Best Dog Grooming Schools: The Top 6 Pet Grooming Programs in 2025

Are you looking to start a dog grooming career? Then you need to get familiar with the best dog grooming schools to attend in 2025. The pet grooming industry has seen impressive growth in recent years as more pet parents become educated on proper care practices.
For aspiring dog groomers, this surge in demand presents an exciting opportunity to turn their passion for animals into a fulfilling career. However, it can be difficult to pick the right school depending on the cost, curriculum, location, and the student’s individual needs. This guide will help you navigate the landscape of pet grooming programs so you can make the most educated decision for yourself.
What is a dog grooming school?
A dog grooming school is a specialized educational program designed to train individuals in professional pet grooming. Students should learn essential techniques such as proper bathing methods, coat maintenance, nail trimming, ear cleaning, and styling according to breed standards. The curriculum typically combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience. Although, many programs are now offered online, making the practical part more of a challenge. Depending on the program, this could be a paid, online course or an in-person, brick-and-mortar school.
What makes a dog grooming school the best?
When we look for quality dog grooming schools, we consistently search for the same criteria:
- Curriculum: What will students learn in the program? How long does it take to complete?
- Cost: How expensive are the courses? Are there financial aid options available?
- Experience: What resources are available to students? Does the school have a positive reputation?
- Bonus features: What makes a school unique?
Overall Best Dog Grooming School
The Academy of Pet Careers

The APC offers everything a student would need to launch their career as a pet groomer. We go beyond grooming into animal behavior, animal medicine, and dog training for students who want to get certified in multiple areas.
Curriculum: The program hits all the marks, from basic grooming techniques, to safety and handling, to Pet First Aid and CPR. These courses can range from six weeks to five months depending on how in-depth the student wishes to go. Classes can be personalized to fit the student’s learning style, so no one gets left behind.
Cost: The comprehensive program cost ranges from $8,000 to $19,200. Financial aid, scholarships, loans, and state-funded programs are available to prospective students. Additionally, we offer various discounts and promos throughout the year, providing options for those with monetary concerns. We even have housing options for students who may have complications getting to and from class.
Experience: Our dog grooming school is one of the few with in-person classes, giving students a chance to gain valuable, hands-on experience. Students get real-time instruction from qualified instructors and class sizes are kept small. Therefore, each student gets the individual attention they need to be successful. The APC also offers part-time courses for those who need more flexibility.
Bonus features: The APC helps students and alumni with job placement, ensuring all their hard work pays off in a rewarding career. This includes access to business startup resources and entrepreneurial guidance following the completion of the program. Graduates are also welcome to come back at any time if they would like to refine their skills at no additional cost.
Best Online Dog Grooming School
Paragon School of Pet Grooming

Paragon offers web-based courses that allow students to study dog grooming from the comfort of their own home. Through books, video lessons, and photo submissions, the student is walked through beginner to advanced levels of grooming education.
Curriculum: Students can study at their own pace, making it a good option for anyone needing flexibility in their academic schedule. The curriculum is organized into levels, so students can confidently choose the program that best matches their previous education and experience (or lack thereof).
Cost: Their individual courses range from $1,299 to $2,365 depending on the level. You can purchase multiple levels, but bundling programs is also an option if you would like to save money while learning more than one level.
Experience: The programs are entirely online; therefore, students are assigned a mentor to make sure they are still getting guidance through every step of their education. Their grooming school was designed to be mobile-friendly as well, so students can take their lessons with them on the go.
Bonus features: Paragon has a private Facebook group and the “Paragon Alumni” organization to keep students connected and encourage networking opportunities. Plus, you only have to be 16 to enroll, so if grooming is your passion from a young age, you can get started early.
Best Cat Grooming School
The National Cat Groomers Institute

Cat grooming is a much more niche field than dog grooming, making it more difficult for aspiring cat groomers to find reputable places to train. The NCGI offers online training guides to teach students how to properly groom cats on their own time.
Curriculum: They offer three main Cat Groomer Training Guides depending on how in-depth the consumer would like to go. The courses go through the basics of cat grooming and into health, anatomy, temperament, and more. In addition, they offer supplemental courses for specific concerns, like handling aggressive cats or executing specialized styles.
Cost: The NCGI’s main, comprehensive Cat Groomer Training Guides range from $997 to $1,297. Their supplemental programs are less expensive, ranging from $37 to $397. They also offer bundles for those looking to save on multiple courses.
Experience: Because the courses are online, participants have more flexibility with the pacing of their education. The NCGI’s private Facebook group for students and instructors also walks the students through the material in their courses while keeping their online community connected.
Bonus features: If you’ve dreamed of starting your own cat grooming business, then you’re in luck. After you’ve earned your certification through them, you can also take advantage of the products and courses they provide on how to start your own cat grooming business effectively.
Best Dog Grooming School for Animal Behavior
Whole Pet Grooming Academy

WPGA is a great choice for anyone looking to start a career in grooming while keeping animal behavior at the forefront. With beloved canine behavior specialists like Gabrielle Hostetter and Chrissy Neumyer Smith on board, The Whole Pet Academy goes beyond the basic grooming program.
Curriculum: The Master Groomer Behavior Specialist course teaches students the fundamentals of managing fearful dogs and employing humane handling practices. Students even learn how to effectively communicate with pet parents about the behavior of their pets. This online course takes 8 months to complete, putting in about five hours per week of study.
Cost: Their animal behavior program costs $3,000, but there are other finance options available, including access to in-house WPGA financing for those who qualify. They also offer pet grooming and master grooming certification programs for $2,000 each.
Experience: This program is hybrid, so students get a combination of online modules and hands-on practice. Students have access to weekly live discussions on Zoom and other resources like free advisory sessions, informational podcasts, and practice quizzes.
Bonus features: WPGA holds a weekly “Midweek Mentor” discussion, which is a free Q&A event with educators and professionals. Their apprenticeship program is also available to help students get real world experience before entering the workforce.
Best Dog Grooming School That Receives Federal Aid
Merryfield Academy

While some pet grooming programs have financial aid at the students’ disposal, they rarely receive federal aid. Merryfield is the exception; they are one of the only grooming schools with federally funded grant and loan options, making this a good choice for those wanting a dog grooming school that accepts FAFSA.
Curriculum: Their hybrid pet grooming courses teach students bathing, drying, brushing, nail cutting, first aid, and even customer relations skills. Their Professional Pet Grooming program requires 600 hours of study to be completed over 8 to 9 months, while their Professional Pet Grooming with Anesthetic Free Teeth Scaling program requires 900 hours of study to be completed over 11 to 13 months.
Cost: Tuition costs $10,800, and equipment, tools, and books cost an additional $1,144. If the student would like to use on-campus room and board, the cost becomes $41,411. Merryfield participates in federal and state programs to offer individuals financial aid as well.
Experience: Merryfield has day classes and night classes, therefore the students can choose which works best with their schedules. Out-of-state students can also choose to take advantage of on-campus housing to attend the in-person training. The training includes an externship at the end of their education, so students can gain practical experience with their theoretical education.
Bonus features: Merryfield has an Open Door Policy that allows graduates to return to school if they wish to continue their education at no additional cost. They also have an in-house scissor sharpening service for those interested.
Most Affordable Dog Grooming School
PetSmart Grooming Academy

An expensive school can be a double-edged sword. While more expensive schools tend to have the best equipment, resources, and instructors, we understand that some people aren't in the right financial situation to attend those schools.
Curriculum: PetSmart’s full training program includes over 800 hours of training with a goal of handling over 200 different dogs in that time. The program is split into four phases in which the students will learn the basics of brushing, trimming, safety, handling, anatomy, and customer experience.
Cost: PetSmart’s Grooming Academy is completely free to attend but it is expected that you will work for PetSmart for 2 years upon graduation. Failure to do so may require students to pay for their schooling, up to $5,000.
Experience: The grooming school trainee starts as a bather before moving their way into the paid Grooming Academy, a 4-week, 160-hour-long program with hands-on training led by District Academy Trainers. Eventually, the trainee can rise to the position of “Pet Stylist-in-Training" and finally a “Pet Stylist” for the PetSmart salon.
Bonus features: The Grooming Academy essentially onboards the trainee as an employee, meaning the trainee gets paid while learning to groom. It’s important to mention that after training with PetSmart, dog groomers are expected to continue working at one of their locations. Though, they can still choose to practice elsewhere following several complaints and eventual lawsuits concerning their policies.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of dog grooming schools out there, and we know it can be overwhelming to weed out the programs that don’t suit your needs. While there are pros and cons to any pet grooming school, The Academy of Pet Careers checks all the boxes. With its comprehensive curriculum, hands-on experience, financing options, and job assistance resources, The APC’s dog grooming courses are a great match for anyone looking to gain the appropriate skills, knowledge, and experience to become a professional dog groomer. If you want to start a career in the pet industry but aren’t sure if dog grooming is the right path for you, the Academy of Pet Careers also offers dog training programs and a veterinary assistant program.
Hope Allen
Hope Allen combines her lifelong passion for animals with her digital marketing expertise. Growing up in a veterinary family, she gained hands-on experience working as an office assistant and sterilization tech at their mobile practice. This foundation, coupled with her degree in design and digital content strategy from Lindenwood University, allows her to bring unique insight to pet-focused content.