Accounts payable clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an accounts payable clerk. Accounts payable clerks usually study accounting, business, or finance. 46% of accounts payable clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 125,307 real accounts payable clerk resumes to see exactly what accounts payable clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for accounts payable clerks are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online accounts payable clerk courses to help get the education required to be an accounts payable clerk.

There are certain accounts payable clerk certifications that you should consider. These accounts payable clerk certifications include Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and International Accredited Business Accountant (IABA).

What education do you need to become an accounts payable clerk?

What degree do you need to be an accounts payable clerk?

The most common degree for accounts payable clerks is bachelor's degree, with 46% of accounts payable clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 46%

Associate, 29%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an accounts payable clerk?

You should major in accounting to become an accounts payable clerk. 39% of accounts payable clerks major in accounting. Other common majors for an accounts payable clerk include business and finance.

Accounting, 39%

Business, 31%

Finance, 4%

General Studies, 3%

Other Majors, 23%

Most common colleges for accounts payable clerks

Accounts payable clerks often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for accounts payable clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Accounts payable clerk common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	30.30%
DeVry University	8.51%
Strayer University	7.78%
University of Houston	4.83%
Monroe College	4.33%

Show more common accounts payable clerk colleges

Best majors for accounts payable clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Accounting	39.2%
2	Business	30.6%
3	Finance	4.3%
4	General Studies	2.9%
5	Health Care Administration	2.3%

Show more common accounts payable clerk majors

Best colleges for accounts payable clerks

The best colleges for accounts payable clerks are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

An accounts payable clerk with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for accounts payable clerks. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become accounts payable clerks.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

6. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

7. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

8. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

20 best online courses for accounts payable clerks

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Top 10 most affordable universities for accounts payable clerks

The most affordable schools for accounts payable clerks are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for accounts payable clerks are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for accounts payable clerks.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for accounts payable clerks

The hardest universities for accounts payable clerks to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

Some great schools for accounts payable clerks are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for accounts payable clerks based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for accounts payable clerks

The easiest schools for accounts payable clerks to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an accounts payable clerk without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for accounts payable clerks.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

8. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

9. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average accounts payable clerk salary by education level

According to our data, accounts payable clerks with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $39,851 annually. Accounts payable clerks with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $39,473.

Accounts payable clerk education level	Accounts payable clerk salary
Master's Degree	$39,473
High School Diploma or Less	$39,202
Bachelor's Degree	$39,851
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,285

Accounts payable clerk education FAQs

What is the best college for Accounts Payable Clerks?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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