Welcome! Since 1997 we have provided the most detailed grooming school directory worldwide. The directory below is also available in the Resources Buyer's Guide, part of the GroomerTALK℠ Social Media area. This valuable directory also provides career seekers with hundreds of leads for tools, equipment, sharpeners, suppliers and much more. On this page you are given a list of schools, but if you are looking for the big dog web sites dedicated to grooming career info, you must visit our newest career site, MyGroomingSchool.com and order the free jam packed PetGroomerCD for career seekers. There is no other similar tool anywhere in the pet care industry for career seekers with a desire to learn more about the pet grooming industry.

Our school directory sorts location. A few schools are not listed here by their request! Our popular directory can generate volumes of info requests which can be a bit much for schools accepting as few as 2 to 6 students a year. Others we choose not to list. Did you know some U.S. states don't have a single school of pet grooming? True! Even the largest states have just a few schools. Many career seekers are shocked to learn how few grooming schools exist in the US. New developments are always going on too. Some educational providers offer hands-on externships in the US and Canada.

Not all schools are the same! That's an understatement. Your educational choice is one of the most important decisions you will make in your career. “Caveat emptor” is Latin for “Let the buyer beware.” That adage applies. Pet grooming is not vocationally licensed in any U.S. state. School owners have liberty to design curriculums "their way.” That's why we say, no two are the same. Don't be scared. Most schools are reputable. However, not every grooming program serves the needs of every career seeker. Our goal at PetGroomer.com is to help you become informed of what your unique educational needs are.

If you were to ask us the most common mistake students make in selecting a school, we wouldn’t lose a beat and say, “Choosing to attend a school solely based on the reason that it is the closest one to where you live.” The odds that the curriculum right for you is in your neighborhood wouldn’t take you far in Las Vegas. We have heard every excuse why someone cannot travel outside of their area to attend school for a few weeks. We don't question the reasons. It is your choice. However, we are giving you our best advice. All too often we have heard remorse from students disappointed they find a way to attend this or that school, so there you have it. Let’s move on.

Here’s our next best advice.

Ensure that the institution you select is properly approved to provide pet grooming vocational education in accordance with the laws applicable within the jurisdiction where it exists. Except for a small handful of U.S. states, "vocational schools" must be “state approved” or “state licensed” by an agency of the state in which they reside. It is your responsibility to ensure your school is currently state licensed (where required by law) before you enroll in the institution. Several U.S. states require vocational schools to provide all prospective students with the name and contact information for the state agency which licenses them. You can contact that agency to ensure if the school is in good standing. Most schools outside the U.S. are not formally licensed like most U.S. vocational schools, but sometimes they are certified. The same rule applies, investigate your school’s approval where required. You can ask for references from graduates.

Your first step is to contact the schools of your interest and request their brochure (sometimes called a “catalog”). Thoroughly review the contents and follow-up with a site tour and interview with the institution's administration where applicable. Some U.S. states require a tour before you enroll; what does that tell you? Make it a point to tour institution before you enroll.

Here's another very important piece of advice.

If several courses are offered, always take the longest course (whenever possible). As we have said before you will find that pet groomers keep learning more and more about grooming for the first several years. There are so many breeds and mixed breeds it can take some time before you had a chance to groom all the breed groups and the hundreds of different mixes. The longer your training period the more likely you will have a broad variety of experience. That experience will show down line and you will gain more confidence. We allow schools to advertise here, and that's why some have banners and links to their web sites. If you are a school owner and wish to advertise click here. If you are thinking about opening a grooming school click here for consultant and licensing information.