Front office secretary education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a front office secretary. Front office secretaries usually study business, health care administration, or general studies. 27% of front office secretaries hold a high school diploma, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 995 real front office secretary resumes to see exactly what front office secretary education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become a front office secretary?

What degree do you need to be a front office secretary?

The most common degree for front office secretaries is high school diploma, with 27% of front office secretaries earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 26%.

High School Diploma, 27%

Associate, 27%

Bachelor's, 26%

Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 13%

What should I major in to become a front office secretary?

You should major in business to become a front office secretary. 24% of front office secretaries major in business. Other common majors for a front office secretary include health care administration and general studies.

Business, 24%

Health Care Administration, 12%

General Studies, 7%

Psychology, 7%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for front office secretaries

Front office secretaries often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of South Florida, and Clark College. Here are the most common colleges for front office secretaries in the US based on their resumes.

Front office secretary common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	14.55%
University of South Florida	7.27%
Clark College	5.45%
Miami Dade College	5.45%
Bowie State University	5.45%

Show more common front office secretary colleges

Best majors for front office secretaries

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	23.5%
2	Health Care Administration	12.1%
3	General Studies	7.3%
4	Psychology	6.9%
5	Medical Assisting Services	6.6%

Show more common front office secretary majors

Best colleges for front office secretaries

The best colleges for front office secretaries are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A front office 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 front office 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 front office secretaries.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

9. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

20 best online courses for front office secretaries

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Top 10 most affordable universities for front office secretaries

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

If the best universities for front office 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 front office 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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for front office secretaries

The hardest universities for front office secretaries to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for front office 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 front office 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,517

10. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for front office secretaries

The easiest schools for front office secretaries to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and mount saint mary's university.

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

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

6. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

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. Washington Adventist Hospital

Takoma Park, MD • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

958

Average front office secretary salary by education level

Front office secretaries with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $42,886 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, front office secretaries earn a median annual income of $41,586 compared to $40,134 for front office secretaries with an Associate degree.

Front office secretary education level	Front office secretary salary
Master's Degree	$42,886
High School Diploma or Less	$39,731
Bachelor's Degree	$41,586
Some College/ Associate Degree	$40,134

Front office secretary education FAQs

What is the best college for Front Office Secretaries?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

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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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