Clerical specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a clerical specialist. Clerical specialists usually study business, health care administration, or general studies. 35% of clerical specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,631 real clerical specialist resumes to see exactly what clerical specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for clerical specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain clerical specialist certifications that you should consider. These clerical specialist certifications include Word 2010 Certification and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

What education do you need to become a clerical specialist?

What degree do you need to be a clerical specialist?

The most common degree for clerical specialists is bachelor's degree, with 35% of clerical specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 30% and associate degree degree at 21%.

Bachelor's, 35%

Associate, 30%

High School Diploma, 21%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a clerical specialist?

You should major in business to become a clerical specialist. 29% of clerical specialists major in business. Other common majors for a clerical specialist include health care administration and general studies.

Business, 29%

Health Care Administration, 8%

General Studies, 6%

Criminal Justice, 6%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for clerical specialists

Clerical specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Memphis, and Kent State University. Here are the most common colleges for clerical specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Clerical specialist common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	19.07%
University of Memphis	12.56%
Kent State University	5.58%
Southern University and A & M College	5.58%
University of Akron	5.12%

Show more common clerical specialist colleges

Best majors for clerical specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	29.1%
2	Health Care Administration	8.0%
3	General Studies	6.4%
4	Criminal Justice	6.0%
5	Accounting	5.6%

Show more common clerical specialist majors

Best colleges for clerical specialists

The best colleges for clerical specialists are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and Stanford University.

A clerical specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.

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. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$39,216

Enrollment

1,303

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

20 best online courses for clerical specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for clerical specialists

The most affordable schools for clerical specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for clerical specialists 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 specialists.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. 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 clerical specialists

The hardest universities for clerical specialists to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for clerical specialists 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 specialists 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

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 clerical specialists

The easiest schools for clerical specialists to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a clerical specialist 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 specialists.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average clerical specialist salary by education level

According to our data, clerical specialists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $33,394 annually. Clerical specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $32,834.

Clerical specialist education level	Clerical specialist salary
Master's Degree	$33,394
High School Diploma or Less	$31,267
Bachelor's Degree	$32,834
Some College/ Associate Degree	$31,895

Clerical specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Clerical Specialists?

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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