Help desk representative education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a help desk representative. Help desk representatives usually study business, computer information systems, or information technology. 46% of help desk representatives hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 3,158 real help desk representative resumes to see exactly what help desk representative education sections show.

The most common colleges for help desk representatives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain help desk representative certifications that you should consider. These help desk representative certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Information Technology Professional (CITP).

What education do you need to become a help desk representative?

What degree do you need to be a help desk representative?

The most common degree for help desk representatives is bachelor's degree, with 46% of help desk representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 16%.

Bachelor's, 46%

Associate, 26%

High School Diploma, 16%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a help desk representative?

You should major in business to become a help desk representative. 25% of help desk representatives major in business. Other common majors for a help desk representative include computer information systems and information technology.

Business, 25%

Computer Information Systems, 8%

Information Technology, 8%

Computer Science, 8%

Other Majors, 51%

Most common colleges for help desk representatives

Help desk representatives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Strayer University. Here are the most common colleges for help desk representatives in the US based on their resumes.

Help desk representative common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	21.78%
DeVry University	10.67%
Strayer University	7.11%
Monroe College	6.67%
Valencia College	4.44%

Show more common help desk representative colleges

Best majors for help desk representatives

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	25.2%
2	Computer Information Systems	8.3%
3	Information Technology	8.0%
4	Computer Science	7.6%
5	Communication	5.7%

Show more common help desk representative majors

Best colleges for help desk representatives

The best colleges for help desk representatives are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for help desk representatives

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14. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

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15. IT/Desktop Computer Support- Troubleshooting for Technicians

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17. IT & Technical Support Guide to Helpdesk, Desktop & Servers

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20. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

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Top 10 most affordable universities for help desk representatives

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

If the best universities for help desk representatives 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 help desk representatives.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for help desk representatives

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

Some great schools for help desk representatives 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 help desk representatives 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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for help desk representatives

The easiest schools for help desk representatives to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a help desk representative 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 help desk representatives.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

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. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average help desk representative salary by education level

Help desk representatives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $43,265 annually. With a Doctorate degree, help desk representatives earn a median annual income of $41,718 compared to $38,764 for help desk representatives with an Bachelor's degree.

Help desk representative education level	Help desk representative salary
Master's Degree	$43,265
High School Diploma or Less	$35,553
Bachelor's Degree	$38,764
Doctorate Degree	$41,718
Some College/ Associate Degree	$36,161

Help desk representative education FAQs

What is the best college for Help Desk Representatives?

Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical 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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