Front desk administration education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a front desk administration. Front desk administrations usually study business, health care administration, or psychology. 45% of front desk administrations hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,331 real front desk administration resumes to see exactly what front desk administration education sections show.

The most common colleges for front desk administrations are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online front desk administration courses to help get the education required to be a front desk administration.

There are certain front desk administration certifications that you should consider. These front desk administration certifications include Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).

What education do you need to become a front desk administration?

What degree do you need to be a front desk administration?

The most common degree for front desk administrations is bachelor's degree, with 45% of front desk administrations earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 22% and associate degree degree at 17%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 22%

High School Diploma, 17%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a front desk administration?

You should major in business to become a front desk administration. 26% of front desk administrations major in business. Other common majors for a front desk administration include health care administration and psychology.

Business, 26%

Health Care Administration, 9%

Psychology, 9%

Communication, 6%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for front desk administrations

Front desk administrations often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, San Jose State University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for front desk administrations in the US based on their resumes.

Front desk administration common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	16.35%
San Jose State University	7.21%
University of Maryland - College Park	5.77%
Western Washington University	5.29%
Howard University	5.29%

Show more common front desk administration colleges

Best majors for front desk administrations

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.7%
2	Health Care Administration	9.4%
3	Psychology	8.7%
4	Communication	6.2%
5	Liberal Arts	5.1%

Show more common front desk administration majors

Best colleges for front desk administrations

The best colleges for front desk administrations are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A front desk administration with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for front desk administrations. 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 front desk administrations.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. SUNY College of Agriculture & Technology at Morrisville

Morrisville, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,670

Enrollment

2,758

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for front desk administrations

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Top 10 most affordable universities for front desk administrations

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

If the best universities for front desk administrations 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 front desk administrations.

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$6,768

Cost of attendance

15,506

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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 front desk administrations

The hardest universities for front desk administrations to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for front desk administrations 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 front desk administrations 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for front desk administrations

The easiest schools for front desk administrations 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 front desk administration 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 front desk administrations.

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. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

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 front desk administration salary by education level

According to our data, front desk administrations with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,588 annually. Front desk administrations with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $42,377.

Front desk administration education level	Front desk administration salary
Master's Degree	$42,377
High School Diploma or Less	$34,268
Bachelor's Degree	$38,682
Doctorate Degree	$44,588
Some College/ Associate Degree	$35,160

Front desk administration education FAQs

What is the best college for Front Desk Administrations?

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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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