Animal sitter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an animal sitter. Animal sitters usually study biology, nursing, or criminal justice. 42% of animal sitters hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 193 real animal sitter resumes to see exactly what animal sitter education sections show.

The most common colleges for animal sitters are the Gwynedd Mercy University and the Gwynedd Mercy University.

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

What education do you need to become an animal sitter?

What degree do you need to be an animal sitter?

The most common degree for animal sitters is bachelor's degree, with 42% of animal sitters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 30% and high school diploma degree at 18%.

Bachelor's, 42%

High School Diploma, 30%

Associate, 18%

Diploma, 5%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an animal sitter?

You should major in biology to become an animal sitter. 13% of animal sitters major in biology. Other common majors for an animal sitter include nursing and criminal justice.

Biology, 13%

Nursing, 11%

Criminal Justice, 11%

General Studies, 9%

Other Majors, 56%

Most common colleges for animal sitters

Animal sitters often get their degrees at Gwynedd Mercy University, Central Washington University, and University of Maine at Augusta. Here are the most common colleges for animal sitters in the US based on their resumes.

Animal sitter common college	Percentages
Gwynedd Mercy University	9.52%
Central Washington University	4.76%
University of Maine at Augusta	4.76%
Louisiana State University and A&M College	4.76%
Manhattan College	4.76%

Show more common animal sitter colleges

Best majors for animal sitters

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	13.0%
2	Nursing	10.9%
3	Criminal Justice	10.9%
4	General Studies	8.7%
5	Psychology	8.7%

Show more common animal sitter majors

Best colleges for animal sitters

The best colleges for animal sitters are University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

An animal sitter 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 sitters. 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 sitters.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

6. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

In-state tuition

$49,816

Enrollment

6,840

7. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

8. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

20 best online courses for animal sitters

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Top 10 most affordable universities for animal sitters

The most affordable schools for animal sitters are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for animal sitters 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 sitters.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for animal sitters

The hardest universities for animal sitters to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for animal sitters 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 sitters 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

5. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

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

The easiest schools for animal sitters to get into are AdventHealth University, barry university, and d'youville college.

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

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. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

5. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

9. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average animal sitter salary by education level

According to our data, animal sitters with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $29,674 annually. Animal sitters with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $26,661.

Animal sitter education level	Animal sitter salary
High School Diploma or Less	$23,667
Bachelor's Degree	$29,674
Some College/ Associate Degree	$26,661

Animal sitter education FAQs

What is the best college for Animal Sitters?

Have more questions? See all answers to common personal care and attendants questions.

Search for animal sitter jobs

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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