Karen Swanson's commitment to education extends beyond her students and the lives she changes. Swanson has spent the last three decades challenging herself to achieve better educational achievement while encouraging young brains and fighting for education. Her post-secondary schooling began in 1985, when she enrolled at Arizona State University (ASU). Karen Swanson studied English and Secondary Education at Arizona State University from 1985 to 1991. She also received a Post Baccalaureate degree during this time. Swanson then went on to the University of Phoenix, where she got her Master of Arts in Education - Administration in 1996. Swanson then attended Iowa State University from 2012 to 2014 to pursue her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, with educational achievement at the forefront of her thoughts.