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Membership secretary education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a membership secretary. Membership secretaries usually study business, psychology, or general studies. 52% of membership secretaries hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 295 real membership secretary resumes to see exactly what membership secretary education sections show.

The most common colleges for membership secretaries are the Elizabethtown College and the Elizabethtown College.

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

What education do you need to become a membership secretary?

What degree do you need to be a membership secretary?

The most common degree for membership secretaries is bachelor's degree, with 52% of membership secretaries earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 52%
  • Associate, 28%
  • High School Diploma, 11%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a membership secretary?

You should major in business to become a membership secretary. 27% of membership secretaries major in business. Other common majors for a membership secretary include psychology and general studies.

Most common colleges for membership secretaries

Membership secretaries often get their degrees at Elizabethtown College, Morgan State University, and Paul Smiths College. Here are the most common colleges for membership secretaries in the US based on their resumes.
Membership secretary common collegePercentages
Elizabethtown College6.25%
Morgan State University6.25%
Paul Smiths College6.25%
Texas State University6.25%
Aurora University6.25%

Best majors for membership secretaries

RankMajorPercentages
1Business27.2%
2Psychology7.0%
3General Studies6.1%
4Communication5.3%
5Liberal Arts5.3%

Best colleges for membership secretaries

The best colleges for membership secretaries are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A membership 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 membership 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 membership secretaries.

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 membership secretaries

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Top 10 most affordable universities for membership secretaries

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

If the best universities for membership 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 membership 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. 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 membership secretaries

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

Some great schools for membership 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 membership 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

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 membership secretaries

The easiest schools for membership secretaries 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 a membership 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 membership secretaries.

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 membership secretary salary by education level

Membership secretaries with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $48,556 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, membership secretaries earn a median annual income of $45,381 compared to $41,973 for membership secretaries with an Associate degree.
Membership secretary education levelMembership secretary salary
Master's Degree$48,556
High School Diploma or Less$41,051
Bachelor's Degree$45,381
Some College/ Associate Degree$41,973

Membership secretary education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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