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Dog sitter education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a dog sitter. Dog sitters usually study psychology, biology, or business. 38% of dog sitters hold a bachelor's degree, and 33% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 3,533 real dog sitter resumes to see exactly what dog sitter education sections show.

The most common colleges for dog sitters are the Grand Valley State University and the Grand Valley State University.

There are also many online dog sitter courses to help get the education required to be a dog sitter.

What education do you need to become a dog sitter?

What degree do you need to be a dog sitter?

The most common degree for dog sitters is bachelor's degree, with 38% of dog sitters earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 33% and high school diploma degree at 18%.
  • Bachelor's, 38%
  • High School Diploma, 33%
  • Associate, 18%
  • Diploma, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a dog sitter?

You should major in psychology to become a dog sitter. 13% of dog sitters major in psychology. Other common majors for a dog sitter include biology and business.

Most common colleges for dog sitters

Dog sitters often get their degrees at Grand Valley State University, University of California, Santa Barbara, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for dog sitters in the US based on their resumes.
Dog sitter common collegePercentages
Grand Valley State University8.60%
University of California, Santa Barbara7.53%
University of Maryland - College Park6.45%
University of North Texas5.38%
University of Pennsylvania5.38%

Best majors for dog sitters

RankMajorPercentages
1Psychology12.6%
2Biology9.4%
3Business8.5%
4Criminal Justice7.4%
5Medical Assisting Services7.4%

Best colleges for dog sitters

The best colleges for dog sitters are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

A dog 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 dog 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 dog sitters.

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. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

4. West Texas A&M University

Canyon, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,935

Enrollment

7,368

5. Post University

Waterbury, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$16,610

Enrollment

9,017

6. North Dakota State University

Fargo, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$9,414

Enrollment

11,182

7. Averett University

Danville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$34,520

Enrollment

943

8. Judson College

Marion, AL • Private

In-state tuition

$18,510

Enrollment

259

9. Saint Francis University

Loretto, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$36,410

Enrollment

1,668

10. Midway University

Midway, KY • Private

In-state tuition

$24,750

Enrollment

1,036

20 best online courses for dog sitters

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Top 10 most affordable universities for dog sitters

The most affordable schools for dog sitters are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for dog 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 dog sitters.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

5. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

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 dog sitters

The hardest universities for dog sitters to get into are University of Rochester, University of Tulsa, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for dog 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 dog 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 Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

2. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. Clemson University

Clemson, SC • Private

Admissions rate

47%

SAT average

1,337

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

10. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,326

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

The easiest schools for dog sitters to get into are AdventHealth University, nyack college, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a dog 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 dog sitters.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

5. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. Aultman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Canton, OH • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

1,085

9. Saint Martin's University

Lacey, WA • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,111

10. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

Average dog sitter salary by education level

According to our data, dog sitters with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $30,399 annually. Dog sitters with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $26,946.
Dog sitter education levelDog sitter salary
High School Diploma or Less$23,562
Bachelor's Degree$30,399
Some College/ Associate Degree$26,946

Dog sitter 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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