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Animal keeper education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an animal keeper. Animal keepers usually study biology, zoology, or animal science. 72% of animal keepers hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 559 real animal keeper resumes to see exactly what animal keeper education sections show.
The most common colleges for animal keepers are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.
There are also many online animal keeper courses to help get the education required to be an animal keeper.
What education do you need to become an animal keeper?
What degree do you need to be an animal keeper?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 8%
- Master's, 5%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an animal keeper?
- Biology, 31%
- Zoology, 15%
- Animal Science, 11%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for animal keepers
| Animal keeper common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ohio State University | 8.86% |
| Santa Fe College | 7.59% |
| George Mason University | 7.59% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 6.33% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.33% |
Best majors for animal keepers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 31.4% |
| 2 | Zoology | 14.9% |
| 3 | Animal Science | 10.9% |
| 4 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 7.9% |
| 5 | Wildlife Management | 5.6% |
Best colleges for animal keepers
The best colleges for animal keepers are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
An animal keeper 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 keepers. 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 keepers.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
5. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$15,887
Enrollment
23,202
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for animal keepers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for animal keepers
The most affordable schools for animal keepers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for animal keepers 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 keepers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
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 keepers
The hardest universities for animal keepers to get into are Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for animal keepers 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 keepers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animal keepers
The easiest schools for animal keepers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and adventhealth university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animal keeper 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 keepers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average animal keeper salary by education level
| Animal keeper education level | Animal keeper salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $29,801 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $33,186 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $31,538 |
Animal keeper 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