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Animal caregiver education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an animal caregiver. Animal caregivers usually study biology, business, or animal science. 45% of animal caregivers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 1,037 real animal caregiver resumes to see exactly what animal caregiver education sections show.
The most common colleges for animal caregivers are the University of Wisconsin Colleges and the University of Wisconsin Colleges.
There are also many online animal caregiver courses to help get the education required to be an animal caregiver.
What education do you need to become an animal caregiver?
What degree do you need to be an animal caregiver?
- Bachelor's, 45%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Associate, 21%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become an animal caregiver?
- Biology, 14%
- Business, 9%
- Animal Science, 9%
- Psychology, 8%
- Other Majors, 60%
Most common colleges for animal caregivers
| Animal caregiver common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 11.43% |
| Michigan State University | 8.57% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 7.14% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.14% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 5.71% |
Best majors for animal caregivers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 14.4% |
| 2 | Business | 9.5% |
| 3 | Animal Science | 8.8% |
| 4 | Psychology | 8.4% |
| 5 | Criminal Justice | 8.4% |
Best colleges for animal caregivers
The best colleges for animal caregivers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
An animal caregiver 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 caregivers. 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 caregivers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for animal caregivers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for animal caregivers
The most affordable schools for animal caregivers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for animal caregivers 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 caregivers.
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 - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animal caregivers
The hardest universities for animal caregivers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Harvard University.
Some great schools for animal caregivers 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 caregivers 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
4. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animal caregivers
The easiest schools for animal caregivers to get into are AdventHealth University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animal caregiver 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 caregivers.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average animal caregiver salary by education level
| Animal caregiver education level | Animal caregiver salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $26,980 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $29,212 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $28,133 |
Animal caregiver education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025