Credit reference clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a credit reference clerk. Credit reference clerks usually study psychology, library science, or liberal arts. 65% of credit reference clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 76 real credit reference clerk resumes to see exactly what credit reference clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for credit reference clerks are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online credit reference clerk courses to help get the education required to be a credit reference clerk.

What education do you need to become a credit reference clerk?

What degree do you need to be a credit reference clerk?

The most common degree for credit reference clerks is bachelor's degree, with 65% of credit reference clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 14% and high school diploma degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 65%

High School Diploma, 14%

Master's, 9%

Associate, 7%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a credit reference clerk?

You should major in psychology to become a credit reference clerk. 14% of credit reference clerks major in psychology. Other common majors for a credit reference clerk include library science and liberal arts.

Psychology, 14%

Library Science, 9%

Liberal Arts, 9%

Elementary Education, 6%

Other Majors, 62%

Most common colleges for credit reference clerks

Credit reference clerks often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Utica College, and University of Central Florida. Here are the most common colleges for credit reference clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Credit reference clerk common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	8.70%
Utica College	8.70%
University of Central Florida	8.70%
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania	4.35%
Tuskegee University	4.35%

Show more common credit reference clerk colleges

Best majors for credit reference clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	14.3%
2	Library Science	8.6%
3	Liberal Arts	8.6%
4	Elementary Education	5.7%
5	Business	5.7%

Show more common credit reference clerk majors

Best colleges for credit reference clerks

The best colleges for credit reference clerks are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Vanderbilt University.

A credit reference clerk with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for credit reference clerks. 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 credit reference clerks.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

4. University of California - San Diego

La Jolla, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,167

Enrollment

30,279

5. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

6. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

7. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

In-state tuition

$15,374

Enrollment

19,564

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

20 best online courses for credit reference clerks

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Top 10 most affordable universities for credit reference clerks

The most affordable schools for credit reference clerks are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for credit reference clerks 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 credit reference clerks.

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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for credit reference clerks

The hardest universities for credit reference clerks to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for credit reference clerks 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 credit reference clerks 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for credit reference clerks

The easiest schools for credit reference clerks to get into are Barry University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and kean university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a credit reference clerk 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 credit reference clerks.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

3. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

Average credit reference clerk salary by education level

Credit reference clerks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $98,475 annually. With a High School Diploma degree, credit reference clerks earn a median annual income of $70,513 compared to $69,787 for credit reference clerks with an Associate degree.

Credit reference clerk education level	Credit reference clerk salary
High School Diploma or Less	$70,513
Bachelor's Degree	$98,475
Some College/ Associate Degree	$69,787

Credit reference clerk education FAQs

What is the best college for Credit Reference Clerks?

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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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