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Support staff education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a support staff. Desk clerks supervisors usually study business, psychology, or criminal justice. 46% of desk clerks supervisors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 22,271 real support staff resumes to see exactly what support staff education sections show.
The most common colleges for desk clerks supervisors are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online support staff courses to help get the education required to be a support staff.
There are certain support staff certifications that you should consider. These support staff certifications include Medical G.A.S. Installer (Med) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS).
What education do you need to become a support staff?
What degree do you need to be a support staff?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 20%
- High School Diploma, 18%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 10%
What should I major in to become a support staff?
- Business, 16%
- Psychology, 16%
- Criminal Justice, 8%
- General Studies, 6%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for desk clerks supervisors
| Support staff common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 17.01% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.43% |
| Grand Valley State University | 6.03% |
| Western Washington University | 5.71% |
| Western Michigan University | 5.71% |
Best majors for desk clerks supervisors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.2% |
| 2 | Psychology | 15.9% |
| 3 | Criminal Justice | 7.9% |
| 4 | General Studies | 5.9% |
| 5 | Social Work | 5.6% |
Best colleges for desk clerks supervisors
The best colleges for desk clerks supervisors are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A support staff with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for desk clerks supervisors. 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 desk clerks supervisors.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for desk clerks supervisors
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Top 10 most affordable universities for desk clerks supervisors
The most affordable schools for desk clerks supervisors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - bakersfield, and university of florida.
If the best universities for desk clerks supervisors 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 desk clerks supervisors.
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. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Dickinson State University
Dickinson, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$6,768
Cost of attendance
15,506
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for desk clerks supervisors
The hardest universities for desk clerks supervisors to get into are Northwestern University, Duke University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for desk clerks supervisors 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 desk clerks supervisors 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for desk clerks supervisors
The easiest schools for desk clerks supervisors to get into are D'Youville College, mount saint mary's university, and gwynedd mercy university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a support staff 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 desk clerks supervisors.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
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. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
7. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
8. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
9. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average support staff salary by education level
| Support staff education level | Support staff salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $38,001 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $31,603 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,108 |
| Doctorate Degree | $39,716 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $32,316 |
Support staff education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025