Purchasing assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a purchasing assistant. Purchasing assistants usually study business, accounting, or marketing. 49% of purchasing assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 11,083 real purchasing assistant resumes to see exactly what purchasing assistant education sections show.

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

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

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

What education do you need to become a purchasing assistant?

What degree do you need to be a purchasing assistant?

The most common degree for purchasing assistants is bachelor's degree, with 49% of purchasing assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 14%.

Bachelor's, 49%

Associate, 25%

High School Diploma, 14%

Master's, 4%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a purchasing assistant?

You should major in business to become a purchasing assistant. 39% of purchasing assistants major in business. Other common majors for a purchasing assistant include accounting and marketing.

Business, 39%

Accounting, 11%

Marketing, 5%

General Studies, 4%

Other Majors, 41%

Most common colleges for purchasing assistants

Purchasing assistants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, University of Houston, and American InterContinental University. Here are the most common colleges for purchasing assistants in the US based on their resumes.

Purchasing assistant common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	22.29%
University of Houston	5.52%
American InterContinental University	4.91%
Michigan State University	4.70%
Ohio State University	4.70%

Show more common purchasing assistant colleges

Best majors for purchasing assistants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	39.1%
2	Accounting	11.1%
3	Marketing	4.6%
4	General Studies	4.3%
5	Communication	4.2%

Show more common purchasing assistant majors

Best colleges for purchasing assistants

The best colleges for purchasing assistants are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and New York University.

A purchasing 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 purchasing 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 purchasing assistants.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

6. SUNY College at Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,369

Enrollment

5,229

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

8. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

9. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

10. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,853

Enrollment

14,759

20 best online courses for purchasing assistants

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Business Process Explanation along with SAP Configuration and Testing of Purchasing Processes...

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Top 10 most affordable universities for purchasing assistants

The most affordable schools for purchasing assistants are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for purchasing 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 purchasing 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. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for purchasing assistants

The hardest universities for purchasing assistants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and New York University.

Some great schools for purchasing 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 purchasing 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. Fordham University

Bronx, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,354

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

Average purchasing assistant salary by education level

According to our data, purchasing assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $44,534 annually. Purchasing assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $41,182.

Purchasing assistant education level	Purchasing assistant salary
Master's Degree	$44,534
High School Diploma or Less	$36,724
Bachelor's Degree	$41,182
Some College/ Associate Degree	$36,021

Purchasing assistant education FAQs

What is the best college for Purchasing Assistants?

Have more questions? See all answers to common business and financial questions.

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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

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