Advanced Degrees Among Superintendents

STATE OF THE SUPERINTENDENCY

About 45 percent of current superintendents hold a Ph.D. or Ed.D., according to a recent AASA survey of 2,700 superintendents, a figure consistent with AASA studies published in 2000 and 2010.

The percentage of women in the superintendency today with a doctorate outpaces their male counterparts.

Major growth in earning advanced degrees was experienced prior to 2000. The 2010 study reported: “The fact that the percentage of superintendents with a doctoral degree did not increase in the last 10 years is especially noteworthy when considered in relation to the trend prominent in the 3 previous decades. From 1971 to 2000, the percentage of superintendents with a doctorate increased from 29.2% to 45.3% (Glass et al., 2000).”

Source: “2023-24 AASA Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study,” directed by Christopher H. Tienken. Further details at www.aasa.org.