Office Administrator Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an office administrator. Office administrators usually study business, accounting, or psychology. 48% of office administrators hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 99,276 real office administrator resumes to see exactly what office administrator education sections show.

The most common colleges for office administrators are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online office administrator courses to help get the education required to be an office administrator.

There are certain office administrator certifications that you should consider. These office administrator certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

What education do you need to become an office administrator?

What degree do you need to be an office administrator?

The most common degree for office administrators is bachelor's degree, with 48% of office administrators earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 24% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 48%

Associate, 24%

High School Diploma, 14%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become an office administrator?

You should major in business to become an office administrator. 34% of office administrators major in business. Other common majors for an office administrator include accounting and psychology.

Business, 34%

Accounting, 8%

Psychology, 7%

Health Care Administration, 6%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for office administrators

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

Office Administrator Common College	Percentages
University of Phoenix	28.06%
Strayer University	4.64%
DeVry University	4.57%
University of Houston	4.57%
California State University - San Bernardino	4.30%

Show more common office administrator colleges

Best majors for office administrators

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	33.6%
2	Accounting	7.8%
3	Psychology	6.8%
4	Health Care Administration	5.7%
5	Communication	5.1%

Show more common office administrator majors

Best colleges for office administrators

The best colleges for office administrators are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

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

1. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-State Tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

6. Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$39,216

Enrollment

1,303

7. Morgan State University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,900

Enrollment

6,404

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-State Tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

10. University of Akron

Akron, OH • Private

In-State Tuition

$11,463

Enrollment

13,676

20 best online courses for office administrators

Advertising Disclosure

1. Microsoft Office 365 Administration

4.5

(2,676)

Microsoft Office 365 Administration...

2. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

3. Practical Office 365 Administration

4.2

(291)

Learn in depth about Office 365 for Administrators and also find useful tips and resources to enhance your role as an Of...

4. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management

4.2

(632)

Principles of work of Office Administrator. Required hard and soft skills. Introduction to MS Office and banking area...

5. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

4.6

(930)

Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...

6. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course

4.3

(736)

Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...

7. Xero Bookkeeping & Accounting, w/ Set-up & Reporting

4.3

(263)

From Set-up to Bookkeeping, Accounting, Reporting, & Financial Statements in Xero with a Certified Xero Advisor...

8. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries

4.4

(1,649)

Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...

9. Effective Human Resource Administration

4.5

(2,351)

Effective Human Resource Administration...

10. QuickBooks Payroll - QuickBooks Online

4.5

(319)

Processing Quick Books Online payroll for a small business, generating paychecks, processing payroll tax forms...

11. Accounting & Financial Statement Analysis: Complete Training

4.6

(16,804)

Accounting & Financial Ratio Analysis made easy. Learn important accounting skills that will get your foot in the door!...

12. MS Office Course Bundle- Word , Powerpoint , Excel & Outlook

4.3

(319)

MS Office Learn and Polish the Most Desirable Office Courses at work , MS Word , MS Excel , MS Powerpoint and MS Outlook...

13. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily

4.5

(280)

Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...

14. Financial Accounting-Debits & Credits-Accounting Transaction

4.5

(781)

Masterclass: Learn Accounting Principles, Financial Statements, Transactions & More in this Comprehensive Course...

15. Payroll Accounting With Visually Effective Excel Dashboards

4.3

(420)

Payroll Data Analysis with Excel Pivot Tables,hr payroll, payroll management, payroll certification, Payroll, Excel...

16. Excel Accounting Problem

4.3

(348)

Learn How to Create an Accounting Worksheet Using Microsoft Excel from a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)...

17. Financial Accounting: A Comprehensive Guide with E-book

4.5

(3,466)

Unlock Financial Accounting Mastery: Comprehensive Course for Students, Professionals, and Business Owners...

18. Bookkeeping in QuickBooks Online (Bookkeeping & accounting)

4.6

(2,599)

Bookkeeping & Accounting with Quick Books Online. Bookkeeping & Accounting is Easy. Bookkeeping & Quick Books software...

19. Principles of Financial Accounting

4.5

(875)

Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...

20. Financial Accounting: The Complete Introductory Crash Course

4.5

(1,604)

Learn the Basics of Financial Accounting: Financial Statements, Debits and Credits, The Accounting Cycle and More!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for office administrators

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

If the best universities for office administrators 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 office administrators.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,309

Cost of Attendance

16,714

4. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

5. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,064

Cost of Attendance

15,576

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,942

Cost of Attendance

14,469

7. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-State Tuition

$5,419

Cost of Attendance

17,697

8. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,240

Cost of Attendance

13,991

9. Dickinson State University

Dickinson, ND • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,768

Cost of Attendance

15,506

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 office administrators

The hardest universities for office administrators to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

Some great schools for office administrators 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 office administrators 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. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

28%

SAT Average

1,429

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

22%

SAT Average

1,420

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

SAT Average

1,492

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

40%

SAT Average

1,376

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

43%

SAT Average

1,338

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

13%

SAT Average

1,445

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

31%

SAT Average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for office administrators

The easiest schools for office administrators to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame college, and lim college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an office administrator 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 office administrators.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions Rate

68%

SAT Average

964

2. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions Rate

90%

SAT Average

994

3. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

83%

SAT Average

1,061

4. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

82%

SAT Average

983

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

70%

SAT Average

849

6. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions Rate

96%

SAT Average

1,139

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,072

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions Rate

97%

SAT Average

1,050

9. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,009

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions Rate

85%

SAT Average

1,053

Average office administrator salary by education level

According to our data, office administrators with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $41,104 annually. Office administrators with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $40,325.

Office Administrator education level	Office Administrator salary
Master's Degree	$41,104
High School Diploma or Less	$38,155
Bachelor's Degree	$40,325
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,024

Office Administrator Education FAQs

What is the best college for Office Administrators?

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

Search for office administrator 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 office and administrative jobs