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Animal biologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an animal biologist. Animal biologists usually study biology, animal science, or natural sciences. 78% of animal biologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 14 real animal biologist resumes to see exactly what animal biologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for animal biologists are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

There are also many online animal biologist courses to help get the education required to be an animal biologist.

What education do you need to become an animal biologist?

What degree do you need to be an animal biologist?

  • Bachelor's, 78%
  • Associate, 22%

What should I major in to become an animal biologist?

You should major in biology to become an animal biologist. 40% of animal biologists major in biology. Other common majors for an animal biologist include animal science and natural sciences.

Most common colleges for animal biologists

Animal biologists often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, Syracuse University, and Purdue University. Here are the most common colleges for animal biologists in the US based on their resumes.
Animal biologist common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park28.57%
Syracuse University14.29%
Purdue University14.29%
Michigan State University14.29%
Oklahoma State University14.29%

Best majors for animal biologists

RankMajorPercentages
1Biology40.0%
2Animal Science30.0%
3Natural Sciences10.0%
4Business10.0%
5Human Biology10.0%

Best colleges for animal biologists

The best colleges for animal biologists are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Duke University.

An animal biologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for animal biologists. 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 animal biologists.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for animal biologists

Advertising disclosure

1. Sustainable Food Production Through Livestock Health Management

coursera

Learn about the impact of infectious disease on sustainable animal-based food production by understanding the science of growth, immunity, and infection and by learning the problem-solving skills needed to advance animal health and food production through optimal management practices. There is a growing global need in agricultural production for a workforce that is capable of integrating knowledge of animal health and production with an understanding of consumer preferences in the context of...

2. Dairy Production and Management

coursera

With the world's first MOOOOO-C, you will gain a broad and comprehensive understanding of all aspects of dairy management such as genetics, nutrition, reproduction, animal health, farm economics, and sustainability of dairy production systems. There's something here for everyone whether you are just looking for the basics or have years of experience in the dairy industry. This is an eight-week course. Each week consists of four to nine video lectures, additional reading materials, and a...

3. Anime Academy: Traditional Anime Drawing!

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4.7
(593)

Learn to draw Anime characters and illustrations traditionally with Pencil and Paper, Watercolor, and Colored Pencils!...

4. Procedural animation for humans in Unreal Engine 5

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4.7
(289)

Create a dynamic and flexible animation system which can be adapted to any style of character movement...

5. Create Animation Transitions in Unity (Intro to Animation 2)

coursera

In this one-hour, project-based course, you will be introduced to Unity's Animator tool for connecting multiple animations and transitioning between them. This project covers creating animations, transitions and parameters that can be used to trigger behavior. The guided project will introduce you to the following Unity concepts: - Animator - Animator Parameters - Animation Transitions - Animation Events This is Part 2 of a two-part series introducing Unity's Animation and Animator. Part 1...

6. Data-Driven Animation for Science Communication

coursera

In this course each student will create a scientific animation that tells a story with data to better communicate scientific results – along the way they will learn programming, science writing, and technical animation skills. This course trains students in data-based storytelling that promotes research and science communication for the benefit of communities and policymakers on local and global scales. Students will draft a science writing script, create custom raster and vector graphics, data...

7. Learn to Animate: Classical 2D Animation for Beginners

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4.5
(1,233)

A Complete Guide to Animation Principles in Adobe Animate...

8. Animal Communication - Intermediate

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4.9
(1,082)

Intermediate level telepathic animal communication made easy...

9. PowerPoint Masterclass - Presentation Design & Animation

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4.6
(5,879)

Microsoft Power Point presentation slides and animation. Microsoft Power Point 2016 2019 and 365 beginner to expert!...

10. 2D Character Animation: Walk Cycles

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4.8
(349)

Design Characters for animation in Adobe Animate : animate a character step by step : animate a full scene...

11. Animal Communication - Animals and the Afterlife

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5
(420)

Exploring death and the afterlife from the animal's point of view using telepathic animal communication...

12. 2D Animation Essentials in Moho & Anime Studio

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4.2
(367)

Learn the essentials and start creating your own character animations...

13. Ultimate Blender 3D Character Creation & Animation Course

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4.7
(2,240)

Learn 3D character creation & animation in Blender 2.8 with this A-Z course great for beginners and all levels of skill...

14. After Effects CC: Motion Graphics & Animation Principles

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4.9
(1,429)

In After Effects CC Learn to create motion graphics animations and apply the animation principles for cartoon like anime...

15. Learn Professional Pixel Art & Animation for Games

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4.5
(2,481)

Become an exquisite pixel artist and animator...

16. Mastering 2D Animation

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4.4
(289)

Learn to be a master 2D animator, using hand-drawn and digital techniques...

17. Learn 2D Game Special Effect Animation in Photoshop

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4.5
(448)

The best Game special effects animation course on the market...

18. Learn Animation Production with Blender 2.9

udemy
4.6
(497)

Learn to use Blender to create your own 3D animations...

19. Direct and Produce Animation

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4.5
(452)

People want to join your project. Learn how to guide them into following your vision for your next Animation...

20. Complete Whiteboard Animation in VideoScribe - 5 Animations

udemy
4.3
(647)

Create Your Own Whiteboard Animations with Video Scribe - No Drawing, Video Editing or Animation Experience Needed!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for animal biologists

The most affordable schools for animal biologists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for animal biologists 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 animal biologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animal biologists

The hardest universities for animal biologists to get into are Stanford University, Harvard University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for animal biologists 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 animal biologists 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

8. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

10. University of Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,520

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animal biologists

The easiest schools for animal biologists to get into are Wayland Baptist University, mount saint mary's university, and curry college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animal biologist 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 animal biologists.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

4. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

5. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average animal biologist salary by education level

Animal biologists with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $62,324 annually. With a Associate degree, animal biologists earn a median annual income of $54,805 compared to $53,446 for animal biologists with an High School Diploma degree.
Animal biologist education levelAnimal biologist salary
High School Diploma or Less$53,446
Bachelor's Degree$62,324
Some College/ Associate Degree$54,805

Animal biologist 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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