of Pennsylvania

Master's in Database AdministrationOn-campus

Philadelphia, PAPrivate nonprofit

$120,230 median salary · 97% graduation rate

93.9

Score

$61K

Tuition/yr

97%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #2

Ranked #2 among database administration master's programs by Hakia Score (93.9/100): 97% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $60,920 in-state tuition, 49 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

97% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$60,920 in-state tuition
49 graduates annually

🥉

University of Southern California

Master's in Database AdministrationOn-campus

Los Angeles, CAPrivate nonprofit

$120,230 median salary · 92% graduation rate

93.4

Score

$70K

Tuition/yr

92%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #3

Ranked #3 among database administration master's programs by Hakia Score (93.4/100): 92% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $69,904 in-state tuition, 63 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

92% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$69,904 in-state tuition
63 graduates annually

De Anza College

Associate's in Database AdministrationOn-campus

Cupertino, CAPublic

$120,230 median salary · 68% graduation rate

92.1

Score

$1K

Tuition/yr

68%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #4

Ranked #4 among database administration associate's programs by Hakia Score (92.1/100): 68% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $1,395 in-state tuition, 3 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

68% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$1,395 in-state tuition
3 graduates annually

North Carolina State University at Raleigh

Master's in Database AdministrationOn-campus

Raleigh, NCPublic

$120,230 median salary · 85% graduation rate

90.4

Score

$7K

Tuition/yr

85%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #5

Ranked #5 among database administration master's programs by Hakia Score (90.4/100): 85% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $6,535 in-state tuition, 95 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

85% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$6,535 in-state tuition
95 graduates annually

George Washington University

Bachelor's in Database AdministrationOn-campus

Washington, DCPrivate nonprofit

$120,230 median salary · 84% graduation rate

89.7

Score

$67K

Tuition/yr

84%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #6

Ranked #6 among database administration bachelor's programs by Hakia Score (89.7/100): 84% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $67,420 in-state tuition, 13 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

84% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$67,420 in-state tuition
13 graduates annually

Boston University

Master's in Database AdministrationOn-campus

Boston, MAPrivate nonprofit

$120,230 median salary · 89% graduation rate

89.5

Score

$67K

Tuition/yr

89%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #7

Ranked #7 among database administration master's programs by Hakia Score (89.5/100): 89% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $66,670 in-state tuition, 20 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

89% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$66,670 in-state tuition
20 graduates annually

Mt San Antonio College

Associate's in Database AdministrationOn-campus

Walnut, CAPublic

$120,230 median salary · 45% graduation rate

89.4

Score

$1K

Tuition/yr

45%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #8

Ranked #8 among database administration associate's programs by Hakia Score (89.4/100): 45% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $1,288 in-state tuition, 8 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

45% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$1,288 in-state tuition
8 graduates annually

Atlanta Technical College

Associate's in Database AdministrationFully online

Atlanta, GAPublic

$120,230 median salary · 49% graduation rate

87.9

Score

$3K

Tuition/yr

49%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Why it ranks #9

Ranked #9 among online database administration associate's programs by Hakia Score (87.9/100): 49% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $2,568 in-state tuition, 8 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

49% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$2,568 in-state tuition
8 graduates annually

#10

American Public University System

Associate's in Database AdministrationFully online

Charles Town, WVPrivate for-profit

$120,230 median salary · 57% graduation rate

87.8

Score

$8K

Tuition/yr

57%

Grad Rate

$120K

Median Salary

Best Database Administration Programs in California

Why it ranks #10

Ranked #10 among online database administration associate's programs by Hakia Score (87.8/100): 57% graduation rate, $120,230 median salary, $8,400 in-state tuition, 2 graduates a year. Federal data, IPEDS 2024 and BLS.

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Program Strengths

57% graduation rate
$120,230 median salary
$8,400 in-state tuition
2 graduates annually

Best Database Administration Programs - Top 10, Complete Program Data

#1. Northeastern University — Bachelor's Database Administration
Hakia ranks Northeastern University's bachelor's database administration program #1. Degree: Bachelor's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Boston, MA | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $64,990/year | Graduation Rate: 91% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 95.8
#2. University of Pennsylvania — Master's Database Administration
Hakia ranks University of Pennsylvania's master's database administration program #2. Degree: Master's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Philadelphia, PA | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $60,920/year | Graduation Rate: 97% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 93.9
#3. University of Southern California — Master's Database Administration
Hakia ranks University of Southern California's master's database administration program #3. Degree: Master's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Los Angeles, CA | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $69,904/year | Graduation Rate: 92% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 93.4
#4. De Anza College — Associate's Database Administration
Hakia ranks De Anza College's associate's database administration program #4. Degree: Associate's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Cupertino, CA | Type: Public | Tuition: $1,395/year | Graduation Rate: 68% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 92.1
#5. North Carolina State University at Raleigh — Master's Database Administration
Hakia ranks North Carolina State University at Raleigh's master's database administration program #5. Degree: Master's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Raleigh, NC | Type: Public | Tuition: $6,535/year | Graduation Rate: 85% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 90.4
#6. George Washington University — Bachelor's Database Administration
Hakia ranks George Washington University's bachelor's database administration program #6. Degree: Bachelor's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Washington, DC | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $67,420/year | Graduation Rate: 84% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 89.7
#7. Boston University — Master's Database Administration
Hakia ranks Boston University's master's database administration program #7. Degree: Master's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Boston, MA | Type: Private nonprofit | Tuition: $66,670/year | Graduation Rate: 89% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 89.5
#8. Mt San Antonio College — Associate's Database Administration
Hakia ranks Mt San Antonio College's associate's database administration program #8. Degree: Associate's. Delivery: on-campus. Location: Walnut, CA | Type: Public | Tuition: $1,288/year | Graduation Rate: 45% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 89.4
#9. Atlanta Technical College — Associate's Database Administration (Online)
Hakia ranks Atlanta Technical College's online associate's database administration program #9. Degree: Associate's. Delivery: fully online. Location: Atlanta, GA | Type: Public | Tuition: $2,568/year | Graduation Rate: 49% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 87.9
#10. American Public University System — Associate's Database Administration (Online)
Hakia ranks American Public University System's online associate's database administration program #10. Degree: Associate's. Delivery: fully online. Location: Charles Town, WV | Type: Private for-profit | Tuition: $8,400/year | Graduation Rate: 57% | Median Salary: $120,230 | Score: 87.8

Best Database Administration Programs - Compare Top 5

School	Location	Type	Tuition	Grad Rate	Score
#1 Western Governors University	Salt Lake City, UT	Private	$7,710	N/A	77/100
#2 Bellevue College	Bellevue, WA	Public	$4,074	96%	74.5/100
#3 Northeastern University	Boston, MA	Private	$62,000	N/A	68.6/100
#4 University of Nevada-Las Vegas	Las Vegas, NV	Public	$8,354	90%	57.6/100
#5 Utah State University	Logan, UT	Public	$7,387	1%	55.7/100

Data from IPEDS 2024. Tuition shown is in-state for public schools.

Top Database Administration Programs Rankings 2026

Rank	Program & School	Delivery	Annual Tuition	Grad Rate	Median Salary	Hakia Score
#1	Bachelor's in Database Administration Northeastern University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$64,990	91%	$120,230	95.8
#2	Master's in Database Administration University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$60,920	97%	$120,230	93.9
#3	Master's in Database Administration University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$69,904	92%	$120,230	93.4
#4	Associate's in Database Administration De Anza College Cupertino, CA · Public	On-campus	$1,395	68%	$120,230	92.1
#5	Master's in Database Administration North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Public	On-campus	$6,535	85%	$120,230	90.4
#6	Bachelor's in Database Administration George Washington University Washington, DC · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$67,420	84%	$120,230	89.7
#7	Master's in Database Administration Boston University Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$66,670	89%	$120,230	89.5
#8	Associate's in Database Administration Mt San Antonio College Walnut, CA · Public	On-campus	$1,288	45%	$120,230	89.4
#9	Associate's in Database Administration Atlanta Technical College Atlanta, GA · Public	Online	$2,568	49%	$120,230	87.9
#10	Associate's in Database Administration American Public University System Charles Town, WV · Private for-profit	Online	$8,400	57%	$120,230	87.8
#11	Master's in Database Administration Auburn University Auburn, AL · Public	Online	$11,016	82%	$120,230	85.0
#12	Master's in Database Administration Brandeis University Waltham, MA · Private nonprofit	Online	$67,082	86%	$120,230	83.5
#13	Bachelor's in Database Administration University of St Thomas Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$52,820	76%	$120,230	81.2
#14	Associate's in Database Administration Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis, IN · Public	On-campus	$5,154	40%	$120,230	80.5
#15	Master's in Database Administration University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC · Public	On-campus	$4,443	71%	$120,230	80.3
#16	Bachelor's in Database Administration Lipscomb University Nashville, TN · Private nonprofit	Online	$37,460	72%	$120,230	79.6
#17	Bachelor's in Database Administration University of Cincinnati-Main Campus Cincinnati, OH · Public	Online	$11,685	75%	$120,230	79.0
#18	Associate's in Database Administration Minnesota State Community and Technical College Fergus Falls, MN · Public	On-campus	$5,424	47%	$120,230	78.7
#19	Associate's in Database Administration American River College Sacramento, CA · Public	On-campus	—	37%	$120,230	78.2
#20	Associate's in Database Administration East Mississippi Community College Scooba, MS · Public	On-campus	$3,600	48%	$120,230	78.1
#21	Associate's in Database Administration Northcentral Technical College Wausau, WI · Public	On-campus	$4,485	45%	$120,230	77.4
#22	Associate's in Database Administration Santa Monica College Santa Monica, CA · Public	Online	$1,104	36%	$120,230	76.7
#23	Master's in Database Administration George Mason University Fairfax, VA · Public	Online	$10,392	68%	$120,230	76.7
#24	Bachelor's in Database Administration DePaul University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$44,601	68%	$120,230	76.5
#25	Associate's in Database Administration Kaskaskia College Centralia, IL · Public	On-campus	$7,050	49%	$120,230	76.0
#26	Bachelor's in Database Administration Western Governors University Salt Lake City, UT · Private nonprofit	Online	$8,180	46%	$120,230	75.6
#27	Associate's in Database Administration Sinclair Community College Dayton, OH · Public	On-campus	$4,129	41%	$120,230	75.3
#28	Master's in Database Administration Northeastern University Professional Programs Boston, MA · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$50,243	—	$120,230	75.0
#29	Associate's in Database Administration Daytona State College Daytona Beach, FL · Public	Online	$3,072	43%	$120,230	74.8
#30	Master's in Database Administration Rowan University Glassboro, NJ · Public	On-campus	$11,812	67%	$120,230	74.5
#31	Associate's in Database Administration South Puget Sound Community College Olympia, WA · Public	On-campus	$4,777	44%	$120,230	74.1
#32	Master's in Database Administration Appalachian State University Boone, NC · Public	On-campus	$4,242	75%	$120,230	73.5
#33	Associate's in Database Administration Long Beach City College Long Beach, CA · Public	On-campus	$1,472	30%	$120,230	73.1
#34	Associate's in Database Administration Waukesha County Technical College Pewaukee, WI · Public	On-campus	$4,485	44%	$120,230	73.1
#35	Associate's in Database Administration Remington College-Fort Worth Campus North Richland Hills, TX · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$16,071	45%	$120,230	73.1
#36	Associate's in Database Administration Georgia Piedmont Technical College Clarkston, GA · Public	Online	$2,586	44%	$120,230	72.8
#37	Master's in Database Administration University of West Florida Pensacola, FL · Public	On-campus	$3,735	59%	$120,230	72.4
#38	Master's in Database Administration Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$37,500	63%	$120,230	72.1
#39	Bachelor's in Database Administration University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN · Public	On-campus	$12,958	65%	$120,230	70.2
#40	Associate's in Database Administration Saint Paul College Saint Paul, MN · Public	On-campus	$5,486	40%	$120,230	69.5
#41	Associate's in Database Administration Hillsborough Community College Tampa, FL · Public	On-campus	$1,926	34%	$120,230	69.2
#42	Master's in Database Administration University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI · Private nonprofit	Online	$32,946	67%	$120,230	68.9
#43	Bachelor's in Database Administration Bellevue College Bellevue, WA · Public	On-campus	$4,205	36%	$120,230	68.4
#44	Master's in Database Administration Stockton University Galloway, NJ · Public	On-campus	$13,606	69%	$120,230	67.8
#45	Associate's in Database Administration Collin County Community College District McKinney, TX · Public	On-campus	$3,750	20%	$120,230	67.8
#46	Associate's in Database Administration Pierce College District Lakewood, WA · Public	On-campus	$4,775	31%	$120,230	67.4
#47	Master's in Database Administration Wayne State University Detroit, MI · Public	On-campus	$14,274	58%	$120,230	66.7
#48	Associate's in Database Administration Laramie County Community College Cheyenne, WY · Public	Online	$3,150	38%	$120,230	66.3
#49	Master's in Database Administration Regis University Denver, CO · Private nonprofit	Online	$23,700	61%	$120,230	66.2
#50	Master's in Database Administration Inter American University of Puerto Rico-Metro San Juan, PR · Private nonprofit	On-campus	$4,968	39%	$120,230	66.0

Showing all 50 ranked programs.

Database Administration Programs Overview: What You'll Learn

Database administration programs prepare students to design, implement, and maintain database systems that power modern organizations. These programs combine technical database skills with business analytics, covering everything from SQL programming to data security and performance optimization. Across 184 accredited programs, graduates earn a median starting salary of $68,000 that grows to $98,350 with experience.

The curriculum includes database design principles, data warehousing, cloud database technologies (AWS RDS, Azure SQL Database), and data governance. Students learn popular database management systems including Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, and PostgreSQL. Advanced coursework covers NoSQL databases, distributed systems, and emerging technologies like blockchain databases. Many programs also incorporate data science fundamentals and cybersecurity principles to prepare students for modern data challenges.

Public universities dominate our rankings, offering excellent value with in-state tuition averaging $13,875 compared to $31,420 at private institutions. Top programs like UC Berkeley, University of Washington, and Georgia Tech provide education at accessible costs. For working professionals, online database administration programs offer flexibility without sacrificing quality, with graduation rates comparable to on-campus options.

$68,000

Starting Salary

$95,000

Mid-Career

+8%

Job Growth

9,400

Annual Openings

Career Paths

Data Architect

SOC 15-1241

+0.09%

Design and oversee database architecture and data models to support business requirements and analytics.

Median Salary:$115,300

Business Intelligence Developer

SOC 15-1299

+0.11%

Create and maintain data warehouses and business intelligence solutions for organizational decision-making.

Median Salary:$102,280

Top States for Database Administration Education

Total Programs: 28
Median Tuition: $14,500

Best Database Administration Programs in Texas

UC Berkeley

Total Programs: 18
Median Tuition: $12,200

Best Database Administration Programs in New York

UT Austin

Total Programs: 15
Median Tuition: $16,800

Best Database Administration Programs in Washington

Columbia University

Total Programs: 8
Median Tuition: $13,200

Best Database Administration Programs in Illinois

University of Washington

Total Programs: 12
Median Tuition: $15,600

Best Database Administration Programs in Florida

UIUC

Total Programs: 14
Median Tuition: $11,400

Best Database Administration Programs in Pennsylvania

University of Florida

Total Programs: 11
Median Tuition: $18,200

Best Database Administration Programs in Ohio

Carnegie Mellon

Total Programs: 9
Median Tuition: $13,800

Best Database Administration Programs in Michigan

Ohio State

Total Programs: 7
Median Tuition: $16,200

Best Database Administration Programs in Georgia

University of Michigan

Total Programs: 6
Median Tuition: $12,800