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Human Resources Management: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries

Program Overview

Human Resources Management is a dynamic field focused on optimizing workforce performance and organizational success through strategic talent development and effective people practices. This program equips learners with the analytical and leadership skills needed to navigate complex workplace environments while fostering equity, compliance, and employee engagement.

  • Personnel and Organization Policy: Examines the development, implementation, and evaluation of organizational rules and procedures that govern employee behavior and workplace standards.
  • Human Resource Dynamics and Flows: Explores the movement and lifecycle of employees within organizations, including hiring, retention, mobility, and workforce planning.
  • Labor Relations: Focuses on the interactions between employers, employees, and labor unions, including collective bargaining, dispute resolution, and negotiation strategies.
  • Civil Rights and Equity in the Workplace: Addresses legal and ethical frameworks that promote fair treatment, prevent discrimination, and support inclusive work environments.
  • Human Resources Law and Regulations: Provides in-depth study of federal, state, and local employment laws governing hiring, termination, benefits, and workplace safety.
  • Motivation and Compensation Systems: Investigates theories of employee motivation and the design of pay structures, bonuses, and incentive programs to drive performance.
  • Work Systems and Job Design: Analyzes how work processes, roles, and responsibilities are structured to enhance productivity, efficiency, and employee satisfaction.
  • Career Management: Covers strategies for guiding employee career development, succession planning, and aligning individual growth with organizational goals.
  • Employee Testing and Assessment: Introduces methods for evaluating candidate qualifications, performance, and potential through psychometric tools and performance metrics.
  • Recruitment and Selection: Trains in sourcing, screening, interviewing, and onboarding candidates to build a qualified and diverse workforce.
  • Employee Training and Development Programs: Focuses on designing, delivering, and assessing training initiatives that enhance skills, knowledge, and organizational capabilities.
  • Human Resources Program Operations: Develops competencies in managing HR functions, budgets, technology systems, and data-driven decision-making across organizational units.

Human Resources Management Graduate Trends (2010-2024)

17,602
Total Graduates (2023-2024)
531
Universities & Colleges
10
Career Pathways

Human Resources Management Career Pathways & Salary Outlook

The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Human Resources Management degrees, including Compensation and Benefits Managers, Human Resources Managers and Training and Development Managers. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 2,373,710 professionals.


National Average Salaries

Occupation Median Salary Salary Range Total Employment Hourly Rate
Compensation and Benefits Managers 11-3111 $140,360 $81,660 - $239,200 20,070 $67.48
Human Resources Managers 11-3121 $140,030 $83,790 - $239,200 215,520 $67.32
Training and Development Managers 11-3131 $127,090 $75,810 - $219,990 44,960 $61.10
Business Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1011 $97,270 $46,460 - $210,530 81,780 N/A
Labor Relations Specialists 13-1075 $93,500 $49,880 - $153,440 64,590 $44.95
Compliance Officers 13-1041 $78,420 $46,230 - $130,030 397,770 $37.70
Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists 13-1141 $77,020 $48,300 - $128,830 102,370 $37.03
Human Resources Specialists 13-1071 $72,910 $45,440 - $126,540 917,460 $35.05
Training and Development Specialists 13-1151 $65,850 $37,510 - $120,190 436,610 $31.66
Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping 43-4161 $49,440 $36,090 - $67,140 92,580 $23.77

Human Resources Management Salary Map by State

Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $67,407 in Arkansas to $115,751 in District of Columbia—a 72% difference. The highest-paying states include District of Columbia, Washington, and California. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 2,373,710 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.

Average Salary Range:

Top Universities for Human Resources Management by Graduate Enrollment

Below are the top 100 institutions offering Human Resources Management programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Human Resources Management is found at University of Phoenix (UOPX), Arizona (1,008 graduates), Western Governors University (WGU) (941 graduates), Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) (886 graduates), University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) (561 graduates), and Capella University (489 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 12,732 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.

College Name Award Levels Graduates Location Control Website
University of Phoenix (UOPX)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
1,008 Phoenix, Arizona Private phoenix.edu
Western Governors University (WGU)
Bachelor's
Master's
941 Salt Lake City, Utah Private wgu.edu
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
886 Manchester, New Hampshire Private snhu.edu
University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC)
Certificate (≥2 yrs)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
561 Adelphi, Maryland Public umgc.edu
Capella University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
489 Minneapolis, Minnesota Private capella.edu
Ashford University (UAGC)
Bachelor's
Master's
459 San Diego, California Private uagc.edu
Rutgers University
Bachelor's
Master's
365 New Brunswick, New Jersey Public newbrunswick.rutgers.edu
DeVry University
Postbac Cert.
Master's
365 Lisle, Illinois Private devry.edu
Florida International University (FIU)
Bachelor's
Master's
260 Miami, Florida Public fiu.edu
American Public University System (APUS)
Bachelor's
Master's
258 Charles Town, West Virginia Private apus.edu
Colorado State University Global (CSU Global)
Bachelor's
Master's
253 Aurora, Colorado Public csuglobal.edu
University of Arizona
Bachelor's
244 Tucson, Arizona Public arizona.edu
University of Southern California (USC)
Master's
222 Los Angeles, California Private usc.edu
Ana G. Mendez University (AGMU)
Bachelor's
Master's
165 Orlando, Florida Private agmu.edu
Columbia Southern University (CSU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Other Award
162 Orange Beach, Alabama Private columbiasouthern.edu
Grand Canyon University (GCU)
Bachelor's
161 Phoenix, Arizona Private gcu.edu
Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech)
Other Award
146 Indianapolis, Indiana Public ivytech.edu
Brigham Young University (BYU–I)
Other Award
139 Rexburg, Idaho Private byui.edu
NUC University (NUC)
Master's
138 Bayamon, Puerto Rico Private nuc.edu
Purdue University Global
Other Award
127 West Lafayette, Indiana Public purdueglobal.edu
Franklin University
Bachelor's
Master's
124 Columbus, Ohio Private franklin.edu
Stony Brook University (SBU)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
122 Stony Brook, New York Public stonybrook.edu
American InterContinental University System (AIUS)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
122 Chandler, Arizona Private aius.education
Red Rocks Community College (RRCC)
Residency
115 Lakewood, Colorado Public rrcc.edu
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Bachelor's
115 Chapel Hill, North Carolina Public unc.edu
George Washington University (GW)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
109 Washington, District of Columbia Private gwu.edu
Walden University
Postbac Cert.
Master's
103 Minneapolis, Minnesota Private waldenu.edu
Bellevue University
Bachelor's
100 Bellevue, Nebraska Private bellevue.edu
Ohio State University
Bachelor's
Master's
97 Columbus, Ohio Public osu.edu
Tarleton State University (TSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
96 Stephenville, Texas Public tarleton.edu
Post University
Bachelor's
Other Award
95 Waterbury, Connecticut Private post.edu
Wilmington University (WilmU)
Bachelor's
Master's
94 New Castle, Delaware Private wilmu.edu
Indiana University (IU Indianapolis)
Other Award
92 Indianapolis, Indiana Public indianapolis.iu.edu
Wichita State University (WSU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Residency
92 Wichita, Kansas Public wichita.edu
San Joaquin Valley College (SJVC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
91 Visalia, California Private sjvc.edu
Martinsburg College (MC)
Other Award
91 Martinsburg, West Virginia Private martinsburgcollege.edu
Dallas College
Associate's
Other Award
87 Dallas, Texas Public dallascollege.edu
Rasmussen University
Associate's
Bachelor's
85 Ocala, Florida Private rasmussen.edu
Rasmussen University
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's
80 St. Cloud, Minnesota Private rasmussen.edu
University of Denver (DU)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
79 Denver, Colorado Private du.edu
University of Minnesota (UMN)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Other Award
79 Minneapolis, Minnesota Public twin-cities.umn.edu
Piedmont Technical College (PTC)
Other Award
79 Greenwood, South Carolina Public ptc.edu
Tarrant County College District (TCCD)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
78 Fort Worth, Texas Public tccd.edu
Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC)
Other Award
78 Warner Robins, Georgia Public centralgatech.edu
West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCU)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
77 West Chester, Pennsylvania Public wcupa.edu
Purdue University (PU)
Master's
Other Award
76 West Lafayette, Indiana Public purdue.edu
Portland State University (PSU)
Bachelor's
74 Portland, Oregon Public pdx.edu
Mid-State Technical College (Mid-State)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
72 Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin Public mstc.edu
Northeastern University Professional Programs
Master's
72 Boston, Massachusetts Private northeastern.edu
New York University (NYU)
Master's
71 New York, New York Private nyu.edu
Park University
Bachelor's
Other Award
69 Parkville, Missouri Private park.edu
Temple University
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
68 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Public temple.edu
National University (NU)
Master's
67 San Diego, California Private nu.edu
Central Michigan University (CMU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
67 Mount Pleasant, Michigan Public cmich.edu
Washtenaw Community College (WCC)
Residency
Other Award
67 Ann Arbor, Michigan Public wccnet.edu
Bryant & Stratton College
Associate's
Bachelor's
67 Orchard Park, New York Private bryantstratton.edu
University of Connecticut (UConn)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
64 Storrs, Connecticut Public uconn.edu
Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC)
Other Award
64 Rome, Georgia Public gntc.edu
Davenport University
Associate's
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
63 Grand Rapids, Michigan Private davenport.edu
Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP)
Bachelor's
Master's
62 Indiana, Pennsylvania Public iup.edu
Northcentral Technical College (NTC)
Associate's
Other Award
62 Wausau, Wisconsin Public ntc.edu
West Georgia Technical College (WGTC)
Other Award
60 Waco, Georgia Public westgatech.edu
Eastern Michigan University (EMU)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
60 Ypsilanti, Michigan Public emich.edu
Gwinnett Technical College (Gwinnett Tech)
Other Award
59 Lawrenceville, Georgia Public gwinnetttech.edu
Excelsior University
Bachelor's
Master's
59 Albany, New York Private excelsior.edu
Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC)
Associate's
Other Award
59 Pewaukee, Wisconsin Public wctc.edu
Strayer University (SU)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
58 Washington, District of Columbia Private strayer.edu
Georgetown University (GU)
Master's
54 Washington, District of Columbia Private georgetown.edu
Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC)
Other Award
54 Griffin, Georgia Public sctech.edu
The University of Tennessee
Bachelor's
Master's
54 Knoxville, Tennessee Public utk.edu
Nova Southeastern University (NSU)
Postbac Cert.
Master's
53 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Private nova.edu
University of Hawaii (UHM)
Bachelor's
Master's
53 Honolulu, Hawaii Public manoa.hawaii.edu
University of Idaho (U of I)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
53 Moscow, Idaho Public uidaho.edu
Troy University (TROY)
Master's
52 Troy, Alabama Public troy.edu
Saint Mary's University of Minnesota (SMUMN)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
52 Winona, Minnesota Private smumn.edu
University of Toledo (UToledo)
Bachelor's
Master's
52 Toledo, Ohio Public utoledo.edu
Upper Iowa University (UIU)
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Other Award
51 Fayette, Iowa Private uiu.edu
Indiana Wesleyan University
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
51 Marion, Indiana Private indwes.edu
Faulkner University
Bachelor's
50 Montgomery, Alabama Private faulkner.edu
Western Carolina University (WCU)
Master's
50 Cullowhee, North Carolina Public wcu.edu
Universidad Ana G. Mendez (UAGM Gurabo)
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
50 Gurabo, Puerto Rico Private uagm.edu
Columbia College
Bachelor's
Other Award
49 Columbia, Missouri Private ccis.edu
Columbia University in the City of New York
Master's
48 New York, New York Private columbia.edu
South Texas College (STC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
48 McAllen, Texas Public southtexascollege.edu
Universidad Ana G. Mendez (UAGM Cupey)
Bachelor's
Master's
47 San Juan, Puerto Rico Private uagm.edu
Golden Gate University (GGU)
Bachelor's
Master's
46 San Francisco, California Private ggu.edu
Grand Valley State University (GVSU)
Bachelor's
46 Allendale, Michigan Public gvsu.edu
Athens State University
Bachelor's
Master's
Other Award
45 Athens, Alabama Public athens.edu
Pima Community College (PCC)
Other Award
45 Tucson, Arizona Public pima.edu
Washington University in St Louis (WashU)
Bachelor's
Master's
44 Saint Louis, Missouri Private wustl.edu
Edison State Community College
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
Other Award
44 Piqua, Ohio Public edisonohio.edu
Miami University
Bachelor's
44 Oxford, Ohio Public miamioh.edu
University of South Carolina (USC)
Master's
43 Columbia, South Carolina Public sc.edu
Oakland University (OU)
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
42 Rochester Hills, Michigan Public oakland.edu
Normandale Community College
Other Award
41 Bloomington, Minnesota Public normandale.edu
Texas Woman's University (TWU)
Bachelor's
41 Denton, Texas Public twu.edu
University of Wisconsin
Bachelor's
41 Whitewater, Wisconsin Public uww.edu
Pepperdine University
Master's
40 Malibu, California Private pepperdine.edu
Atlanta Technical College (Atlanta Tech)
Other Award
40 Atlanta, Georgia Public atlantatech.edu
Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC)
Certificate (1-2 yrs)
Associate's
40 Sioux City, Iowa Public witcc.edu

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to the most common questions about Human Resources Management programs

How much can I earn with a Human Resources Management degree?

Salaries for Human Resources Management graduates vary by role and location. Compensation and Benefits Managers earn a median of $140,360 annually, while Human Resources Managers earn around $140,030. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in District of Columbia average $115,751 compared to $67,407 in Arkansas. Approximately 2,373,710 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.

Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.

Which universities have the largest Human Resources Management programs?

Currently 531 accredited institutions offer Human Resources Management degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Phoenix (UOPX), Arizona (1,008 graduates), Western Governors University (WGU) (941 graduates), and Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) (886 graduates).

Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.

Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.

Is enrollment in Human Resources Management growing or declining?

Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 13,920 in 2010 to 17,602 in 2023-24. This represents a 26% increase overall from 2010.

The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.

Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.

What career paths are available with a Human Resources Management degree?

This degree prepares you for roles such as Compensation and Benefits Managers, Human Resources Managers, and Training and Development Managers. Related occupations employ approximately 2,373,710 professionals nationwide.

Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.

Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.

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