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Clerical associate education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clerical associate. Clerical associates usually study business, health care administration, or liberal arts. 31% of clerical associates hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,004 real clerical associate resumes to see exactly what clerical associate education sections show.
The most common colleges for clerical associates are the Monroe College and the Monroe College.
There are also many online clerical associate courses to help get the education required to be a clerical associate.
There are certain clerical associate certifications that you should consider. These clerical associate certifications include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).
What education do you need to become a clerical associate?
What degree do you need to be a clerical associate?
- Bachelor's, 31%
- Associate, 28%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a clerical associate?
- Business, 27%
- Liberal Arts, 8%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for clerical associates
| Clerical associate common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Monroe College | 18.30% |
| City College of New York of the City University of New York, The | 10.31% |
| College of New Rochelle, The | 9.02% |
| John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York | 7.99% |
| Manhattan College | 7.73% |
Best majors for clerical associates
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 26.8% |
| 2 | Health Care Administration | 10.0% |
| 3 | Liberal Arts | 8.1% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.8% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 6.0% |
Best colleges for clerical associates
The best colleges for clerical associates are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A clerical associate with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for clerical associates. 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 clerical associates.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
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. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
7. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for clerical associates
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clerical associates
The most affordable schools for clerical associates are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for clerical associates 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 clerical associates.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clerical associates
The hardest universities for clerical associates to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for clerical associates 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 clerical associates 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clerical associates
The easiest schools for clerical associates to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clerical associate 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 clerical associates.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
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. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. University of Maine at Fort Kent
Fort Kent, ME • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
1,005
10. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
Average clerical associate salary by education level
| Clerical associate education level | Clerical associate salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $32,335 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $30,487 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $31,849 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,035 |
Clerical associate education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025