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Support clerk education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a support clerk. Support clerks usually study business, health care administration, or general studies. 38% of support clerks hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 4,431 real support clerk resumes to see exactly what support clerk education sections show.

The most common colleges for support clerks are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

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

There are certain support clerk certifications that you should consider. These support clerk certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Word 2010 Certification.

What education do you need to become a support clerk?

What degree do you need to be a support clerk?

The most common degree for support clerks is bachelor's degree, with 38% of support clerks earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 21%.
  • Bachelor's, 38%
  • Associate, 25%
  • High School Diploma, 21%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a support clerk?

You should major in business to become a support clerk. 30% of support clerks major in business. Other common majors for a support clerk include health care administration and general studies.

Most common colleges for support clerks

Support clerks often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, DeVry University, and Miami Dade College. Here are the most common colleges for support clerks in the US based on their resumes.
Support clerk common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix19.00%
DeVry University7.00%
Miami Dade College6.50%
California State University - San Bernardino6.00%
Strayer University6.00%

Best majors for support clerks

Best colleges for support clerks

The best colleges for support clerks are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A support 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 support 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 support clerks.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,926

Enrollment

9,835

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Enrollment

14,629

9. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

10. Cedar Crest College

Allentown, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$39,216

Enrollment

1,303

20 best online courses for support clerks

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1. Introduction to Technical Support

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2. Healthcare IT Support

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Are you looking to get your foot in the door as a Healthcare IT Support specialist? Do you want to solve technical problems for healthcare professionals and health system employees? Have you always wanted to enter an in-demand field in Health Information Technology? The courses in this specialization are designed to pique your interest regarding the ever-evolving field of IT support in healthcare. In order to help physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and a wide range of other allied health...

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5. The Critical Role of IT Support Staff in Healthcare

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This is a very exciting time to be exploring a career in Health IT Support! In this introductory course, you’ll learn about various roles in IT support that are common in healthcare. IT support staff play critical roles in many different healthcare venues. In addition to helping clinics, hospitals, and emergency rooms, you may end up providing support in a skilled nursing facility, ambulatory surgical center, virtual care setting, or even a patient’s home! On any given day, you may interact...

6. Akamai Customer Consulting and Support

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9. Network Support Fundamentals

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Dive into the realm of network support with the Network Support Fundamentals course. This online course is meticulously designed to introduce you to the essential skills needed for supporting enterprise networks - one of the most in-demand skill sets in the digital landscape. By the end of this course you will be able to explain network security basics, monitor network performance, and provide essential professional support. Ideal for beginners aiming for an entry-level IT career or current IT...

10. Create Customer Support Data with Google Sheets

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By the end of this project, you will create a Google Sheet that transforms a business’s raw customer support data into a useful data set that provides the business with an overview of past support requirements. You will be able to determine which areas of the business are exceeding standards and which departments are performing below standard. This course will include an introduction to Google Sheets, how to leverage formulas, how to link multiple tabs, and how to utilize Google Sheets to...

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13. IBM IT Support

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17. Medical Diagnosis using Support Vector Machines

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Top 10 most affordable universities for support clerks

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

If the best universities for support 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 support 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

10. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for support clerks

The hardest universities for support clerks to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for support 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 support 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. 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

9. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

10. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

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

The easiest schools for support clerks to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and mount saint mary's university.

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

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

6. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average support clerk salary by education level

Support clerks with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $40,958 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, support clerks earn a median annual income of $39,703 compared to $37,640 for support clerks with an Associate degree.
Support clerk education levelSupport clerk salary
Master's Degree$40,958
High School Diploma or Less$36,286
Bachelor's Degree$39,703
Some College/ Associate Degree$37,640

Support clerk 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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