🥇
University of Northwestern Ohio
Lima, OHPrivate nonprofit
$12,020
Tuition/yr
54%
Grad rate
78.6
Hakia Score
On this page
Reviewed by Taylor Rupe, Founder & EditorSee methodology
Key Takeaways
Best network administration degree programs: U of Cincinnati, U of Akron Main, Franklin
Ranked by graduation rates, program outcomes, and institutional quality
Tuition ranges from $3,036 to $38,176/year
Sinclair Community College offers the most affordable option at $3,889/yr
Network Administration degree programs available: 23 associate's, 6 master's in Ohio
From community college pathways to advanced research degrees
18 online network administration degree programs in Ohio
Flexible scheduling for working professionals
Ohio community college transfer can save 40-60% on total degree costs
23 associate's programs provide transfer pathways to bachelor's degrees
Education Commission of the States
Major employers: JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide, Root Insurance, CoverMyMeds
Tech hubs in Columbus and Cleveland
Hakia Research 2026
Network Administration degree programs near 140+ cities across Ohio
Search by city to find programs within 200 miles of your location
Updated July 13, 2026
How we ranked Ohio Network Administration programs
We rank 42 accredited network administration programs in Ohio using IPEDS 2024 institutional data, BLS OEWS 2024 state salary data, and College Scorecard outcomes. A 4-factor weighted composite is normalized to a 0–100 score. Schools cannot pay for placement; rankings are produced algorithmically.
Program completions (35%)Graduation rate (25%)Selectivity (20%)Career outcomes (20%)
See full methodologyAre Network Administration Degree Programs in Ohio Worth It?
Answer
$100,180
Yes. The best network administration degree programs in Ohio deliver strong ROI, graduates earn $100,180 median salary with +22% job growth through 2032. In-state tuition averages $12,322/year.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Network Administration Degree Rankings in Ohio
Compare the top-ranked Network Administration programs in Ohio by degree level. Tuition, graduation rate, and Hakia Score for every accredited program.
Best Associate's Network Administration Programs in Ohio
3
Programs ranked
$6,868
Avg tuition/yr
31%
Avg grad rate
Program Landscape
Ohio offers 23 accredited associate's degree programs in network administration, providing an affordable entry point into the technology field. The top-ranked programs include Sinclair Community College, Stark State College, Lorain County Community C..., which combine rigorous technical curriculum with practical skills training.
Costs & Value
Community colleges in Ohio offer these two-year programs at an average cost of $6,808/yr, significantly less than four-year university tuition. Students completing associate's degrees can pursue entry-level technical positions and transfer opportunities, with entry-level salaries averaging $55,099 in Ohio.
Career Pathways
Many programs feature guaranteed transfer agreements with Ohio's public universities, allowing students to complete their first two years at reduced cost before transferring to complete a bachelor's degree. The Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati areas offer particularly strong job markets for associate's degree holders, with employers like JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide, Root Insurance hiring for technical support, junior development, and IT specialist positions.
Curriculum & Specializations
Programs typically include coursework in programming fundamentals, database management, networking basics, and software development. Among network administration schools in Ohio, these associate's programs offer the best value for students beginning their network administration degrees in Ohio.
🥈
Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Cincinnati, OHPublic
$4,527
Tuition/yr
16%
Grad rate
63.9
Hakia Score
Network Administration Degree Costs & Tuition in Ohio
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Average in-state tuition | $12,322/year |
| Average out-of-state tuition | $30,805/year |
| Community college tuition | $3,081/year |
| 4-year savings for residents | $73,932 |
| 2+2 transfer pathway savings | $18,482 |
Source: IPEDS 2024
Financial Aid & Scholarships for Network Administration Students in Ohio
State Aid Programs
The Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) provides up to $5,000 annually for Ohio residents with financial need (Ohio Higher Ed). Choose Ohio First supports STEM students including those pursuing IT and networking degrees.
Key Programs & Amounts
The College Technology Internship Program reimburses two-thirds of intern wages up to $7,500 (Ohio Tech Internship). This connects networking students with paid internships at healthcare systems, financial services, and government agencies.
Institutional Scholarships
Federal Pell Grants provide up to $7,395 for students with financial need. Cisco certification exam vouchers may be available through educational partnerships. Complete FAFSA by October 1 for maximum eligibility.
Network Administration Degree ROI Calculator, Ohio
Use our interactive ROI calculator to estimate your return on investment for a network administration degree in Ohio. Enter your expected tuition costs, financial aid, and career goals to see projected payback periods and lifetime earnings. The calculator uses current salary data from BLS and tuition data from IPEDS to provide accurate estimates.
Network Administration Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your return on investment for a network administration degree
Leave blank to use average cost for selected program type
20 years
10 years20 years30 years
20-Year ROI
+802%
Net gain divided by total investment. ROI above 200% is considered excellent for education investments.
Net Gain
$1,483,492
Your additional lifetime earnings with this degree vs. working without one, minus the total investment.
Break-Even
5 years
Years until your cumulative earnings exceed total investment. Shorter programs often break even faster due to lower opportunity cost.
COL-Adjusted Salary
$123,810
Your starting salary adjusted for local cost of living. This shows real purchasing power compared to a $100K national baseline.
Why does break-even change with program type? Your "total investment" includes both tuition AND opportunity cost (foregone earnings while in school). A 4-year full-time public university (in-state) means 4 years of not earning a salary ($140,000 in opportunity cost). Shorter full-time programs may have higher tuition but lower total investment because you return to the workforce sooner.
Detailed Breakdown
How we calculate your degree ROI using real salary data
Total Investment$185,000
Tuition plus opportunity cost (earnings you miss while in school)
Program Cost (Tuition)$45,000
Direct cost of the degree program
Opportunity Cost$140,000
4 years × $35K/year foregone salary while studying full-time
20-Year Earnings (with degree)$2,518,900
Projected career earnings starting after graduation, with salary growth
20-Year Earnings (without degree)$850,408
What you'd earn working at $35K/year with 2% annual growth
Starting Salary (Chicago, IL)$130,000
Median salary for this role in your selected location (BLS 2024)
Annualized Return4.5%
Your investment's compound annual growth rate (similar to stock market returns)
Data sources: BLS OEWS May 2024, IPEDS 2024. Calculations use median salaries, 3% discount rate, and assume salary growth declines from 6% to 2% over career. Individual results will vary. | Powered by Hakia.com
Network Administration Salaries by Metro Area
Median annual salary in Ohio metro areas
Columbus$110K
Cleveland$105K
Cincinnati$100K
View data table
| Category | Value |
|---|---|
| Columbus | $110K |
| Cleveland | $105K |
| Cincinnati | $100K |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2024
Hakia.com
Top Employers Hiring Network Administration Graduates in Ohio
Find network administration jobs in Ohio. These major employers across Ohio metro areas are actively hiring network administration degree holders. Click employer names to view current job openings.
Network Administration Jobs in Columbus
OHColumbus is Ohio's tech hub with a strong insurtech and fintech presence, plus major data center investments.
Nearby cities: Dublin, Westerville, Worthington, Grove City
Amazon
E-commerce/Cloud (AWS)
Google
Search/Cloud/AI
Meta
Social/VR/AI
JPMorgan Chase
Financial Technology
Nationwide Insurance
Insurance Tech
Root Insurance
Insurtech
CoverMyMeds
Healthcare Tech
Upstart
Fintech/AI Lending
Network Administration Jobs in Cleveland
OHCleveland combines healthcare IT innovation with industrial automation and aerospace research.
Nearby cities: Akron, Parma, Independence, Beachwood
IBM
Enterprise IT/Cloud
Key Bank
Financial Technology
Progressive Insurance
Insurance Tech
Hyland Software
Enterprise Content
Rockwell Automation
Industrial IoT
NASA Glenn Research Center
Aerospace
Ohio Tech Industry & Infrastructure
Ohio's tech market is reshaping rapidly around Intel's $20+ billion New Albany semiconductor fab (the largest single private investment in state history) and Honda's EV/battery joint venture with LG Energy Solution. Beyond the new chip and EV manufacturing footprint, Ohio's three major metros each host substantial enterprise/financial-services tech operations.
Columbus
Columbus metro
Fastest-growing Ohio tech metro by employment. Intel Ohio chip fab (online 2026-2027), Nationwide Insurance IT, Cardinal Health, Honda IT, Huntington Bank tech. Ohio State University is the principal CS graduate producer.
Cincinnati
Cincinnati metro
P&G's substantial IT and analytics organization, Kroger's digital transformation (84.51° data science arm), Fifth Third Bank tech, GE Aviation. Strong consumer-products data-engineering market.
Cleveland
Cleveland-Akron metro
Progressive Insurance HQ, KeyBank tech, Sherwin-Williams IT, Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals medical-IT. Smaller but stable enterprise-tech market.
Ohio has a graduated state income tax (top rate ~3.5%). InvestOhio and JobsOhio's R&D tax credit are the principal state-level tech-employer incentives.
Ohio Regulation Affecting Network Administration Graduates
Ohio is unusual among states for offering an explicit cybersecurity safe-harbor through the Ohio Data Protection Act — businesses that voluntarily adopt a recognized cybersecurity framework gain affirmative defense against data-breach tort claims. This makes Ohio a relatively favorable jurisdiction for security-engineering work.
Ohio Data Protection Act (ODPA)
Provides an affirmative defense against data-breach tort claims for businesses that maintain a written cybersecurity program conforming to recognized frameworks (NIST CSF, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, HITRUST, etc.).
Strong incentive for OH-based businesses to invest in formal security programs — drives security-engineer hiring and consulting demand. Engineers building security-program-compliant systems in Ohio operate with this legal benefit in mind.
Read moreOhio Personal Information Privacy Act (proposed)
HB 376 / SB 11 (varying sessions) propose CCPA-style consumer privacy rights for Ohio residents. None has yet passed as of 2026.
Engineers should watch this space; Ohio passing comprehensive privacy would create a new compliance lane.
Read moreOhio Identity Theft & Data Breach Notification Statutes
Ohio Revised Code 1349.19 — requires data-breach notification for OH residents whose personal information was compromised.
Standard data-protection compliance for any OH-resident-serving business.
Read moreProfessional Engineer Licensure in Ohio
Ohio does not currently administer a separate Software Engineering PE license. ABET-EAC accreditation is recognized for traditional engineering PE tracks (mechanical, electrical, computer engineering); software engineering specifically is not a recognized Ohio PE discipline.
Ohio licensing boardOhio Financial Aid Programs
Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG)
State grantUp to $5,500/yr (varies by institution type)
Ohio residents with demonstrated financial need at OH public and private nonprofit institutions
Choose Ohio First Scholarship
STEM-specific state scholarshipAverage ~$4,700/yr (varies by institution and award)
Ohio residents pursuing STEM degrees at participating Ohio institutions; merit + financial need
Ohio Safety Officers College Memorial Fund
State scholarshipTuition + fees
Children/spouses of OH safety officers killed in the line of duty
War Orphans & Severely Disabled Veterans' Children Scholarship
State scholarshipUp to ~$5,950/yr
Children of qualifying veterans pursuing higher education in Ohio
Transfer Pathways for Network Administration Degrees in Ohio
State Transfer System
Ohio's transfer system supports networking students.
The Ohio Transfer Module guarantees transfer of general education credits (Ohio Higher Ed). IT and networking coursework often transfers to four-year programs.
How Transfers Work
Community college pathways include Columbus State to Ohio State, Tri-C to Cleveland State, and Cincinnati State to University of Cincinnati. Associate degrees in networking or IT provide affordable foundations. The 2+2 pathway saves $20,000-$40,000 in total costs.
Transfer Planning Tips
Many network administrators enter directly from community college or certification programs. The technical nature of network administration allows demonstrated competency to substitute for bachelor's degrees in many positions, particularly entry and mid-level roles.
Network Administration Job Growth in Ohio
15%
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 15% growth for network administration occupations in Ohio through 2024-2034. The median salary stands at $100,180 with 34 accredited programs statewide.
Source: BLS Occupational Outlook
Network Administration Job Market & Salary Data in Ohio
Employment Outlook
Ohio employs network administrators across diverse sectors.
Healthcare systems require network reliability for clinical applications. Financial services demand secure, high-performance networks. Manufacturing increasingly relies on industrial networking and IoT connectivity. Lead Network Administrator positions in Columbus offer $100,000-$115,000 annually.
Salaries by Metro
In-demand network administration skills include:
- Routing and switching: Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Juniper, Arista
- Cloud networking: AWS VPC, Azure VNet, hybrid cloud connectivity
- Security: Firewall management, VPN, network segmentation
- Automation: Ansible, Python for network automation
- Wireless: Enterprise WiFi, SD-WAN implementation
High-Growth Sectors
Salary ranges by experience: Entry-level network administrators start at $55,000-$65,000, mid-career professionals earn $70,000-$85,000, and senior network engineers command $95,000-$125,000. Certifications (CCNA, CCNP) add 15-25% salary premiums. Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority and other public sector employers provide stable network administration positions.
Entry-Level (0-2 yrs)
New graduates and career changers
Senior (8+ yrs)
Technical leads and architects
Median Salary in Ohio$65,117$145,261
Typical RolesJunior Developer, AnalystStaff Engineer, Architect
Remote Work AccessLimitedCommon
Degree ExpectationBachelor's sufficientMaster's preferred
Online vs On-Campus Network Administration Programs in Ohio
Online Programs
18 available in Ohio
On-Campus Programs
Traditional classroom experience
Typical Tuition$11,090/yr$12,322/yr
Schedule FlexibilitySelf-paced or asyncFixed schedule
NetworkingVirtual cohortsIn-person, career fairs
Best ForWorking professionalsTraditional students
Completion Time2-4 years (flexible)4 years (standard)
Compare Network Administration Programs in Other States
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in Michigan
- Total Programs
- 44
- Median Tuition
- $11,100
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in Indiana
- Total Programs
- 14
- Median Tuition
- $9,800
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in Kentucky
- Total Programs
- 7
- Median Tuition
- $10,500
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in West Virginia
- Total Programs
- 17
- Median Tuition
- $8,400
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in Pennsylvania
- Total Programs
- 48
- Median Tuition
- $19,700
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in California
- Total Programs
- 72
- Median Tuition
- $1,300
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in Washington
- Total Programs
- 37
- Median Tuition
- $4,500
Best Network Administration Degree Programs in Texas
- Total Programs
- 53
- Median Tuition
- $6,000
Network Administration Degree Programs in Ohio: FAQ
What are the best network administration degree programs in Ohio?
The best network administration degree programs in Ohio based on our methodology are: 1) University of Cincinnati-Main Campus (78% graduation rate), 2) University of Akron Main Campus, and 3) Franklin University. Our rankings weight graduation rates (25%), program completions (35%), selectivity (20%), and career outcomes (20%). Ohio offers 34 total accredited programs across 23 public and 10 private institutions. See our complete rankings for all 13 bachelor's programs.
How much do network administration degree programs cost in Ohio?
Network Administration degree program costs in Ohio vary significantly by institution type. In-state public tuition averages $12,322/year, while private institutions average $27,108/year. Community colleges offer the most affordable path at approximately $3,081/year for associate's degrees. The total 4-year cost ranges from $49,288 at public schools to $108,434 at private institutions before financial aid. Most students don't pay full sticker price, federal grants, state aid, and institutional scholarships can reduce costs by 30-60%.
What salary can network administration degree graduates earn in Ohio?
Network Administration professionals in Ohio earn a median salary of $100,180, which is competitive with the national average of $115,500. Entry-level positions typically start around $65,117, while senior roles exceed $145,261. Salaries vary by metro area: Columbus ($110,198), Cleveland ($105,189) offer the highest compensation. Specialized roles like AI/ML engineers and cloud architects command premiums of 15-30% above median.
Are there online network administration degree programs in Ohio?
Yes, Ohio offers 18 accredited online Network Administration programs from state institutions. These programs award the same degree as on-campus options and include synchronous and asynchronous formats. Top-ranked online programs include offerings from Sinclair Community College and Stark State College. Online programs typically cost the same as on-campus tuition for in-state students. Many programs offer flexible scheduling for working professionals, with some offering accelerated completion in 2-3 years. Ensure any online program holds regional accreditation and ideally ABET accreditation for engineering programs.
What companies hire network administration degree graduates in Ohio?
Major Network Administration employers in Ohio include JPMorgan Chase, Nationwide, Root Insurance, CoverMyMeds, Hyland Software. The Columbus and Cleveland metro areas serve as primary tech hubs with thousands of open positions. Top employers maintain recruiting pipelines directly from Ohio universities, with many offering internship-to-hire programs. Beyond tech giants, opportunities exist in healthcare IT, financial services, defense contractors, and growing startups. Ohio's tech sector shows +22% projected job growth through 2033, outpacing most other industries.
Is a network administration degree program worth it in Ohio?
A network administration degree program in Ohio offers strong ROI with a $100,180 median salary and +22% projected job growth. At average in-state tuition of $12,322/year, graduates typically recoup their educational investment within 3-5 years. The degree opens doors to high-paying careers in software development ($113,203), data science, cybersecurity, and AI/ML. Beyond salary, benefits include job security, remote work flexibility, and clear advancement paths. Alternative paths like bootcamps exist for career changers, but bachelor's degrees provide broader career options and higher lifetime earnings.
How long do network administration degree programs take in Ohio?
Standard completion times for network administration degree programs in Ohio are: Associate's (2 years, 60 credits), Bachelor's (4 years, 120 credits), and Master's (1-2 years, 30-36 credits). However, actual timelines vary based on course load, transfer credits, and program format. Accelerated programs can compress a bachelor's to 3 years or a master's to 12 months. Part-time students typically need 5-6 years for a bachelor's degree. Ohio community colleges offer a cost-effective "2+2" path: complete your associate's in 2 years, then transfer to a Ohio university for the final 2 years of a bachelor's program.
What financial aid is available for network administration degree students in Ohio?
Ohio network administration degree students can access multiple financial aid sources. Federal aid includes Pell Grants (up to $7,395/year for qualifying students) and federal student loans. Ohio state grants provide additional support for residents attending in-state schools. Institutional scholarships from universities can significantly reduce costs, many schools offer merit-based awards for STEM students. Work-study programs and teaching/research assistantships (especially for graduate students) provide income while building experience. Complete the FAFSA by Ohio's priority deadline to maximize aid eligibility. Some employers also offer tuition reimbursement for employees pursuing CS degrees.
Data Sources
Institutional characteristics, completions, graduation rates
Ohio salary and employment data
Official University Websites
Program details and admissions information
Last Updated: June 26, 2026. Rankings based on IPEDS 2024 data. Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
Was this ranking helpful for your college search?
Thanks for your feedback!
How can we improve this article?
Thank you for helping us improve!
Taylor Rupe
Co-founder & Editor (B.S. Computer Science, Oregon State • B.A. Psychology, University of Washington)
Taylor combines technical expertise in computer science with a deep understanding of human behavior and learning. His dual background drives Hakia's mission: leveraging technology to build authoritative educational resources that help people make better decisions about their academic and career paths.