Executive assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an executive assistant. Executive assistants usually study business, communication, or psychology. 61% of executive assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 160,321 real executive assistant resumes to see exactly what executive assistant education sections show.

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

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

There are certain executive assistant certifications that you should consider. These executive assistant certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become an executive assistant?

What degree do you need to be an executive assistant?

The most common degree for executive assistants is bachelor's degree, with 61% of executive assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Associate, 20%

High School Diploma, 7%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become an executive assistant?

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

Business, 34%

Communication, 8%

Psychology, 7%

English, 5%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for executive assistants

Executive assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, New York University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for executive assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Executive assistant common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	21.30%
New York University	6.74%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.63%
Strayer University	5.58%
University of California - Davis	4.74%

Show more common executive assistant colleges

Best majors for executive assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	34.5%
2	Communication	7.8%
3	Psychology	7.2%
4	English	5.0%
5	Liberal Arts	4.4%

Show more common executive assistant majors

Best colleges for executive assistants

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

An 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 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 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 executive assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for executive assistants

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

If the best universities for 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 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 executive assistants

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

Some great schools for 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 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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

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 executive assistants

The easiest schools for 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 an 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 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 executive assistant salary by education level

According to our data, executive assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $52,631 annually. Executive assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $52,480.

Executive assistant education level	Executive assistant salary
Master's Degree	$52,631
High School Diploma or Less	$48,917
Bachelor's Degree	$52,480
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,667

Executive assistant education FAQs

What is the best college for Executive Assistants?

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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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