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Congressional assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a congressional assistant. Congressional assistants usually study political science, business, or history. 81% of congressional assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 73 real congressional assistant resumes to see exactly what congressional assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for congressional assistants are the Miami University and the Miami University.

There are also many online congressional assistant courses to help get the education required to be a congressional assistant.

What education do you need to become a congressional assistant?

What degree do you need to be a congressional assistant?

The most common degree for congressional assistants is bachelor's degree, with 81% of congressional assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 13% and master's degree degree at 4%.
  • Bachelor's, 81%
  • Master's, 13%
  • High School Diploma, 4%
  • Associate, 2%

What should I major in to become a congressional assistant?

You should major in political science to become a congressional assistant. 39% of congressional assistants major in political science. Other common majors for a congressional assistant include business and history.

Most common colleges for congressional assistants

Congressional assistants often get their degrees at Miami University, Dickinson College, and Michigan State University. Here are the most common colleges for congressional assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Congressional assistant common collegePercentages
Miami University14.81%
Dickinson College11.11%
Michigan State University11.11%
Winthrop University3.70%
Syracuse University3.70%

Best majors for congressional assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Political Science38.8%
2Business12.2%
3History6.1%
4Communication6.1%
5Economics4.1%

Best colleges for congressional assistants

The best colleges for congressional assistants are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University.

A congressional assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for congressional assistants. 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 congressional assistants.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Enrollment

13,871

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

20 best online courses for congressional assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for congressional assistants

The most affordable schools for congressional assistants are California State University - Bakersfield, baruch college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for congressional assistants 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 congressional assistants.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

10. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,922

Cost of attendance

18,522

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for congressional assistants

The hardest universities for congressional assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for congressional assistants 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 congressional assistants 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

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for congressional assistants

The easiest schools for congressional assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and wayland baptist university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a congressional assistant 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 congressional assistants.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average congressional assistant salary by education level

According to our data, congressional assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $84,824 annually. Congressional assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $72,581.
Congressional assistant education levelCongressional assistant salary
Master's Degree$84,824
High School Diploma or Less$58,769
Bachelor's Degree$72,581
Some College/ Associate Degree$59,449

Congressional assistant education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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