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Veterinary Technician Assistant Education Requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a veterinary technician assistant. Veterinary technician assistants usually study medical assisting services, biology, or animal science. 41% of veterinary technician assistants hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 5,235 real veterinary technician assistant resumes to see exactly what veterinary technician assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for veterinary technician assistants are the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania.

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

There are certain veterinary technician assistant certifications that you should consider. These veterinary technician assistant certifications include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

What education do you need to become a veterinary technician assistant?

What degree do you need to be a veterinary technician assistant?

The most common degree for veterinary technician assistants is bachelor's degree, with 41% of veterinary technician assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 21%.
  • Bachelor's, 41%
  • Associate, 28%
  • High School Diploma, 21%
  • Diploma, 5%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a veterinary technician assistant?

You should major in medical assisting services to become a veterinary technician assistant. 22% of veterinary technician assistants major in medical assisting services. Other common majors for a veterinary technician assistant include biology and animal science.

Most common colleges for veterinary technician assistants

Veterinary technician assistants often get their degrees at University of Pennsylvania, Pima Medical Institute, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Here are the most common colleges for veterinary technician assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Veterinary Technician Assistant Common CollegePercentages
University of Pennsylvania16.06%
Pima Medical Institute12.05%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro5.22%
Auburn University Main Campus5.22%
Colorado State University5.22%

Best majors for veterinary technician assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Medical Assisting Services22.5%
2Biology16.2%
3Animal Science10.1%
4Business6.4%
5Psychology5.4%

Best colleges for veterinary technician assistants

The best colleges for veterinary technician assistants are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Cornell University.

A veterinary technician 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 veterinary technician 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 veterinary technician assistants.

1. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-State Tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. University of Vermont

Burlington, VT • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,276

Enrollment

10,612

6. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

7. University of New Hampshire

Durham, NH • Private

In-State Tuition

$18,499

Enrollment

12,668

8. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-State Tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

9. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

10. University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT • Private

In-State Tuition

$15,730

Enrollment

18,830

20 best online courses for veterinary technician assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for veterinary technician assistants

The most affordable schools for veterinary technician assistants are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for veterinary technician 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 veterinary technician assistants.

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. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,587

Cost of Attendance

16,915

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-State Tuition

$4,094

Cost of Attendance

14,302

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-State Tuition

$8,306

Cost of Attendance

16,091

8. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-State Tuition

$7,353

Cost of Attendance

21,302

9. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-State Tuition

$9,992

Cost of Attendance

22,430

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-State Tuition

$6,410

Cost of Attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for veterinary technician assistants

The hardest universities for veterinary technician assistants to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Cornell University.

Some great schools for veterinary technician 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 veterinary technician 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. 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. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions Rate

10%

SAT Average

1,514

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions Rate

11%

SAT Average

1,513

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions Rate

5%

SAT Average

1,520

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

20%

SAT Average

1,419

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

17%

SAT Average

1,507

9. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions Rate

8%

SAT Average

1,492

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

6%

SAT Average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for veterinary technician assistants

The easiest schools for veterinary technician assistants to get into are AdventHealth University, barry university, and notre dame de namur university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a veterinary technician 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 veterinary technician 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. 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. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

88%

SAT Average

1,044

6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville

Kingsville, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

89%

SAT Average

1,035

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions Rate

71%

SAT Average

1,035

8. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions Rate

93%

SAT Average

1,002

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions Rate

100%

SAT Average

1,072

10. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions Rate

97%

SAT Average

1,050

Average veterinary technician assistant salary by education level

Veterinary technician assistants with a Associate degree earn more than those without, at $40,428 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, veterinary technician assistants earn a median annual income of $39,983 compared to $38,193 for veterinary technician assistants with an High School Diploma degree.
Veterinary Technician Assistant education levelVeterinary Technician Assistant salary
High School Diploma or Less$38,193
Bachelor's Degree$39,983
Some College/ Associate Degree$40,428

Veterinary Technician Assistant 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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