Helpdesk lead education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a helpdesk lead. Helpdesk leads usually study computer science, computer information systems, or business. 54% of helpdesk leads hold a bachelor's degree, and 31% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 504 real helpdesk lead resumes to see exactly what helpdesk lead education sections show.

The most common colleges for helpdesk leads are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online helpdesk lead courses to help get the education required to be a helpdesk lead.

There are certain helpdesk lead certifications that you should consider. These helpdesk lead certifications include Security 5 Certification and Network 5 Certification.

What education do you need to become a helpdesk lead?

What degree do you need to be a helpdesk lead?

The most common degree for helpdesk leads is bachelor's degree, with 54% of helpdesk leads earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 31% and associate degree degree at 5%.

Bachelor's, 54%

Associate, 31%

Master's, 5%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a helpdesk lead?

You should major in computer science to become a helpdesk lead. 18% of helpdesk leads major in computer science. Other common majors for a helpdesk lead include computer information systems and business.

Computer Science, 18%

Computer Information Systems, 15%

Business, 12%

Information Technology, 11%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for helpdesk leads

Helpdesk leads often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for helpdesk leads in the US based on their resumes.

Helpdesk lead common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	12.50%
Strayer University	10.94%
DeVry University	10.94%
Francis Marion University	6.25%
American InterContinental University	4.69%

Show more common helpdesk lead colleges

Best majors for helpdesk leads

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Computer Science	17.8%
2	Computer Information Systems	15.4%
3	Business	12.3%
4	Information Technology	11.5%
5	Computer Networking	8.7%

Show more common helpdesk lead majors

Best colleges for helpdesk leads

The best colleges for helpdesk leads are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

A helpdesk lead with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for helpdesk leads. 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 helpdesk leads.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$53,880

Enrollment

6,590

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,230

Enrollment

12,161

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. Saint Ambrose University

Davenport, IA • Private

In-state tuition

$30,894

Enrollment

2,289

20 best online courses for helpdesk leads

Advertising disclosure

1. Desktop IT Support Level 1 & 2 in real life (Troubleshooting

4.2

(1,443)

Learn everything in real life Troubleshooting for IT Help Desk , Helpdesk , IT Support , System Administration and IT...

2. Computer Hardware, Operating System and Networking

4.1

(314)

For Any Graduates/Engineering/Diploma/Arts & Science/Freshers/Home Users/Individuals/Desktop Support/FM/Service Engineer...

3. Computer Network Fundamentals- IT Helpdesk & Desktop Support

(409)

Learn the basic fundamentals of computer networking & OSI model for desktop support and IT service desk technicians...

4. Active Directory & Group Policy Administration for IT Techs

4.5

(651)

Active Directory & Group Policy Administration Basics for Helpdesk and Desktop / IT Support Technicians...

5. IT Help Desk Professional

4.5

(7,538)

Get Hands-On Experience on Helpdesk Skills, Learn, Master & Troubleshoot All What It Takes To Get You a Job...

6. IT Support Technical Skills Helpdesk

4.7

(1,561)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Learners...

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

4.2

(1,138)

Learn how the different levels of IT technical support work, from service desk to infrastructure and server support...

8. Basic Computer Course - Windows 7/10 - IT & Desktop Support

4.7

(1,213)

Basic computer course with troubleshooting skills -computer hardware and computer networking, for IT support technicians...

9. Learning IT Help Desk for Beginners

4.6

(919)

Must know skills for Helpdesk and Service Desk Professionals!!...

10. Advanced IT Troubleshooting for Helpdesk Support Technicians

4.2

(1,080)

Learn some of the less common IT troubleshooting techniques for Windows computers...

11. IT Support Technical Skills Bootcamp

4.5

(1,653)

Hands-on Technical skills for IT Support Professionals...

12. Active Directory on Windows Server

4.6

(8,804)

Learn how to deploy and manage all aspects of Active Directory, Group Policy, DNS and many more technologies...

13. Windows Server 2019: Active Directory, GPO, R. Server Access

4.7

(4,916)

Training For Beginners - Become a Network Administrator in Microsoft Windows Server 2019 with Remote Server Access!...

14. Active Directory and Windows Server 40+ Hour with Labs

4.4

(283)

Domain Controllers (DC), Global Catalog, FSMO, Groups, Users, Security, Domains and Forests ,Trusts, GPO, much more....

15. Help Desk Analyst

4.2

(346)

Boost your career with this course, pass the e-Learning course, and achieve your Help Desk Analyst certificate...

16. TOTAL: Active Directory with Windows Server 2016

4.6

(2,189)

Identity, Access, and Authentication with Microsoft AD and Identity with Windows Server 2016...

17. PowerShell for Active Directory Administrators

4.5

(5,027)

Use Power Shell to manage Active Directory users, computer, groups, security settings and more on Windows Server...

18. [Active Directory] Management using Windows PowerShell

4.5

(1,078)

[Power Shell] Simplified practical knowledge for automation & management of [Active Directory] using Windows Power Shell...

19. Mastering Group Policy on Windows Server

4.7

(2,427)

An IT person's guide to managing Active Directory Users and Computers with Group Policy...

20. ComputerCavalry: IT Help Desk Training for IT Professionals!

4.5

(349)

Help Desk Training for IT Professionals is a 10 lecture course that provides valuable work experience to beginners in IT...

Top 10 most affordable universities for helpdesk leads

The most affordable schools for helpdesk leads are California State University - Bakersfield, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for helpdesk leads 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 helpdesk leads.

1. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

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 helpdesk leads

The hardest universities for helpdesk leads to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for helpdesk leads 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 helpdesk leads 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for helpdesk leads

The easiest schools for helpdesk leads to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, barry university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a helpdesk lead 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 helpdesk leads.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

9. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

10. Iona College

New Rochelle, NY • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,089

Average helpdesk lead salary by education level

Helpdesk leads with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $77,062 annually. With a Doctorate degree, helpdesk leads earn a median annual income of $74,355 compared to $69,180 for helpdesk leads with an Bachelor's degree.

Helpdesk lead education level	Helpdesk lead salary
Master's Degree	$77,062
High School Diploma or Less	$63,548
Bachelor's Degree	$69,180
Doctorate Degree	$74,355
Some College/ Associate Degree	$64,615

Helpdesk lead education FAQs

What is the best college for Helpdesk Leads?

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

Search for helpdesk lead jobs

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

Browse computer and mathematical jobs