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Procurement assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a procurement assistant. Procurement assistants usually study business, accounting, or liberal arts. 56% of procurement assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,643 real procurement assistant resumes to see exactly what procurement assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for procurement assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online procurement assistant courses to help get the education required to be a procurement assistant.

There are certain procurement assistant certifications that you should consider. These procurement assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a procurement assistant?

What degree do you need to be a procurement assistant?

The most common degree for procurement assistants is bachelor's degree, with 56% of procurement assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 18% and associate degree degree at 10%.
  • Bachelor's, 56%
  • Associate, 18%
  • High School Diploma, 10%
  • Master's, 9%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a procurement assistant?

You should major in business to become a procurement assistant. 42% of procurement assistants major in business. Other common majors for a procurement assistant include accounting and liberal arts.

Most common colleges for procurement assistants

Procurement assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Strayer University, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for procurement assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Procurement assistant common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix15.60%
Strayer University11.01%
University of Houston7.34%
George Mason University5.50%
Ashford University4.59%

Best majors for procurement assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business41.7%
2Accounting9.8%
3Liberal Arts4.7%
4English4.6%
5Management4.0%

Best colleges for procurement assistants

The best colleges for procurement assistants are Northwestern University, Boston College, and University of Pennsylvania.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

7. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$39,216

Enrollment

1,303

10. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

20 best online courses for procurement assistants

Advertising disclosure

1. Procurement Basics

coursera

This Course includes basic information on procurement, Importance of the procurement organization and its’ role in the organization, cost vs. value, processes such as the use of RFQ, RFP, RFX, Differences between direct and indirect procurement, and Stakeholder management The course will supported by videos, readings and a required case that will be assessed by a peer review. In addition, a Practice Assessment (multiple choice) is available to the student. This should be helpful as there is a...

2. Global Public Procurement

coursera

Students will learn the key principles of public procurement with public entities, including national international organizations. This course also illustrates practical examples and models on understanding the processes and procedurals of public procurement. Through the course, students will learn practical information such as registering as vendors and finding and bidding for opportunities. Week 1 : Global Public Procurement Introduction Week 2 : WTO, GPA, FTA, and Procurement Regulations...

3. Strategic Cost Management: Procurement and Supply Chain 2022

udemy
4.5
(1,611)

How to secure long term Procurement savings without breaking relations with your suppliers (with the updates 2022)...

4. Procurement & Supply Planning tools and techniques.

udemy
4.4
(310)

Learn how to Make purchasing strategies ,MRP, forecast, inventory policies and techniques to minimize supply costs...

5. Procurement & Sourcing Introduction

coursera

After a warm Welcome to the Global Procurement and Sourcing Specialization, I will provide a brief introduction to the specialization and its courses covering the following: -Instructor Biography -Who should take this course -Flow of the course Following the introduction, the student will get the opportunity to learn about some of the current challenges facing procurement and sourcing professionals today through reading ten current articles ranging from what is procurement to how to collaborate...

6. Procurement Management

udemy
4.5
(3,444)

An Ultimate Guide to Procurement / Purchase Management for Managers, Engineers, Entrepreneurs and Students...

7. Procurement Management- Job Training Course

udemy
4.4
(386)

Get trained to be a Procurement Officer. Ultimate guide to become a Procurement & Supply Chain Management Professional !...

8. Procurement Masterclass & ChatGPT PLUS Productivity & Teams

udemy
4.4
(3,076)

Complete Guide to Purchase To Pay: World-class Operations, Procurement & Chat GPT, Time Management & Team Leadership...

9. SAP S/4HANA Sourcing & Procurement (MM-Materials Management)

udemy
4.5
(2,553)

The course covers both configuration and end-user processes for SAP S/4HANA MM / Sourcing & Procurement...

10. Four Steps to Future Procurement: become Procurement expert!

udemy
4.5
(813)

Proven Practices for Procurement: from Beginner to Professional (with the updates 2022)...

11. Construction Procurement Management

udemy
4.5
(300)

A course on procurement designed for engineers new to the infrastructure/construction industry...

12. RISK MANAGEMENT for Supply Chain and Procurement specialists

udemy
4.4
(644)

Tools and methods used by the world class procurement companies and supply chain managers (with the updates 2022)...

13. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

udemy
4.5
(3,822)

Learn Logistics, Supply Chain and Customer Service. 3 Courses in 1...

14. The Fundamentals of end-to-end Supply Chain Management

udemy
4.5
(1,524)

Supply Chain Management - Level 1: Introducing all the Key Components of a Supply Chain...

15. SAP MM Materials Management (beginner to expert level)

udemy
4.3
(331)

Master SAP Materials Management module with practical implementation steps. Prepare and crack SAP MM Certification exam...

16. SAP MM Consignment and Pipeline Procurement

udemy
4.7
(287)

Consignment and Pipeline Procurement Cycle...

17. Inventory Management A-Z: Supply Chain & Business Operations

udemy
4.6
(3,087)

Inventory Management Basics: MBA beginners course to your optimize your Purchasing, Logistics, EOQ and Safety Stock...

18. Inventory Management: Safety Stock Calculation and Control

udemy
4.6
(434)

Optimize your Supply Chain Safety Stock. Simple to Advanced Methods. Reduce Costs and Risk in your Business Operations...

19. Practical Pharmaceutical Supply Management: LMIC Focus

udemy
4.4
(2,385)

Pharmaceutical Supply Mastery: From Procurement to Efficient Distribution...

20. IT Procurement Course Complete

udemy
4.2
(381)

Learn IT Sourcing , How to Buy IT Products and Services...

Top 10 most affordable universities for procurement assistants

The most affordable schools for procurement assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and university of puerto rico - mayaguez.

If the best universities for procurement assistants 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 procurement assistants.

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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

4. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

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 procurement assistants

The hardest universities for procurement assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Boston College, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for procurement assistants 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 procurement assistants 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for procurement assistants

The easiest schools for procurement assistants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a procurement assistant 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 procurement assistants.

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. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

4. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

Average procurement assistant salary by education level

According to our data, procurement assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $48,721 annually. Procurement assistants with a High School Diploma degree earn an average annual salary of $42,221.
Procurement assistant education levelProcurement assistant salary
High School Diploma or Less$42,221
Bachelor's Degree$48,721
Some College/ Associate Degree$42,166

Procurement assistant 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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