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Front office specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a front office specialist. Front office specialists usually study health care administration, business, or medical assisting services. 30% of front office specialists hold a associate degree, and 25% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,065 real front office specialist resumes to see exactly what front office specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for front office specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online front office specialist courses to help get the education required to be a front office specialist.
There are certain front office specialist certifications that you should consider. These front office specialist certifications include Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) and Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM).
What education do you need to become a front office specialist?
What degree do you need to be a front office specialist?
- Associate, 30%
- Bachelor's, 25%
- High School Diploma, 16%
- Diploma, 15%
- Other Degrees, 14%
What should I major in to become a front office specialist?
- Business, 20%
- Psychology, 5%
- Other Majors, 40%
Most common colleges for front office specialists
| Front office specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 19.69% |
| Pima Medical Institute | 11.02% |
| Kennesaw State University | 6.30% |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville | 5.51% |
| University of Houston | 5.51% |
Best majors for front office specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Health Care Administration | 23.2% |
| 2 | Business | 20.1% |
| 3 | Medical Assisting Services | 11.6% |
| 4 | Psychology | 4.9% |
| 5 | General Studies | 4.3% |
Best colleges for front office specialists
The best colleges for front office specialists are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A front office specialist 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 specialists. 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 specialists.
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 specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for front office specialists
The most affordable schools for front office specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and suny farmingdale.
If the best universities for front office specialists 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 specialists.
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 specialists
The hardest universities for front office specialists to get into are Northwestern University, New York University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for front office specialists 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 specialists 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
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
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for front office specialists
The easiest schools for front office specialists 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 specialist 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 specialists.
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 specialist salary by education level
| Front office specialist education level | Front office specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $34,750 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $32,313 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $34,107 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $33,032 |
Front office specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025