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Veterinary nurse education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a veterinary nurse. Veterinary nurses usually study medical assisting services, animal science, or biology. 50% of veterinary nurses hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 535 real veterinary nurse resumes to see exactly what veterinary nurse education sections show.
The most common colleges for veterinary nurses are the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania.
There are also many online veterinary nurse courses to help get the education required to be a veterinary nurse.
What education do you need to become a veterinary nurse?
What degree do you need to be a veterinary nurse?
- Bachelor's, 50%
- Associate, 32%
- High School Diploma, 7%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a veterinary nurse?
- Animal Science, 14%
- Biology, 12%
- Other Majors, 44%
Most common colleges for veterinary nurses
| Veterinary nurse common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | 7.02% |
| University of California - Davis | 7.02% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 7.02% |
| George Mason University | 7.02% |
| Arizona State University | 5.26% |
Best majors for veterinary nurses
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medical Assisting Services | 20.9% |
| 2 | Animal Science | 13.8% |
| 3 | Biology | 11.7% |
| 4 | Veterinary Medicine | 9.2% |
| 5 | Nursing | 6.3% |
Best colleges for veterinary nurses
The best colleges for veterinary nurses are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Cornell University.
A veterinary nurse with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for veterinary nurses. 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 veterinary nurses.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
2. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
10. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
20 best online courses for veterinary nurses
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Top 10 most affordable universities for veterinary nurses
The most affordable schools for veterinary nurses are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for veterinary nurses 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 veterinary nurses.
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
5. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
6. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for veterinary nurses
The hardest universities for veterinary nurses to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and Cornell University.
Some great schools for veterinary nurses 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 veterinary nurses 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 Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
10. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for veterinary nurses
The easiest schools for veterinary nurses 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 veterinary nurse 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 veterinary nurses.
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. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average veterinary nurse salary by education level
| Veterinary nurse education level | Veterinary nurse salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $33,750 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $35,388 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $35,794 |
Veterinary nurse education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025