Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Administrative assistant/personal assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an administrative assistant/personal assistant. Administrative assistants/personal assistants usually study business, psychology, or communication. 49% of administrative assistants/personal assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,042 real administrative assistant/personal assistant resumes to see exactly what administrative assistant/personal assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for administrative assistants/personal assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online administrative assistant/personal assistant courses to help get the education required to be an administrative assistant/personal assistant.
There are certain administrative assistant/personal assistant certifications that you should consider. These administrative assistant/personal assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become an administrative assistant/personal assistant?
What degree do you need to be an administrative assistant/personal assistant?
- Bachelor's, 49%
- Associate, 22%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become an administrative assistant/personal assistant?
- Business, 31%
- Psychology, 10%
- Communication, 6%
- Liberal Arts, 5%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for administrative assistants/personal assistants
| Administrative assistant/personal assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 16.37% |
| Miami Dade College | 6.64% |
| University of North Texas | 4.87% |
| Georgia State University | 4.87% |
| California State University - Northridge | 4.87% |
Best majors for administrative assistants/personal assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 30.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 9.7% |
| 3 | Communication | 6.4% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 4.7% |
| 5 | English | 4.5% |
Best colleges for administrative assistants/personal assistants
The best colleges for administrative assistants/personal assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.
An administrative assistant/personal assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for administrative assistants/personal assistants. 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 administrative assistants/personal assistants.
1. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
6. Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$39,216
Enrollment
1,303
7. Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$7,900
Enrollment
6,404
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
10. University of Akron
Akron, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,463
Enrollment
13,676
20 best online courses for administrative assistants/personal assistants
Advertising disclosure
1. Becoming an Executive Personal Assistant
Learn how to be an effective personal assistant, and find out how to develop the skills for the role...
2. Become a Virtual Assistant
Live Free. Work Virtually. Virtual Assistant Training...
3. Effective Legal Office Administration
Effective Legal Office Administration...
4. Executive Travel Planning for Virtual Assistants
Manage flights, hotels, and car services for corporate travel like a pro! PLUS travel changes during a global crisis...
5. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management
Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...
6. Virtual Assistant Training, a Complete Guide: Work From Home
Rock Star Virtual Assistant Training: Create an online business + become a freelancing virtual professional in any field...
7. How to Become a Virtual Assistant
Resources, templates & training to launch & grow your business fast!...
8. Must-Have Skills (Training) for Virtual Assistants in 2023
Get training for the most frequently requested services (+ free delegation e Book and TONS of templates and scripts)...
9. Executive Assistants: Manage Client's GCal (Beginners)
Google Calendar (2018) Setup, Strategies and Scripts...
10. Must-Have Tools for Virtual Assistants in 2023
Step by step tutorials for over 30 tools that will make your Virtual Assistant business and productivity skyrocket!...
11. Learn To Create AI Assistant (JARVIS) With Python
How To Create AI Assistant (JARVIS) With Python Like the One from Marvel's Iron Man Movie...
12. Learn to Build AI assistant like JARVIS using Python
Convert your Computer into AI assistant...
13. Virtual Assistant: Find, Hire, Train, and Manage
Work smarter, not harder: Learn how to win the war against Entrepreneurial Overwhelm with virtual assistants...
14. Google Assistant development with Actions on Google
Google Assistant development in Node.js with Actions on Google & Dialog Flow & Firebase for Google Home & Android device...
15. Microsoft Office 365 Administration
Microsoft Office 365 Administration...
16. Practical Office 365 Administration
Learn in depth about Office 365 for Administrators and also find useful tips and resources to enhance your role as an Of...
17. How to Find Your FIRST Virtual Assistant Clients
Find clients that you love working with, and who love working with you!...
18. Work From Home as a Virtual Assistant
Learn how to launch your own business providing services via online technology...
19. QuickBooks Payroll - QuickBooks Online
Processing Quick Books Online payroll for a small business, generating paychecks, processing payroll tax forms...
20. Essential Tools for Windows System Administrators
[Windows] [System Administration] Learn Windows Builtin Tools & Open Source Tools for Efficient System Administration...
Top 10 most affordable universities for administrative assistants/personal assistants
The most affordable schools for administrative assistants/personal assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for administrative assistants/personal assistants 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 administrative assistants/personal assistants.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
5. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
9. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
10. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for administrative assistants/personal assistants
The hardest universities for administrative assistants/personal assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.
Some great schools for administrative assistants/personal assistants 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 administrative assistants/personal assistants 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for administrative assistants/personal assistants
The easiest schools for administrative assistants/personal assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and lim college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an administrative assistant/personal assistant 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 administrative assistants/personal assistants.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
3. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
7. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Lewis-Clark State College
Lewiston, ID • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,009
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average administrative assistant/personal assistant salary by education level
| Administrative assistant/personal assistant education level | Administrative assistant/personal assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $47,640 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $43,065 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $45,742 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $43,644 |
Administrative assistant/personal assistant education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.
Search for administrative assistant/personal assistant jobs
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025