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Animal shelter manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an animal shelter manager. Animal shelter managers usually study business, criminal justice, or management. 50% of animal shelter managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 53 real animal shelter manager resumes to see exactly what animal shelter manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for animal shelter managers are the University of Redlands and the University of Redlands.
There are also many online animal shelter manager courses to help get the education required to be an animal shelter manager.
What education do you need to become an animal shelter manager?
What degree do you need to be an animal shelter manager?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Associate, 25%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Master's, 13%
What should I major in to become an animal shelter manager?
- Business, 29%
- Criminal Justice, 9%
- Management, 6%
- Nursing, 6%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for animal shelter managers
| Animal shelter manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Redlands | 10.00% |
| University of Phoenix | 10.00% |
| Liberty University | 5.00% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 5.00% |
| Western Washington University | 5.00% |
Best majors for animal shelter managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 29.4% |
| 2 | Criminal Justice | 8.8% |
| 3 | Management | 5.9% |
| 4 | Nursing | 5.9% |
| 5 | Medical Assisting Services | 5.9% |
Best colleges for animal shelter managers
The best colleges for animal shelter managers are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
An animal shelter manager 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 shelter managers. 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 shelter managers.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
8. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
9. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
10. Clemson University
Clemson, SC • Private
In-state tuition
$15,374
Enrollment
19,564
20 best online courses for animal shelter managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for animal shelter managers
The most affordable schools for animal shelter managers are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for animal shelter managers 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 shelter managers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animal shelter managers
The hardest universities for animal shelter managers to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for animal shelter managers 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 shelter managers 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
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. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animal shelter managers
The easiest schools for animal shelter managers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animal shelter manager 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 shelter managers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
4. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average animal shelter manager salary by education level
| Animal shelter manager education level | Animal shelter manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $62,015 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $53,391 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $58,892 |
| No Education | $50,481 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $57,033 |
Animal shelter manager education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025