Administrative receptionist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an administrative receptionist. Administrative receptionists usually study business, health care administration, or psychology. 35% of administrative receptionists hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 7,405 real administrative receptionist resumes to see exactly what administrative receptionist education sections show.

The most common colleges for administrative receptionists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online administrative receptionist courses to help get the education required to be an administrative receptionist.

There are certain administrative receptionist certifications that you should consider. These administrative receptionist certifications include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Word 2010 Certification.

What education do you need to become an administrative receptionist?

What degree do you need to be an administrative receptionist?

The most common degree for administrative receptionists is bachelor's degree, with 35% of administrative receptionists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 23%.

Bachelor's, 35%

Associate, 27%

High School Diploma, 23%

Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an administrative receptionist?

You should major in business to become an administrative receptionist. 29% of administrative receptionists major in business. Other common majors for an administrative receptionist include health care administration and psychology.

Business, 29%

Health Care Administration, 6%

Psychology, 6%

Accounting, 6%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for administrative receptionists

Administrative receptionists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Monroe College, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for administrative receptionists in the US based on their resumes.

Administrative receptionist common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	26.09%
Monroe College	8.30%
DeVry University	4.74%
Central State University	4.74%
Strayer University	4.74%

Show more common administrative receptionist colleges

Best majors for administrative receptionists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.4%
2	Health Care Administration	6.2%
3	Psychology	6.1%
4	Accounting	6.0%
5	General Studies	5.9%

Show more common administrative receptionist majors

Best colleges for administrative receptionists

The best colleges for administrative receptionists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

An administrative receptionist 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 receptionists. 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 receptionists.

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 receptionists

Advertising disclosure

1. CVS Health Call Center Customer Service

The demand for call center customer service representatives is huge, there are thousands of open job roles in the US alone. If you are someone that enjoys talking to people and solving problems and are ready for new experiences, then this program is right for you. Customer service in a call center is an exciting career where every day is a new day and a new adventure. If you're considering a career in retail customer service and you're someone who is passionate about providing exceptional...

2. Customer Service Fundamentals

There are a growing number of exciting, well-paying jobs in today’s tech industry that do not require a traditional college degree, an one of the hottest areas with high demand is in IT customer service and support. Customer Service is a perfect entry point to start your career in IT, with a multitude of job openings ranging from onsite or remote help desk work to customer care or client support. We can help you get there with the Customer Service Fundamentals course. We will help you to build...

3. Professional Receptionist Course by London Reception Academy

4.6

(358)

Master the traits of a Professional Receptionist studying deportment, elocution, customer service and telephone skills...

4. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

5. Getting Started with Call Center Training

4.4

(607)

Call Center Training is essential for both new hires and existing staff to sharpen their skills and feel motivated...

6. Microsoft Office 365 Administration

4.5

(2,676)

Microsoft Office 365 Administration...

7. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management

4.2

(632)

Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...

8. Winning Communication Skills for Telephone, Conference Calls

4.3

(2,677)

Improve Communication Skills - Use the Telephone Effectively! Avoid Phone Etiquette Blunders that Annoy...

9. Practical Office 365 Administration

4.2

(291)

Learn in depth about Office 365 for Administrators and also find useful tips and resources to enhance your role as an Of...

10. Effective Business English for Service Staff

4.5

(6,830)

Your comprehensive guide to more effective English communication - for office administration, retail and hospitality!...

11. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

4.5

(3,822)

Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

12. Intro to Business • HR: Payroll Fundamentals

4.5

(645)

Understand the Basics of Processing Employee Payroll...

13. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

4.4

(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

14. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch

4.7

(533)

A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...

15. Data Entry Course for Beginners

4.6

(5,470)

Learn from a Successful Data Entry Professional!...

16. SharePoint Online for Administrators

4.1

(1,280)

Fundamentals to Planning, Designing, Configuring, and Administration of Share Point Online...

17. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

4.5

(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

18. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries

4.4

(1,649)

Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...

19. Customer Service

4.6

(11,267)

How to Approach New Customers and Maintain Existing Ones...

20. Cold Calling Mastery

4.8

(350)

Become fantastic at Cold Calling - making cold calls for lead generation, sales, & business development...

Top 10 most affordable universities for administrative receptionists

The most affordable schools for administrative receptionists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for administrative receptionists 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 receptionists.

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 receptionists

The hardest universities for administrative receptionists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

Some great schools for administrative receptionists 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 receptionists 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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

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 receptionists

The easiest schools for administrative receptionists 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 receptionist 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 receptionists.

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 receptionist salary by education level

Administrative receptionists with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $35,180 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, administrative receptionists earn a median annual income of $34,183 compared to $33,067 for administrative receptionists with an Associate degree.

Administrative receptionist education level	Administrative receptionist salary
Master's Degree	$35,180
High School Diploma or Less	$32,756
Bachelor's Degree	$34,183
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,067

Administrative receptionist education FAQs

What is the best college for Administrative Receptionists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

Search for administrative receptionist jobs

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

Browse office and administrative jobs