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Firm administrator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a firm administrator. Firm administrators usually study business, accounting, or legal support services. 64% of firm administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,023 real firm administrator resumes to see exactly what firm administrator education sections show.

The most common colleges for firm administrators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online firm administrator courses to help get the education required to be a firm administrator.

There are certain firm administrator certifications that you should consider. These firm administrator certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Legal Manager (CLM).

What education do you need to become a firm administrator?

What degree do you need to be a firm administrator?

The most common degree for firm administrators is bachelor's degree, with 64% of firm administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 64%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Master's, 11%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a firm administrator?

You should major in business to become a firm administrator. 37% of firm administrators major in business. Other common majors for a firm administrator include accounting and legal support services.

Most common colleges for firm administrators

Firm administrators often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Georgia State University, and Florida State University. Here are the most common colleges for firm administrators in the US based on their resumes.
Firm administrator common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix16.67%
Georgia State University7.41%
Florida State University6.48%
San Francisco State University5.56%
University of South Florida5.56%

Best majors for firm administrators

RankMajorPercentages
1Business36.6%
2Accounting18.4%
3Legal Support Services7.1%
4Political Science4.2%
5Finance4.1%

Best colleges for firm administrators

The best colleges for firm administrators are Northwestern University, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

6. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

7. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. Texas State University

San Marcos, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,280

Enrollment

34,187

20 best online courses for firm administrators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for firm administrators

The most affordable schools for firm administrators are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for firm administrators 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 firm administrators.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

9. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for firm administrators

The hardest universities for firm administrators to get into are Northwestern University, Boston University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for firm administrators 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 firm administrators 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for firm administrators

The easiest schools for firm administrators 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 firm administrator 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 firm administrators.

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. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,009

7. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

8. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

9. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

10. Texas Woman's University

Denton, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,059

Average firm administrator salary by education level

According to our data, firm administrators with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $97,010 annually. Firm administrators with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $91,085.
Firm administrator education levelFirm administrator salary
Master's Degree$91,085
High School Diploma or Less$70,012
Bachelor's Degree$81,351
Doctorate Degree$97,010
Some College/ Associate Degree$72,277

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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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