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Animal rehabilitator education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an animal rehabilitator. Animal rehabilitators usually study environmental science, biology, or zoology. 54% of animal rehabilitators hold a bachelor's degree, and 38% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 23 real animal rehabilitator resumes to see exactly what animal rehabilitator education sections show.

The most common colleges for animal rehabilitators are the University of Vermont and the University of Vermont.

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

What education do you need to become an animal rehabilitator?

What degree do you need to be an animal rehabilitator?

  • Bachelor's, 54%
  • Associate, 38%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an animal rehabilitator?

You should major in environmental science to become an animal rehabilitator. 21% of animal rehabilitators major in environmental science. Other common majors for an animal rehabilitator include biology and zoology.

Most common colleges for animal rehabilitators

Animal rehabilitators often get their degrees at University of Vermont, Arkansas State University, and Hiram College. Here are the most common colleges for animal rehabilitators in the US based on their resumes.
Animal rehabilitator common collegePercentages
University of Vermont14.29%
Arkansas State University14.29%
Hiram College14.29%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point14.29%
Florida SouthWestern State College14.29%

Best majors for animal rehabilitators

RankMajorPercentages
1Environmental Science21.4%
2Biology14.3%
3Zoology14.3%
4Nursing7.1%
5Fine Arts7.1%

Best colleges for animal rehabilitators

The best colleges for animal rehabilitators are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

An animal rehabilitator 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 rehabilitators. 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 rehabilitators.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

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 Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

8. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for animal rehabilitators

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Top 10 most affordable universities for animal rehabilitators

The most affordable schools for animal rehabilitators 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 rehabilitators 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 rehabilitators.

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. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

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 rehabilitators

The hardest universities for animal rehabilitators to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for animal rehabilitators 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 rehabilitators 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. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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

The easiest schools for animal rehabilitators to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, wayland baptist university, and curry college.

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

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

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. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

7. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

8. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

Average animal rehabilitator salary by education level

Animal rehabilitators with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $33,171 annually. With a Associate degree, animal rehabilitators earn a median annual income of $31,648 compared to $30,037 for animal rehabilitators with an High School Diploma degree.
Animal rehabilitator education levelAnimal rehabilitator salary
High School Diploma or Less$30,037
Bachelor's Degree$33,171
Some College/ Associate Degree$31,648

Animal rehabilitator 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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