Program clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a program clerk. Program clerks usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 45% of program clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 736 real program clerk resumes to see exactly what program clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for program clerks are the University of Iowa and the University of Iowa.

There are also many online program clerk courses to help get the education required to be a program clerk.

What education do you need to become a program clerk?

What degree do you need to be a program clerk?

The most common degree for program clerks is bachelor's degree, with 45% of program clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 26% and associate degree degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 45%

Associate, 26%

High School Diploma, 18%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a program clerk?

You should major in business to become a program clerk. 27% of program clerks major in business. Other common majors for a program clerk include psychology and criminal justice.

Business, 27%

Psychology, 10%

Criminal Justice, 8%

General Studies, 8%

Other Majors, 47%

Most common colleges for program clerks

Program clerks often get their degrees at University of Iowa, University of Phoenix, and University of Houston. Here are the most common colleges for program clerks in the US based on their resumes.

Program clerk common college	Percentages
University of Iowa	15.15%
University of Phoenix	12.12%
University of Houston	9.09%
Prairie View A & M University	6.06%
Howard University	6.06%

Show more common program clerk colleges

Best majors for program clerks

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	26.6%
2	Psychology	9.9%
3	Criminal Justice	7.9%
4	General Studies	7.5%
5	Liberal Arts	6.0%

Show more common program clerk majors

Best colleges for program clerks

The best colleges for program clerks are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A program 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 program 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 program clerks.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

10. SUNY at Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$10,011

Enrollment

13,434

20 best online courses for program clerks

Advertising disclosure

1. Customer Service Fundamentals

There are a growing number of exciting, well-paying jobs in today’s tech industry that do not require a traditional college degree, an one of the hottest areas with high demand is in IT customer service and support. Customer Service is a perfect entry point to start your career in IT, with a multitude of job openings ranging from onsite or remote help desk work to customer care or client support. We can help you get there with the Customer Service Fundamentals course. We will help you to build...

2. CVS Health Call Center Customer Service

The demand for call center customer service representatives is huge, there are thousands of open job roles in the US alone. If you are someone that enjoys talking to people and solving problems and are ready for new experiences, then this program is right for you. Customer service in a call center is an exciting career where every day is a new day and a new adventure. If you're considering a career in retail customer service and you're someone who is passionate about providing exceptional...

3. Customer Service, Customer Support, And Customer Experience

4.6

(2,666)

Customer service, customer support, and customer experience training. Loyal clients through world-class customer service...

4. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

4.5

(941)

Learn Customer Service Skills & Provide Excellent Customer Support, Customer Experience & How To Manage Upset Customers...

5. GST - Maintaining documents, accounts and records

GST, being a transaction-level tax, requires certain documentation to be generated and maintained to comply with the law and curb malpractices. GST also has a stringent requirement for the maintenance of appropriate accounts and records. In this course, you will learn about E-invoices and E-waybills required to be generated at a transaction level. You will also learn about the accounts and records that are required to be maintained by businesses. This course provides a platform for learners...

6. Fundamentals of Logistics, Supply Chain & Customer Service

4.5

(3,822)

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

7. Certified Electronic Health Records Specialist

4.4

(811)

Health Information Technology HIT...

8. IT service operations and Service Desk management

4.4

(2,841)

Improve Service Desk and IT support processes and service functions. Better preparation for the professional exam...

9. Akashic Records Foundation Course CERTIFIED

4.1

(337)

Learn How to Enter, Read and Alter the Akashic Records and Gain Access to Your Past Lives or Personal and Family Karma...

10. Complete Data Entry Skills Course - Learn Data Entry Skills

4.4

(399)

Learn Essential Data Entry Skills Now To Enhance Your Career -Word - Excel - Database - Data Entry Jobs...

11. Customer Service Foundation

4.5

(290)

An introductory course about understanding the foundations of Customer Service...

12. Business Communication Skills: Handling Clients & Customers

4.4

(1,161)

Soft Skills Training Social Skills Business Etiquette Business English Customer Service Training...

13. Professional Certification in Akashic Records (Accredited)

4.4

(641)

Become a Professional Akashic Record Reader to access and modify records and soul contract ⚫ UK Accredited Qualification...

14. Customer Service Mastery: Delight Every Customer

4.7

(18,204)

Master Customer Service using this practical customer care course...

15. SQL Programming and MySQL

4.5

(302)

Learn SQL Programming with My SQL Database from scratch. SQL Commands, Functions, Expressions, Joins, Procedures, Views...

16. Effective Legal Office Administration

4.5

(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

17. Customer Service Fundamentals: Putting People First

4.4

(313)

Customer Care Listening Great Customer Service Concern for Others Company Culture Engaging People Responding...

18. Service Desk Analyst Crash course for beginners.

4.2

(439)

Get Hands-On Experience for following JOB roles - Service Desk Analyst IT Help Desk Professional L1 IT Support GSD...

19. Data Entry Skills: A Complete Data Entry Course from Scratch

4.7

(533)

A Complete Guide to Data Entry Skills: Learn Data Entry Skills and become a Data Entry Pro & Get a Online Data Entry Job...

20. Start Improving Customer Service

4.8

(2,040)

Creating a Customer Service advantage in Your department or business through communication and Customer Management...

Top 10 most affordable universities for program clerks

The most affordable schools for program clerks are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for program 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 program 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. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

6. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

7. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for program clerks

The hardest universities for program clerks to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for program 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 program 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

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

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

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a program 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 program clerks.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Bluefield College

Bluefield, VA • Private

Admissions rate

95%

SAT average

980

3. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

4. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

5. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Holy Family University

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,017

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average program clerk salary by education level

Program clerks with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $32,123 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, program clerks earn a median annual income of $31,599 compared to $30,719 for program clerks with an Associate degree.

Program clerk education level	Program clerk salary
Master's Degree	$32,123
High School Diploma or Less	$30,130
Bachelor's Degree	$31,599
Some College/ Associate Degree	$30,719

Program clerk education FAQs

What is the best college for Program Clerks?

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

Search for program clerk 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