Animal shelter worker education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an animal shelter worker. Animal shelter workers usually study psychology, social work, or business. 48% of animal shelter workers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,043 real animal shelter worker resumes to see exactly what animal shelter worker education sections show.

The most common colleges for animal shelter workers are the Western Michigan University and the Western Michigan University.

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

What education do you need to become an animal shelter worker?

What degree do you need to be an animal shelter worker?

The most common degree for animal shelter workers is bachelor's degree, with 48% of animal shelter workers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 19%.

Bachelor's, 48%

Associate, 19%

High School Diploma, 19%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become an animal shelter worker?

You should major in psychology to become an animal shelter worker. 16% of animal shelter workers major in psychology. Other common majors for an animal shelter worker include social work and business.

Psychology, 16%

Social Work, 12%

Business, 10%

Criminal Justice, 7%

Other Majors, 55%

Most common colleges for animal shelter workers

Animal shelter workers often get their degrees at Western Michigan University, San Jose State University, and Lake Superior State University. Here are the most common colleges for animal shelter workers in the US based on their resumes.

Animal shelter worker common college	Percentages
Western Michigan University	14.29%
San Jose State University	8.57%
Lake Superior State University	7.14%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	5.71%
Colorado State University	5.71%

Show more common animal shelter worker colleges

Best majors for animal shelter workers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Psychology	16.2%
2	Social Work	12.2%
3	Business	10.5%
4	Criminal Justice	6.8%
5	Biology	6.4%

Show more common animal shelter worker majors

Best colleges for animal shelter workers

The best colleges for animal shelter workers are SUNY at Binghamton, Syracuse University, and Providence College.

An animal shelter worker 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 workers. 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 workers.

1. Texas A&M University - Commerce

Commerce, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$8,748

Enrollment

8,201

2. University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$15,887

Enrollment

23,202

3. Texas Tech University

Lubbock, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,080

Enrollment

30,795

4. West Texas A&M University

Canyon, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,935

Enrollment

7,368

5. The University of Findlay

Findlay, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$34,360

Enrollment

2,533

6. Saint Francis University

Loretto, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$36,410

Enrollment

1,668

7. Colorado State University

Fort Collins, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$11,707

Enrollment

24,210

8. William Woods University

Fulton, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$24,110

Enrollment

889

9. Ohio University

Athens, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$12,192

Enrollment

22,072

10. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

In-state tuition

$32,998

Enrollment

1,241

20 best online courses for animal shelter workers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for animal shelter workers

The most affordable schools for animal shelter workers are Brigham Young University, hunter college of the city university of new york, and southern university at new orleans.

If the best universities for animal shelter workers 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 workers.

1. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

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. Southern University at New Orleans

New Orleans, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,033

Cost of attendance

12,702

4. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Brigham Young University - Hawaii

Laie, HI • Private

In-state tuition

$5,560

Cost of attendance

18,043

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

9. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo

Arecibo, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,872

Cost of attendance

13,476

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animal shelter workers

The hardest universities for animal shelter workers to get into are SUNY at Binghamton, Syracuse University, and Providence College.

Some great schools for animal shelter workers 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 workers 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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

2. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

3. Providence College

Providence, RI • Private

Admissions rate

49%

SAT average

1,294

4. Tulane University

New Orleans, LA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,428

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

7. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

8. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

9. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for animal shelter workers

The easiest schools for animal shelter workers to get into are Nyack College, mount saint mary's university, and saint martin's university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an animal shelter worker 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 workers.

1. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

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. Centenary University

Hackettstown, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

67%

SAT average

987

7. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

8. Clarke University

Dubuque, IA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,058

9. Albany State University

Albany, GA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

865

10. Longwood University

Farmville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

89%

SAT average

1,065

Average animal shelter worker salary by education level

According to our data, animal shelter workers with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $35,574 annually. Animal shelter workers with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $33,783.

Animal shelter worker education level	Animal shelter worker salary
High School Diploma or Less	$31,895
Bachelor's Degree	$35,574
Some College/ Associate Degree	$33,783

Animal shelter worker education FAQs

What is the best college for Animal Shelter Workers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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