Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics and faculty research at colleges and universities. They include deans, provosts, registrars and admissions and student affairs staff. AI tools can help with records, admissions paperwork and student questions. Decisions about students and academic programs stay with people.
The short answer: enrollment and budgets matter most on current figures. The ILO's 2025 index rates education managers, the closest group, at minimal exposure with a score of 0.36. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 2 percent growth for postsecondary education administrators from 2025 to 2035, slower than average, with about 14,500 openings a year. Projections are estimates, not guarantees.
How exposed college administrators are
The International Labour Organization scores occupations' tasks from 0 (cannot be automated with generative AI) to 1 (could be done without a human operator), and groups them into gradients from 1 to 4, with 4 the most exposed; below them sit minimal exposure and not exposed (ILO Working Paper 140, 2025).
| Occupation (ISCO-08) | ILO category | Mean task score (0 to 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Education Managers | Minimal exposure | 0.36 |
The ILO scores groups of occupations, so this is the closest group for postsecondary education administrators, not a score for the job title itself.
What the BLS projects
| Occupation | Projected change 2025 to 2035 | Openings a year |
|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary education administrators | Grow 2% | About 14,500 |
The BLS links growth to student enrollment and says employment at public institutions depends on state and local budgets. It notes that administrators use software to manage student and school records. Its outlook does not mention AI.
Where AI is helping
- Answering routine student questions about deadlines and forms.
- Sorting and summarizing applications and records as a starting point.
- Drafting reports, policies and communications.
What stays with college administrators
- Admissions and academic decisions: fair judgments about real students.
- Policy: setting rules for AI in teaching, coursework and research.
- Student privacy: protecting records under the law.
- Checking AI help: generated answers and summaries can be wrong, which NIST calls confabulation (NIST AI 600-1). See checking AI output.
How the job is changing
Colleges need clear rules on how students and staff may use AI, and administrators often write and enforce them. For a starting point, see our guide to an AI policy for employees. This page is general information, not career advice.
See also will AI replace teachers?, will AI replace school principals? and will AI replace school counselors?
Pay and how to get in
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the median annual pay for postsecondary education administrators at $104,590 in May 2025, against $50,980 for all workers. The typical education needed to enter is: master's degree. See how this job compares in AI exposure by pay and AI exposure by education level.
Questions and answers
Will AI replace college administrators?
Not on current projections. The BLS projects 2 percent growth for postsecondary education administrators from 2025 to 2035.
How exposed are college administrators to AI?
The ILO rates education managers, the closest group, at minimal exposure with a score of 0.36.
How many openings are expected?
About 14,500 a year on average over the decade, according to the BLS.
What affects these jobs?
The BLS points to student enrollment and, at public institutions, state and local budgets.