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Laboratory animal caretaker education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a laboratory animal caretaker. Laboratory animal caretakers usually study biology, animal science, or medical assisting services. 42% of laboratory animal caretakers hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 6,489 real laboratory animal caretaker resumes to see exactly what laboratory animal caretaker education sections show.
The most common colleges for laboratory animal caretakers are the Michigan State University and the Michigan State University.
There are also many online laboratory animal caretaker courses to help get the education required to be a laboratory animal caretaker.
There are certain laboratory animal caretaker certifications that you should consider. These laboratory animal caretaker certifications include Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT) and First Aid, CPR and AED Instructor.
What education do you need to become a laboratory animal caretaker?
What degree do you need to be a laboratory animal caretaker?
- Bachelor's, 42%
- High School Diploma, 30%
- Associate, 18%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a laboratory animal caretaker?
- Biology, 17%
- Animal Science, 13%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for laboratory animal caretakers
| Laboratory animal caretaker common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Michigan State University | 13.01% |
| University of Iowa | 8.55% |
| University of Pennsylvania | 7.43% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 6.32% |
| University of Georgia | 5.95% |
Best majors for laboratory animal caretakers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 16.5% |
| 2 | Animal Science | 13.4% |
| 3 | Medical Assisting Services | 9.2% |
| 4 | Psychology | 7.2% |
| 5 | Business | 7.1% |
Best colleges for laboratory animal caretakers
The best colleges for laboratory animal caretakers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.
A laboratory animal caretaker with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for laboratory animal caretakers. 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 laboratory animal caretakers.
1. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
5. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,620
Enrollment
27,730
6. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Enrollment
21,732
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. Delaware State University
Dover, DE • Private
In-state tuition
$7,868
Enrollment
3,835
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for laboratory animal caretakers
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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care
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2. Health for All Through Primary Health Care
This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...
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Introduction to the meaning of various roots, terms and combining forms that are components of medical words...
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Welcome to Trauma Emergencies and Care. In this course, you will learn about some of the mechanics and physics of trauma on the human body, and how this can cause injury. You will continue to expand your new vocabulary with medical terminology, and learn how to describe the different injuries you may see. You will also learn about the trauma system itself- and when it is important to transport patients to a trauma center. Then we will dive into specific injuries based on what part of the body...
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14. Pain Management: Easing Pain in Palliative Care
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Top 10 most affordable universities for laboratory animal caretakers
The most affordable schools for laboratory animal caretakers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for laboratory animal caretakers 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 laboratory animal caretakers.
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
7. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
8. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for laboratory animal caretakers
The hardest universities for laboratory animal caretakers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for laboratory animal caretakers 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 laboratory animal caretakers 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
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. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for laboratory animal caretakers
The easiest schools for laboratory animal caretakers to get into are Barry University, adventhealth university, and notre dame de namur university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a laboratory animal caretaker 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 laboratory animal caretakers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
7. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
10. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
Average laboratory animal caretaker salary by education level
| Laboratory animal caretaker education level | Laboratory animal caretaker salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $27,061 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $28,006 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $27,707 |
Laboratory animal caretaker education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025