Front desk office assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a front desk office assistant. Front desk office assistants usually study business, psychology, or health care administration. 37% of front desk office assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 2,832 real front desk office assistant resumes to see exactly what front desk office assistant education sections show.

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

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

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

What education do you need to become a front desk office assistant?

What degree do you need to be a front desk office assistant?

The most common degree for front desk office assistants is bachelor's degree, with 37% of front desk office assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 24% and high school diploma degree at 22%.

Bachelor's, 37%

High School Diploma, 24%

Associate, 22%

Diploma, 8%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a front desk office assistant?

You should major in business to become a front desk office assistant. 24% of front desk office assistants major in business. Other common majors for a front desk office assistant include psychology and health care administration.

Business, 24%

Psychology, 9%

Health Care Administration, 9%

General Studies, 8%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for front desk office assistants

Front desk office assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Miami Dade College, and University of North Texas. Here are the most common colleges for front desk office assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Front desk office assistant common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	15.65%
Miami Dade College	7.83%
University of North Texas	6.09%
Ohio State University	6.09%
University of South Florida	5.22%

Show more common front desk office assistant colleges

Best majors for front desk office assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	24.4%
2	Psychology	9.2%
3	Health Care Administration	8.5%
4	General Studies	8.2%
5	Medical Assisting Services	6.3%

Show more common front desk office assistant majors

Best colleges for front desk office assistants

The best colleges for front desk office assistants are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and Stanford University.

A front desk office 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 front desk office 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 front desk office assistants.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$39,216

Enrollment

1,303

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,464

Enrollment

9,639

20 best online courses for front desk office assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for front desk office assistants

The most affordable schools for front desk office assistants are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for front desk office 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 front desk office assistants.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

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. 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 office assistants

The hardest universities for front desk office assistants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Boston College, and Stanford University.

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

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

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 office assistants

The easiest schools for front desk office assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a front desk office 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 front desk office assistants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average front desk office assistant salary by education level

According to our data, front desk office assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $36,084 annually. Front desk office assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $35,066.

Front desk office assistant education level	Front desk office assistant salary
Master's Degree	$36,084
High School Diploma or Less	$32,283
Bachelor's Degree	$35,066
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,389

Front desk office assistant education FAQs

What is the best college for Front Desk Office 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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