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Administrative/design assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an administrative/design assistant. Administrative/design assistants usually study graphic design, business, or interior design. 59% of administrative/design assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,834 real administrative/design assistant resumes to see exactly what administrative/design assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for administrative/design assistants are the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Fashion Institute of Technology.
There are also many online administrative/design assistant courses to help get the education required to be an administrative/design assistant.
There are certain administrative/design assistant certifications that you should consider. These administrative/design assistant certifications include Certified Interior Designer (NCIDQ) and Microsoft Office 365.
What education do you need to become an administrative/design assistant?
What degree do you need to be an administrative/design assistant?
- Bachelor's, 59%
- Associate, 24%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an administrative/design assistant?
- Graphic Design, 24%
- Business, 13%
- Interior Design, 13%
- Fine Arts, 7%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for administrative/design assistants
| Administrative/design assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Fashion Institute of Technology | 15.86% |
| University of Phoenix | 11.03% |
| Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising-San Francisco | 6.90% |
| Savannah College of Art and Design | 6.21% |
| American InterContinental University | 4.83% |
Best majors for administrative/design assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Graphic Design | 24.1% |
| 2 | Business | 13.5% |
| 3 | Interior Design | 13.3% |
| 4 | Fine Arts | 7.4% |
| 5 | Communication | 4.8% |
Best colleges for administrative/design assistants
The best colleges for administrative/design assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An administrative/design 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/design 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/design assistants.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
10. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
20 best online courses for administrative/design assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for administrative/design assistants
The most affordable schools for administrative/design assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for administrative/design 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/design 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 - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for administrative/design assistants
The hardest universities for administrative/design assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for administrative/design 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/design 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Boston College
Chestnut Hill, MA • Private
Admissions rate
28%
SAT average
1,429
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for administrative/design assistants
The easiest schools for administrative/design assistants to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an administrative/design 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/design assistants.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
10. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
Average administrative/design assistant salary by education level
| Administrative/design assistant education level | Administrative/design assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $57,568 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $51,485 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $55,036 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $52,251 |
Administrative/design assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025