Clerical office worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a clerical office worker. Clerical office workers usually study business, nursing, or psychology. 32% of clerical office workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 534 real clerical office worker resumes to see exactly what clerical office worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for clerical office workers are the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

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

What education do you need to become a clerical office worker?

What degree do you need to be a clerical office worker?

The most common degree for clerical office workers is bachelor's degree, with 32% of clerical office workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 31% and high school diploma degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 32%

High School Diploma, 31%

Associate, 18%

Diploma, 9%

Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a clerical office worker?

You should major in business to become a clerical office worker. 19% of clerical office workers major in business. Other common majors for a clerical office worker include nursing and psychology.

Business, 19%

Nursing, 8%

Psychology, 7%

Accounting, 7%

Other Majors, 59%

Most common colleges for clerical office workers

Clerical office workers often get their degrees at University of Louisiana at Lafayette, University of Central Florida, and University of Illinois at Chicago. Here are the most common colleges for clerical office workers in the US based on their resumes.

Clerical office worker common college	Percentages
University of Louisiana at Lafayette	10.53%
University of Central Florida	7.89%
University of Illinois at Chicago	7.89%
El Paso	5.26%
University of Southern Indiana	5.26%

Show more common clerical office worker colleges

Best majors for clerical office workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	18.6%
2	Nursing	7.8%
3	Psychology	7.0%
4	Accounting	7.0%
5	General Studies	7.0%

Show more common clerical office worker majors

Best colleges for clerical office workers

The best colleges for clerical office workers are Boston College, University of Rochester, and Vanderbilt University.

A clerical office worker 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 office workers. 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 office workers.

1. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Enrollment

2,410

4. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Enrollment

1,114

5. Monroe College

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,428

Enrollment

5,482

6. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$23,900

Enrollment

836

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Enrollment

5,630

8. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

9. Post University

Waterbury, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$16,610

Enrollment

9,017

10. Valdosta State University

Valdosta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

8,404

20 best online courses for clerical office workers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for clerical office workers

The most affordable schools for clerical office workers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of puerto rico - mayaguez, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for clerical office workers 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 office workers.

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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

5. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

6. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

7. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for clerical office workers

The hardest universities for clerical office workers to get into are Boston College, University of Rochester, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for clerical office workers 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 office workers 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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

2. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

5. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for clerical office workers

The easiest schools for clerical office workers to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clerical office worker 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 office workers.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. University of Maine at Fort Kent

Fort Kent, ME • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

1,005

5. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average clerical office worker salary by education level

Clerical office workers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $33,238 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, clerical office workers earn a median annual income of $32,740 compared to $31,903 for clerical office workers with an Associate degree.

Clerical office worker education level	Clerical office worker salary
Master's Degree	$33,238
High School Diploma or Less	$31,341
Bachelor's Degree	$32,740
Some College/ Associate Degree	$31,903

Clerical office worker education FAQs

What is the best college for Clerical Office Workers?

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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