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Program Assistant Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a program assistant. Program assistants usually study business, psychology, or communication. 62% of program assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 54,860 real program assistant resumes to see exactly what program assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for program assistants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online program assistant courses to help get the education required to be a program assistant.
There are certain program assistant certifications that you should consider. These program assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a program assistant?
What degree do you need to be a program assistant?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Associate, 15%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a program assistant?
- Business, 18%
- Psychology, 14%
- Communication, 6%
- Other Majors, 56%
Most common colleges for program assistants
| Program Assistant Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 11.03% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.64% |
| University of California - Davis | 6.19% |
| University of Washington | 5.40% |
| New York University | 5.34% |
Best majors for program assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 17.6% |
| 2 | Psychology | 13.6% |
| 3 | Communication | 6.4% |
| 4 | Political Science | 5.8% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 5.6% |
Best colleges for program assistants
The best colleges for program assistants are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.
A program 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 program 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 program assistants.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
4. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
5. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-State Tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
8. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
9. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Enrollment
31,503
10. University of California - San Diego
La Jolla, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$14,167
Enrollment
30,279
20 best online courses for program assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for program assistants
The most affordable schools for program assistants are California State University - Bakersfield, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for program 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 program assistants.
1. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,309
Cost of Attendance
16,714
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,798
Cost of Attendance
18,306
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,182
Cost of Attendance
13,998
4. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,886
Cost of Attendance
17,645
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Cost of Attendance
14,469
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,381
Cost of Attendance
21,034
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,410
Cost of Attendance
20,456
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,656
Cost of Attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for program assistants
The hardest universities for program assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for program 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 program 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions Rate
10%
SAT Average
1,514
7. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,407
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions Rate
11%
SAT Average
1,513
9. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions Rate
9%
SAT Average
1,516
10. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
17%
SAT Average
1,507
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for program assistants
The easiest schools for program assistants to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a program 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 program assistants.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
84%
SAT Average
1,031
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions Rate
95%
SAT Average
980
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
5. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
1,003
6. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
8. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions Rate
78%
SAT Average
1,024
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
10. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions Rate
94%
SAT Average
979
Average program assistant salary by education level
| Program Assistant education level | Program Assistant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $40,614 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $34,152 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $37,732 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $34,338 |
Program Assistant Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025