Administrative support staff education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an administrative support staff. Administrative support staff usually study business, psychology, or health care administration. 47% of administrative support staff hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,456 real administrative support staff resumes to see exactly what administrative support staff education sections show.

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

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

There are certain administrative support staff certifications that you should consider. These administrative support staff certifications include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

What education do you need to become an administrative support staff?

What degree do you need to be an administrative support staff?

The most common degree for administrative support staff is bachelor's degree, with 47% of administrative support staff earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 13%.

Bachelor's, 47%

Associate, 26%

High School Diploma, 13%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an administrative support staff?

You should major in business to become an administrative support staff. 26% of administrative support staff major in business. Other common majors for an administrative support staff include psychology and health care administration.

Business, 26%

Psychology, 9%

Health Care Administration, 7%

Human Resources Management, 6%

Other Majors, 52%

Most common colleges for administrative support staff

Administrative support staff often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Kentucky, and Columbia Southern University. Here are the most common colleges for administrative support staff in the US based on their resumes.

Administrative support staff common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	17.00%
University of Kentucky	7.00%
Columbia Southern University	7.00%
Ashford University	7.00%
Pennsylvania State University	6.00%

Show more common administrative support staff colleges

Best majors for administrative support staff

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.5%
2	Psychology	9.1%
3	Health Care Administration	6.9%
4	Human Resources Management	6.0%
5	Criminal Justice	5.3%

Show more common administrative support staff majors

Best colleges for administrative support staff

The best colleges for administrative support staff are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An administrative support staff 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 support staff. 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 support staff.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,670

Enrollment

2,758

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for administrative support staff

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Top 10 most affordable universities for administrative support staff

The most affordable schools for administrative support staff are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and university of florida.

If the best universities for administrative support staff 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 support staff.

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. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 support staff

The hardest universities for administrative support staff to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for administrative support staff 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 support staff 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for administrative support staff

The easiest schools for administrative support staff to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy 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 support staff 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 support staff.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average administrative support staff salary by education level

Administrative support staff with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $40,464 annually. With a Master's degree, administrative support staff earn a median annual income of $39,003 compared to $36,514 for administrative support staff with an Bachelor's degree.

Administrative support staff education level	Administrative support staff salary
Master's Degree	$39,003
High School Diploma or Less	$33,453
Bachelor's Degree	$36,514
Doctorate Degree	$40,464
Some College/ Associate Degree	$34,080

Administrative support staff education FAQs

What is the best college for Administrative Support Staff?

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

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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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