Pet counselor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a pet counselor. Pet counselors usually study business, biology, or general studies. 37% of pet counselors hold a bachelor's degree, and 36% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 488 real pet counselor resumes to see exactly what pet counselor education sections show.

The most common colleges for pet counselors are the Ohio State University and the Ohio State University.

There are also many online pet counselor courses to help get the education required to be a pet counselor.

What education do you need to become a pet counselor?

What degree do you need to be a pet counselor?

The most common degree for pet counselors is bachelor's degree, with 37% of pet counselors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 36% and high school diploma degree at 21%.

Bachelor's, 37%

High School Diploma, 36%

Associate, 21%

Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a pet counselor?

You should major in business to become a pet counselor. 18% of pet counselors major in business. Other common majors for a pet counselor include biology and general studies.

Business, 18%

Biology, 11%

General Studies, 10%

Criminal Justice, 8%

Other Majors, 53%

Most common colleges for pet counselors

Pet counselors often get their degrees at Ohio State University, Washburn University of Topeka, and Ohio University. Here are the most common colleges for pet counselors in the US based on their resumes.

Pet counselor common college	Percentages
Ohio State University	11.43%
Washburn University of Topeka	8.57%
Ohio University	8.57%
University of Central Florida	8.57%
University of Nevada - Las Vegas	5.71%

Show more common pet counselor colleges

Best majors for pet counselors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	17.9%
2	Biology	11.4%
3	General Studies	9.8%
4	Criminal Justice	8.1%
5	Psychology	5.7%

Show more common pet counselor majors

Best colleges for pet counselors

The best colleges for pet counselors are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and New York University.

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

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

4. Maria College of Albany

Albany, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$15,140

Enrollment

876

5. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

6. Otterbein University

Westerville, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$31,874

Enrollment

2,361

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

8. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$17,653

Enrollment

16,405

9. Vermont Technical College

Randolph, VT • Private

In-state tuition

$15,108

Enrollment

1,350

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for pet counselors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for pet counselors

The most affordable schools for pet counselors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for pet counselors 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 pet counselors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Trident University International

Cypress, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,240

Cost of attendance

17,912

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

10. University of Alaska Southeast

Juneau, AK • Private

In-state tuition

$7,092

Cost of attendance

16,853

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for pet counselors

The hardest universities for pet counselors to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and New York University.

Some great schools for pet counselors 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 pet counselors 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

6. University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

26%

SAT average

1,427

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

8. Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,443

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for pet counselors

The easiest schools for pet counselors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, adventhealth university, and manor college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a pet counselor 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 pet counselors.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

3. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

4. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

5. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

6. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

9. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

10. Pennsylvania State University - Shenango

Sharon, PA • Private

Admissions rate

75%

SAT average

989

Average pet counselor salary by education level

According to our data, pet counselors with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $33,515 annually. Pet counselors with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $32,042.

Pet counselor education level	Pet counselor salary
High School Diploma or Less	$30,478
Bachelor's Degree	$33,515
Some College/ Associate Degree	$32,042

Pet counselor education FAQs

What is the best college for Pet Counselors?

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

Search for pet counselor 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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