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Senior program assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior program assistant. Senior program assistants usually study business, psychology, or political science. 63% of senior program assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 916 real senior program assistant resumes to see exactly what senior program assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior program assistants are the University of Louisville and the University of Louisville.

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

There are certain senior program assistant certifications that you should consider. These senior program assistant certifications include Certified Manager Certification (CM) and Medical Assistant.

What education do you need to become a senior program assistant?

What degree do you need to be a senior program assistant?

The most common degree for senior program assistants is bachelor's degree, with 63% of senior program assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 12%.
  • Bachelor's, 63%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 12%
  • High School Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a senior program assistant?

You should major in business to become a senior program assistant. 22% of senior program assistants major in business. Other common majors for a senior program assistant include psychology and political science.

Most common colleges for senior program assistants

Senior program assistants often get their degrees at University of Louisville, George Washington University, The, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for senior program assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Senior program assistant common collegePercentages
University of Louisville13.33%
George Washington University, The10.00%
University of Maryland - College Park8.33%
University of Phoenix8.33%
George Mason University5.83%

Best majors for senior program assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.9%
2Psychology12.7%
3Political Science7.5%
4Criminal Justice6.7%
5Communication6.0%

Best colleges for senior program assistants

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

A senior 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 senior 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 senior program assistants.

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 senior program assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for senior program assistants

The most affordable schools for senior program assistants 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 senior 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 senior program 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. 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 senior program assistants

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

Some great schools for senior 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 senior 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

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

8%

SAT average

1,492

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

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 senior program assistants

The easiest schools for senior program assistants 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 senior 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 senior program assistants.

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 senior program assistant salary by education level

According to our data, senior program assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $42,864 annually. Senior program assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $42,768.
Senior program assistant education levelSenior program assistant salary
Master's Degree$42,864
High School Diploma or Less$40,491
Bachelor's Degree$42,768
Some College/ Associate Degree$40,973

Senior program 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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