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Kennel technician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a kennel technician. Kennel technicians usually study medical assisting services, biology, or animal science. 39% of kennel technicians hold a high school diploma, and 28% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 12,303 real kennel technician resumes to see exactly what kennel technician education sections show.

The most common colleges for kennel technicians are the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania.

There are also many online kennel technician courses to help get the education required to be a kennel technician.

There are certain kennel technician certifications that you should consider. These kennel technician certifications include Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT).

What education do you need to become a kennel technician?

What degree do you need to be a kennel technician?

The most common degree for kennel technicians is high school diploma, with 39% of kennel technicians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 28% and bachelor's degree degree at 20%.
  • High School Diploma, 39%
  • Bachelor's, 28%
  • Associate, 20%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 6%

What should I major in to become a kennel technician?

You should major in medical assisting services to become a kennel technician. 15% of kennel technicians major in medical assisting services. Other common majors for a kennel technician include biology and animal science.

Most common colleges for kennel technicians

Kennel technicians often get their degrees at University of Pennsylvania, Texas A&M; University, and Austin Community College. Here are the most common colleges for kennel technicians in the US based on their resumes.
Kennel technician common collegePercentages
University of Pennsylvania12.17%
Texas A&M University7.30%
Austin Community College7.30%
University of Phoenix7.08%
Colorado State University6.42%

Best majors for kennel technicians

RankMajorPercentages
1Medical Assisting Services14.5%
2Biology12.4%
3Animal Science9.5%
4Business8.5%
5General Studies7.9%

Best colleges for kennel technicians

The best colleges for kennel technicians are Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue University.

A kennel technician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for kennel technicians. 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 kennel technicians.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

3. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

4. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$49,042

Enrollment

5,131

5. Kettering College

Kettering, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$12,960

Enrollment

610

6. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

9. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

In-state tuition

$13,392

Enrollment

646

10. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

20 best online courses for kennel technicians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for kennel technicians

The most affordable schools for kennel technicians are Brigham Young University - Idaho, purdue university, and tarleton state university.

If the best universities for kennel technicians 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 kennel technicians.

1. Brigham Young University - Idaho

Rexburg, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$4,118

Cost of attendance

12,223

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

3. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$7,292

Cost of attendance

20,387

4. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

In-state tuition

$9,283

Cost of attendance

22,243

5. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

6. Louisiana State University at Alexandria

Alexandria, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,668

Cost of attendance

14,488

7. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College

Tifton, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$3,503

Cost of attendance

12,843

8. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,233

Cost of attendance

18,110

9. Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,922

Cost of attendance

20,612

10. University of New Mexico

Albuquerque, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$7,633

Cost of attendance

19,235

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for kennel technicians

The hardest universities for kennel technicians to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh, and Purdue University.

Some great schools for kennel technicians 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 kennel technicians 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. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

3. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

4. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

1,261

5. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

6. Kettering College

Kettering, OH • Private

Admissions rate

27%

SAT average

1,125

7. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,035

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

New Brunswick, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

60%

SAT average

1,303

9. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,109

10. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for kennel technicians

The easiest schools for kennel technicians to get into are AdventHealth University, clarkson college, and saint joseph's college, new york.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a kennel technician 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 kennel technicians.

1. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

2. Clarkson College

Omaha, NE • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,035

3. Saint Joseph's College, New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

1,109

4. Louisiana College

Pineville, LA • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,084

5. Tarleton State University

Stephenville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

55%

SAT average

1,056

6. Northwestern State University of Louisiana

Natchitoches, LA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,102

7. St. Catherine University

Saint Paul, MN • Private

Admissions rate

73%

SAT average

1,124

8. University of Colorado Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

64%

SAT average

1,132

9. Midwestern State University

Wichita Falls, TX • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,033

10. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

Average kennel technician salary by education level

According to our data, kennel technicians with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $28,005 annually. Kennel technicians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $27,728.
Kennel technician education levelKennel technician salary
High School Diploma or Less$27,127
Bachelor's Degree$28,005
Some College/ Associate Degree$27,728

Kennel technician 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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