collageThe average cost of four years of veterinary school is more than $200,000 for in-state students and $275,000 for out-of-state students, according to the VIN Foundation, a nonprofit that offers veterinarians education and support.
How much you’ll pay for vet school depends on the school you attend and where you live. The Association of American Veterinary Colleges tracks tuition and living expenses for resident and nonresident students at all accredited veterinary schools.
These are the U.S. vet schools at which the class of 2019 paid the most and the least for those costs, broken down by in-state and out-of-state students.
Most expensive vet schools
| Most Expensive (In-State) | Most Expensive (Out-of-State) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Vet School | Tuition/Living Expenses | Vet School | Tuition/Living Expenses |
| University of California, Davis | $247,455 | Midwestern University | $402,136 |
| Ohio State University | $246,885 | University of Pennsylvania | $335,662 |
| University of Minnesota | $220,495 | University of Minnesota | $330,642 |
| University of Florida | $215,400 | Western University of Health Sciences | $326,453 |
| Michigan State University | $212,923 | Michigan State University | $317,922 |
Least expensive vet schools
| Least Expensive (In-State) | Least Expensive (Out-of-State) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Vet School | Tuition/Living Expenses | Vet School | Tuition/Living Expenses |
| Purdue University | $146,815 | North Carolina State University | $194,440 |
| University of Georgia | $156,971 | University of Missouri | $208,144 |
| Iowa State University | $158,966 | Washington State University | $218,464 |
| Oklahoma State University | $163,130 | Texas A&M University | $229,674 |
| Mississippi State University | $163,341 | Mississippi State University | $254,141 |
You can use the AAVMC Cost Comparison Tool to review expenses at all 30 U.S. schools with accredited veterinary programs. The tool also lists the costs for the 12 accredited international vet school programs, where the least expensive option — at the University of Guelph in Canada — costs $228,211 for tuition and living expenses.
Managing the cost of vet school
Attending a vet school in the state where you’re a resident typically offers the best deal. Even the most expensive in-state veterinary program, at UC Davis, costs less than all but four other U.S. veterinary schools for out-of-state students.
If your home state doesn’t have an accredited veterinary program or you want to attend school elsewhere, try to establish residency where you plan to enroll. Typically, this involves living in that state for at least a year and proving you intend to stay there.
The AVMA reports the average vet salary for class of 2018 graduates is $76,633. Ideally, you’d want to borrow no more than that projected starting salary in vet student loans, but that may not be possible with the more than $200,000 average cost of a traditional four-year veterinary school.
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