2026 Best Animal Services Schools in the The Plains States Region

Animal Services is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their animal services programs.

For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 7 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for animal services students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Animal Services Schools in the The Plains States Region

Best Schools for Animal Services in the The Plains States Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall animal services education in the The Plains States Region.

Top Schools in Animal Services

1

University Of Missouri Columbia
Columbia, MO

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

30 Animal Services Degrees Awarded

$53,134 Median Starting Salary

University Of Missouri Columbia is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in animal services. Located in the city of Columbia, University Of Missouri Columbia is a very large public university. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 30 animal services degrees were awarded at University Of Missouri Columbia in the most recent year. Students who receive their animal services degree from University Of Missouri Columbia earn around $53,134 in the first couple years of their career. University Of Missouri Columbia graduates carry a median of $21,818 in student loans. Read more about the animal services program at University Of Missouri Columbia

2

William Woods University
Fulton, MO

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

20 Animal Services Degrees Awarded

$30,545 Median Starting Salary

William Woods University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best animal services schools. Set in the town of Fulton, William Woods University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. About 46% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 20 animal services students who graduated with this degree at William Woods University in the most recent data year. Animal Services graduates of William Woods University earn a median of $30,545 early in their careers. William Woods University graduates carry a median of $26,406 in student loans. See the full animal services program report for William Woods University

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.