by our College Data Analytics TeamA major in General Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science explores Administrative Assistant And Secretarial Science, General. A Program That Generally Prepares Individuals To Perform The Duties Of Administrative Assistants And/or Secretaries And Stenographers. Includes Instruction In Business Communications, Principles Of Business Law, Word Processing And Data Entry, Office Machines Operation And Maintenance, Office Procedures, Public Relations, Secretarial Accounting, Filing Systems And Records Management, And Report Preparation. Continue reading for the key facts every general administrative assistant and secretarial science student should know — including career paths, salary data, the skills you will develop, and the best colleges offering general administrative assistant and secretarial science programs.
Across the country, general administrative assistant and secretarial science draws strong interest, with 6,607 degrees awarded annually.
Our 2026 Best General Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science Schools ranking analyzes these 444 schools to determine the best overall colleges for general administrative assistant and secretarial science students. Continue reading to check out one of our many unbiased rankings of general administrative assistant and secretarial science programs later in this article.
Programs in General Administrative Assistant and Secretarial Science emphasize a specific mix of skills, knowledge, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in the occupations general administrative assistant and secretarial science graduates commonly enter.
Skills built by a general administrative assistant and secretarial science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:
According to O*NET, a general administrative assistant and secretarial science major emphasizes the following knowledge areas:
There are several general administrative assistant and secretarial science degree levels. The table below shows the typical length of the most common levels, and how many graduates earn each one.
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate | Varies | 1,592 |
| Associate Degree | 2 years | 1,755 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 75 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 2,728 |
People currently working in careers related to general administrative assistant and secretarial science tend to have obtained the following education levels.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 32.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 26.7% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 20.5% |
| Some college courses | 15.3% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 3.6% |
| Master’s degree | 0.8% |
| Post-master’s certificate | 0.5% |
| First professional degree | 0.4% |
View the chart below to get an idea of what level of education most of those in general administrative assistant and secretarial science careers hold.
Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*
A degree in general administrative assistant and secretarial science can lead to many career paths. Below are some of the most common occupations related to general administrative assistant and secretarial science.
The following options are some of the most in-demand careers related to general administrative assistant and secretarial science.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,904,234 | -0.4% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,827,394 | -3.9% |
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | 1,062,982 | 11.9% |
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | 836,240 | 1.2% |
Federal data tracks median earnings of general administrative assistant and secretarial science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise as graduates gain experience.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $24,716 |
| 4 years | $28,352 |
| 5 years | $31,368 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.
Salaries for general administrative assistant and secretarial science graduates vary widely by occupation. The following table shows the top highest-paying careers general administrative assistant and secretarial science grads often go into.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | $59,046 |
| Human Resources Assistants, Except Payroll and Timekeeping | $57,361 |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | $42,498 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | $27,636 |
With 444 different general administrative assistant and secretarial science programs to choose from, finding the best fit can be a challenge. We have analyzed these schools to produce unbiased general administrative assistant and secretarial science school rankings to help you.
If you are interested in general administrative assistant and secretarial science, you may also want to explore other closely related fields of study within the same broad area.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
