Post job

Coordinator/executive assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a coordinator/executive assistant. Coordinator/executive assistants usually study business, communication, or psychology. 65% of coordinator/executive assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 8,008 real coordinator/executive assistant resumes to see exactly what coordinator/executive assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for coordinator/executive assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain coordinator/executive assistant certifications that you should consider. These coordinator/executive assistant certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a coordinator/executive assistant?

What degree do you need to be a coordinator/executive assistant?

The most common degree for coordinator/executive assistants is bachelor's degree, with 65% of coordinator/executive assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 65%
  • Associate, 19%
  • Master's, 7%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a coordinator/executive assistant?

You should major in business to become a coordinator/executive assistant. 34% of coordinator/executive assistants major in business. Other common majors for a coordinator/executive assistant include communication and psychology.

Most common colleges for coordinator/executive assistants

Coordinator/executive assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for coordinator/executive assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Coordinator/executive assistant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix19.11%
New York University7.80%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.21%
California State University - San Bernardino5.41%
University of Maryland - College Park4.94%

Best majors for coordinator/executive assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business33.8%
2Communication10.3%
3Psychology7.9%
4English5.4%
5Marketing4.5%

Best colleges for coordinator/executive assistants

The best colleges for coordinator/executive assistants are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

A coordinator/executive 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 coordinator/executive 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 coordinator/executive assistants.

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 coordinator/executive assistants

Advertising disclosure

1. Executive Assistants: Manage Client's GCal (Beginners)

udemy
4.6
(917)

Google Calendar (2018) Setup, Strategies and Scripts...

2. Becoming an Executive Personal Assistant

udemy
4.2
(282)

Learn how to be an effective personal assistant, and find out how to develop the skills for the role...

3. Executive Travel Planning for Virtual Assistants

udemy
4.6
(412)

Manage flights, hotels, and car services for corporate travel like a pro! PLUS travel changes during a global crisis...

4. Project Kickoff Meetings: How to Lead them Effectively

udemy
4.7
(973)

Learn how to start your projects the right way using a simple, step-by-step plan...

5. Project Management With MS Project - Scheduling Master Class

udemy
4.5
(4,297)

Managing projects with Microsoft Project? Learn project management, planning, scheduling, and tracking best practices...

6. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

udemy
4.5
(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

7. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

8. Managing Difficult Meeting Participants

udemy
4.2
(639)

Dealing with Negativism and Other Difficult Behaviors of Meeting Participants...

9. Project Management - Complete Guide For A+ Project Managers

udemy
4.6
(494)

Complete guide to project management - stakeholders, planning, cost, quality, risks, feasibility, methods & resourcing...

10. Project Management Fundamentals - The Art of Scheduling

udemy
4.3
(1,807)

Learn How To Schedule Like A Pro From A Pro...

11. Project Schedule: Monitor & Control Specialist (Accredited)

udemy
4.6
(515)

Schedule Management: Monitor & Control Schedule, Analyze Schedule, Solve Project Schedule Problems Earn CPDs & PDUs...

12. Apply finance concepts for smart project management

udemy
4.2
(338)

Learn to read financial statements and make meaningful interpretations for business decisions in the age of big data...

13. Agile Project Management Bootcamp: Agile Project Management

udemy
4.5
(1,916)

This Agile Project Management Bootcamp course will allow you to learn the Agile Way! Agile Project Management (Scrum)...

14. Project Management Professional Certification Program (PMP)

udemy
4.2
(2,380)

Your Guide to the Gold Standard of Project Management Certifications (PMI-PMP) (PMBOK7 updated) (40 PDUs minimum)...

15. Practical Project Management for Management Consultants

udemy
4.5
(809)

How to manage successfully a consulting project - a practical guide for Project Managers...

16. Project Management Fundamentals: Run projects effectively

udemy
4.4
(9,605)

Learn how to effectively analyze, plan, execute, and manage projects that consistently accomplish company objectives...

17. Project Management: Cost & Schedule Monitoring using EVM

udemy
4.3
(1,114)

Earned Value Management, Project Management, Cost Control & Monitor, Budget, Schedule & Cost Variance, Performance Index...

18. Project Management Office (PMO) for Management Consultants

udemy
4.3
(1,283)

A practical guide on how to build and run PMO on the level of top consulting firm Mc Kinsey, BCG, Bain, Pw C...

19. Project Management Office (PMO) Setup Guide

udemy
4.4
(471)

PMO Step-by-Step Implementation Plan...

20. IT Project Budget & Cost Management

udemy
4.4
(290)

Project Management tips to manage a million dollar IT Project budget from start to finish...

Top 10 most affordable universities for coordinator/executive assistants

The most affordable schools for coordinator/executive assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for coordinator/executive 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 coordinator/executive assistants.

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 coordinator/executive assistants

The hardest universities for coordinator/executive assistants to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

Some great schools for coordinator/executive 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 coordinator/executive 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. 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 coordinator/executive assistants

The easiest schools for coordinator/executive assistants 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 coordinator/executive 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 coordinator/executive assistants.

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 coordinator/executive assistant salary by education level

Coordinator/executive assistants with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $67,221 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, coordinator/executive assistants earn a median annual income of $66,983 compared to $62,567 for coordinator/executive assistants with an Associate degree.
Coordinator/executive assistant education levelCoordinator/executive assistant salary
Master's Degree$67,221
High School Diploma or Less$61,399
Bachelor's Degree$66,983
Some College/ Associate Degree$62,567

Coordinator/executive assistant education FAQs

Search for coordinator/executive assistant jobs

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.

Browse office and administrative jobs