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Department secretary education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a department secretary. Department secretaries usually study business, secretarial and administrative science, or health care administration. 39% of department secretaries hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 7,218 real department secretary resumes to see exactly what department secretary education sections show.
The most common colleges for department secretaries are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online department secretary courses to help get the education required to be a department secretary.
There are certain department secretary certifications that you should consider. These department secretary certifications include Word 2010 Certification and Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA).
What education do you need to become a department secretary?
What degree do you need to be a department secretary?
- Bachelor's, 39%
- Associate, 29%
- High School Diploma, 17%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 9%
What should I major in to become a department secretary?
- Business, 29%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for department secretaries
| Department secretary common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 19.69% |
| Monroe College | 5.51% |
| Brigham Young University | 5.12% |
| Central State University | 5.12% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 4.72% |
Best majors for department secretaries
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 29.1% |
| 2 | Secretarial And Administrative Science | 8.9% |
| 3 | Health Care Administration | 7.8% |
| 4 | Accounting | 6.4% |
| 5 | Psychology | 5.1% |
Best colleges for department secretaries
The best colleges for department secretaries are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A department 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 department 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 department secretaries.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
6. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Enrollment
14,629
9. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
10. Cedar Crest College
Allentown, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$39,216
Enrollment
1,303
20 best online courses for department secretaries
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Top 10 most affordable universities for department secretaries
The most affordable schools for department secretaries are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for department 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 department 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. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$5,419
Cost of attendance
17,697
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for department secretaries
The hardest universities for department secretaries to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for department 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 department 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for department secretaries
The easiest schools for department secretaries to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a department 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 department secretaries.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
Average department secretary salary by education level
| Department secretary education level | Department secretary salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $41,534 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,508 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $39,863 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $38,017 |
Department 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