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Veterinarian assistant education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a veterinarian assistant. Veterinarian assistants usually study biology, animal science, or business. 43% of veterinarian assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 3,752 real veterinarian assistant resumes to see exactly what veterinarian assistant education sections show.
The most common colleges for veterinarian assistants are the Pima Medical Institute and the Pima Medical Institute.
There are also many online veterinarian assistant courses to help get the education required to be a veterinarian assistant.
There are certain veterinarian assistant certifications that you should consider. These veterinarian assistant certifications include Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) and Medical Assistant.
What education do you need to become a veterinarian assistant?
What degree do you need to be a veterinarian assistant?
- Bachelor's, 43%
- High School Diploma, 23%
- Associate, 22%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a veterinarian assistant?
- Biology, 17%
- Animal Science, 13%
- Business, 11%
- Other Majors, 49%
Most common colleges for veterinarian assistants
| Veterinarian assistant common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pima Medical Institute | 12.35% |
| Michigan State University | 7.65% |
| University of Phoenix | 6.47% |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | 5.88% |
| Ohio State University | 5.29% |
Best majors for veterinarian assistants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 16.8% |
| 2 | Animal Science | 13.0% |
| 3 | Business | 10.8% |
| 4 | Medical Assisting Services | 9.7% |
| 5 | General Studies | 6.4% |
Best colleges for veterinarian assistants
The best colleges for veterinarian assistants are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
A veterinarian assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for veterinarian assistants. 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 veterinarian assistants.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. University of Colorado Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$9,283
Enrollment
11,892
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
20 best online courses for veterinarian assistants
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Top 10 most affordable universities for veterinarian assistants
The most affordable schools for veterinarian assistants are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for veterinarian assistants 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 veterinarian assistants.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
9. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
10. University of Missouri - Kansas City
Kansas City, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$8,178
Cost of attendance
20,934
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for veterinarian assistants
The hardest universities for veterinarian assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for veterinarian assistants 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 veterinarian assistants 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. 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for veterinarian assistants
The easiest schools for veterinarian assistants 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 a veterinarian assistant 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 veterinarian assistants.
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. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
7. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average veterinarian assistant salary by education level
| Veterinarian assistant education level | Veterinarian assistant salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $58,070 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $64,389 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $62,347 |
Veterinarian assistant education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025