Post job

Senior administrative secretary education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior administrative secretary. Senior administrative secretaries usually study business, secretarial and administrative science, or psychology. 45% of senior administrative secretaries hold a bachelor's degree, and 27% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 866 real senior administrative secretary resumes to see exactly what senior administrative secretary education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior administrative secretaries are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online senior administrative secretary courses to help get the education required to be a senior administrative secretary.

There are certain senior administrative secretary certifications that you should consider. These senior administrative secretary certifications include Certified Professional - Human Resource (IPMA-CP) and Word 2010 Certification.

What education do you need to become a senior administrative secretary?

What degree do you need to be a senior administrative secretary?

The most common degree for senior administrative secretaries is bachelor's degree, with 45% of senior administrative secretaries earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 27% and associate degree degree at 11%.
  • Bachelor's, 45%
  • Associate, 27%
  • High School Diploma, 11%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 10%

What should I major in to become a senior administrative secretary?

You should major in business to become a senior administrative secretary. 36% of senior administrative secretaries major in business. Other common majors for a senior administrative secretary include secretarial and administrative science and psychology.

Most common colleges for senior administrative secretaries

Senior administrative secretaries often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Marshall University, and West Virginia University. Here are the most common colleges for senior administrative secretaries in the US based on their resumes.
Senior administrative secretary common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.49%
Marshall University10.14%
West Virginia University10.14%
Ohio State University8.70%
University of Memphis5.80%

Best majors for senior administrative secretaries

Best colleges for senior administrative secretaries

The best colleges for senior administrative secretaries are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

A senior administrative secretary with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for senior administrative secretaries. 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 senior administrative secretaries.

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 senior administrative secretaries

Advertising disclosure

1. The Global Financial Crisis

coursera

Former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner and Professor Andrew Metrick survey the causes, events, policy responses, and aftermath of the recent global financial crisis...

2. Minute Taking at Meetings

udemy
4.4
(5,774)

Minute Taking: making the taking of notes/minutes at formal and informal meetings easier...

3. Microsoft Office 365 Administration

udemy
4.5
(2,676)

Microsoft Office 365 Administration...

4. Practical Office 365 Administration

udemy
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...

5. Project Kickoff Meetings: How to Lead them Effectively

udemy
4.7
(973)

Learn how to start your projects the right way using a simple, step-by-step plan...

6. Oracle Database Administrator DBA

udemy
4.5
(973)

Oracle Database Administration DBA become Oracle Database Administrator, Oracle DBA and get six figures jobs as DBA...

7. Full Oracle Database Administration with RAC

udemy
4.4
(296)

Learn Oracle Database Administration, 12C R2 RAC Administration, Oracle Backup and Recovery concepts in this course...

8. Effective Legal Office Administration

udemy
4.5
(1,067)

Effective Legal Office Administration...

9. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement

udemy
4.6
(930)

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

10. Managing Difficult Meeting Participants

udemy
4.2
(639)

Dealing with Negativism and Other Difficult Behaviors of Meeting Participants...

11. Better Virtual Meetings: How to Lead Effective Meetings

udemy
4.5
(14,025)

Learn the basics of facilitation and minute taking at meetings to save time, improve communication, and get things done...

12. Audit - Financial Statement

udemy
4.4
(2,545)

Master the Art of Auditing Financial Statements: In-Depth Analysis, Techniques, and Real-World Case Studies...

13. Complete Oracle Database Administration course (19C,21C)

udemy
4.4
(1,277)

Oracle Database Administration course /Multitenancy/ Oracle Database Backup & Recovery/Data Guard/Patching & Upgrade...

14. Professional Diploma in Office Administration Management

udemy
4.2
(632)

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

15. Oracle Database Administration for Absolute Beginners

udemy
4.3
(1,230)

Learn to become an Oracle Database Administrator in a month. It is one of the stable and 'high in demand' IT jobs...

16. Oracle DBA 11g/12c - Database Administration for Junior DBA

udemy
4.6
(8,867)

Learn to become an Oracle Database Administrator (DBA) in 6 weeks and get a well paid job as a Junior DBA...

17. Customer Service & Support For Customer Service Executives

udemy
4.5
(941)

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

18. Financial Statement Analysis

udemy
4.7
(255)

Learn how to make understanding financial statements your superpower!...

19. Effective Business English for Service Staff

udemy
4.5
(6,830)

Your comprehensive guide to more effective English communication - for office administration, retail and hospitality!...

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

udemy
4.3
(319)

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

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior administrative secretaries

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

If the best universities for senior administrative secretaries 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 senior administrative secretaries.

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 senior administrative secretaries

The hardest universities for senior administrative secretaries to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Boston College.

Some great schools for senior administrative secretaries 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 senior administrative secretaries 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

4%

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

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

8%

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 senior administrative secretaries

The easiest schools for senior administrative secretaries 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 a senior administrative secretary 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 senior administrative secretaries.

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 senior administrative secretary salary by education level

Senior administrative secretaries with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $43,761 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, senior administrative secretaries earn a median annual income of $43,645 compared to $41,460 for senior administrative secretaries with an Associate degree.
Senior administrative secretary education levelSenior administrative secretary salary
Master's Degree$43,761
High School Diploma or Less$40,876
Bachelor's Degree$43,645
Some College/ Associate Degree$41,460

Senior administrative secretary education FAQs

Search for senior administrative secretary jobs

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.

Browse office and administrative jobs