Index clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an index clerk. Index clerks usually study business, health care administration, or general studies. 31% of index clerks hold a associate degree, and 27% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 242 real index clerk resumes to see exactly what index clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for index clerks are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online index clerk courses to help get the education required to be an index clerk.

What education do you need to become an index clerk?

What degree do you need to be an index clerk?

The most common degree for index clerks is associate degree, with 31% of index clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 27% and high school diploma degree at 22%.

Associate, 31%

High School Diploma, 27%

Bachelor's, 22%

Diploma, 11%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become an index clerk?

You should major in business to become an index clerk. 27% of index clerks major in business. Other common majors for an index clerk include health care administration and general studies.

Business, 27%

Health Care Administration, 10%

General Studies, 8%

Accounting, 7%

Other Majors, 48%

Most common colleges for index clerks

Index clerks often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Valencia College, and North Carolina Wesleyan College. Here are the most common colleges for index clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Index clerk common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	11.54%
Valencia College	7.69%
North Carolina Wesleyan College	7.69%
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	7.69%
Eastern Kentucky University	7.69%

Show more common index clerk colleges

Best majors for index clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	27.1%
2	Health Care Administration	10.4%
3	General Studies	8.3%
4	Accounting	7.3%
5	Computer Information Systems	5.2%

Show more common index clerk majors

Best colleges for index clerks

The best colleges for index clerks are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An index clerk with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for index clerks. 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 index clerks.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

9. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

10. Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$39,216

Enrollment

1,303

20 best online courses for index clerks

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Top 10 most affordable universities for index clerks

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

If the best universities for index clerks 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 index clerks.

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for index clerks

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

Some great schools for index clerks 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 index clerks 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for index clerks

The easiest schools for index clerks to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an index clerk 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 index clerks.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average index clerk salary by education level

Index clerks with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $39,361 annually. With a Associate degree, index clerks earn a median annual income of $33,472 compared to $30,962 for index clerks with an High School Diploma degree.

Index clerk education level	Index clerk salary
High School Diploma or Less	$30,962
Bachelor's Degree	$39,361
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,472

Index clerk education FAQs

What is the best college for Index Clerks?

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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