Zoo director education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a zoo director. Zoo directors usually study biology, economics, or anthropology. 40% of zoo directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 13 real zoo director resumes to see exactly what zoo director education sections show.

The most common colleges for zoo directors are the Central Michigan University and the Central Michigan University.

There are also many online zoo director courses to help get the education required to be a zoo director.

What education do you need to become a zoo director?

What degree do you need to be a zoo director?

The most common degree for zoo directors is bachelor's degree, with 40% of zoo directors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 20% and master's degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 40%

Master's, 20%

High School Diploma, 10%

Associate, 10%

Other Degrees, 20%

What should I major in to become a zoo director?

You should major in biology to become a zoo director. 22% of zoo directors major in biology. Other common majors for a zoo director include economics and anthropology.

Biology, 22%

Economics, 22%

Anthropology, 22%

Management, 11%

Other Majors, 23%

Most common colleges for zoo directors

Zoo directors often get their degrees at Central Michigan University, Tougaloo College, and University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Here are the most common colleges for zoo directors in the US based on their resumes.

Zoo director common college	Percentages
Central Michigan University	14.29%
Tougaloo College	14.29%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	14.29%
Cornell University	14.29%
Eastern Illinois University	14.29%

Show more common zoo director colleges

Best majors for zoo directors

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Biology	22.2%
2	Economics	22.2%
3	Anthropology	22.2%
4	Management	11.1%
5	Natural Sciences	11.1%

Show more common zoo director majors

Best colleges for zoo directors

The best colleges for zoo directors are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

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

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

5. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,522

Enrollment

13,760

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

9. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

10. Lehigh University

Bethlehem, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$52,930

Enrollment

5,030

20 best online courses for zoo directors

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Top 10 most affordable universities for zoo directors

The most affordable schools for zoo directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and university of south florida.

If the best universities for zoo directors 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 zoo directors.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for zoo directors

The hardest universities for zoo directors to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Carnegie Mellon University.

Some great schools for zoo directors 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 zoo directors 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

SAT average

1,492

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

4. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for zoo directors

The easiest schools for zoo directors to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and university of the incarnate word.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a zoo director 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 zoo directors.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. Waynesburg University

Waynesburg, PA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,080

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average zoo director salary by education level

Zoo directors with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $77,983 annually. With a Doctorate degree, zoo directors earn a median annual income of $73,926 compared to $63,075 for zoo directors with an Bachelor's degree.

Zoo director education level	Zoo director salary
Master's Degree	$77,983
High School Diploma or Less	$47,217
Bachelor's Degree	$63,075
Doctorate Degree	$73,926
Some College/ Associate Degree	$49,300

Zoo director education FAQs

What is the best college for Zoo Directors?

Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.

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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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