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Clerical secretary education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a clerical secretary. Clerical secretaries usually study business, general studies, or accounting. 29% of clerical secretaries hold a high school diploma, and 28% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 1,743 real clerical secretary resumes to see exactly what clerical secretary education sections show.
The most common colleges for clerical secretaries are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online clerical secretary courses to help get the education required to be a clerical secretary.
There are certain clerical secretary certifications that you should consider. These clerical secretary certifications include Word 2010 Certification and Professional Legal Secretary (PLS).
What education do you need to become a clerical secretary?
What degree do you need to be a clerical secretary?
- High School Diploma, 29%
- Bachelor's, 28%
- Associate, 27%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a clerical secretary?
- Business, 24%
- General Studies, 9%
- Accounting, 8%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for clerical secretaries
| Clerical secretary common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.43% |
| Kent State University | 8.57% |
| Miami Dade College | 5.71% |
| Ashford University | 5.71% |
| University of Florida | 4.29% |
Best majors for clerical secretaries
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.8% |
| 2 | General Studies | 9.2% |
| 3 | Accounting | 8.2% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 7.0% |
| 5 | Secretarial And Administrative Science | 6.2% |
Best colleges for clerical secretaries
The best colleges for clerical secretaries are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.
A clerical secretary 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 secretaries. 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 secretaries.
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 clerical secretaries
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Top 10 most affordable universities for clerical secretaries
The most affordable schools for clerical secretaries are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for clerical secretaries 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 secretaries.
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 clerical secretaries
The hardest universities for clerical secretaries to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.
Some great schools for clerical secretaries 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 secretaries 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
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
8%
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 clerical secretaries
The easiest schools for clerical secretaries 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 a clerical secretary 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 secretaries.
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 clerical secretary salary by education level
| Clerical secretary education level | Clerical secretary salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $30,933 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,305 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $30,267 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $29,515 |
Clerical secretary education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025