Business office clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a business office clerk. Business office clerks usually study business, accounting, or health care administration. 37% of business office clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,642 real business office clerk resumes to see exactly what business office clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for business office clerks are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online business office clerk courses to help get the education required to be a business office clerk.

What education do you need to become a business office clerk?

What degree do you need to be a business office clerk?

The most common degree for business office clerks is bachelor's degree, with 37% of business office clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 21%.

Bachelor's, 37%

Associate, 29%

High School Diploma, 21%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a business office clerk?

You should major in business to become a business office clerk. 29% of business office clerks major in business. Other common majors for a business office clerk include accounting and health care administration.

Business, 29%

Accounting, 13%

Health Care Administration, 12%

General Studies, 5%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for business office clerks

Business office clerks often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, The University of Alabama, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for business office clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Business office clerk common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	11.76%
The University of Alabama	8.24%
Florida State University	7.06%
Washington State University	5.88%
Troy University	5.88%

Show more common business office clerk colleges

Best majors for business office clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	28.5%
2	Accounting	12.9%
3	Health Care Administration	11.5%
4	General Studies	5.4%
5	Psychology	4.9%

Show more common business office clerk majors

Best colleges for business office clerks

The best colleges for business office clerks are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.

A business office 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 business office 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 business office 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. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

7. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

10. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

20 best online courses for business office clerks

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Top 10 most affordable universities for business office clerks

The most affordable schools for business office clerks are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for business office 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 business office clerks.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

6. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

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. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for business office clerks

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

Some great schools for business office 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 business office 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for business office clerks

The easiest schools for business office clerks 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 a business office 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 business office clerks.

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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

Average business office clerk salary by education level

Business office clerks with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $31,027 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, business office clerks earn a median annual income of $30,406 compared to $29,370 for business office clerks with an Associate degree.

Business office clerk education level	Business office clerk salary
Master's Degree	$31,027
High School Diploma or Less	$28,679
Bachelor's Degree	$30,406
Some College/ Associate Degree	$29,370

Business office clerk education FAQs

What is the best college for Business Office 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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