Best Undergraduate Schools For Veterinarians

In addition to getting a broad education in animal science, veterinary medicine students can specialize in areas such as small animal surgery, environmental toxicology and aquatic medicine. These are the top veterinary medicine schools. Each school’s score reflects its average rating on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding), based on a survey of academics at peer institutions

Veterinary medicine is an exciting and diverse field. Whether you’re helping heal puppies as a small animal doctor, researching infectious diseases in alligators and bald eagles, or learning about cutting-edge methods to keep cows healthy on a dairy farm, being an expert veterinarian has crucial implications for animal and human health. The first step to doing your job well, of course, is getting into veterinary school.

For future veterinarians, there are implications of where you choose to earn your degree. As you complete the vet school requirements, you’ll want to understand the way vet schools are ranked and perceived professionally.

Broadly, according to theVIN Foundation, the veterinary school you attend won’t have much of an effect on where you practice or how much you earn after school. Unlike the field of human medicine, residency training is not required to practice veterinary medicine. Where you choose to attend can, however, “have a significant impact upon the price you pay for your veterinary degree.” For example, at the University of Georgia, out-of-state students pay about $30,000 more annually in tuition and fees than in-state students. Where you’re a resident matters: at Iowa State, in-state students pay $11,204 in tuition. At UC Davis, in-state students pay $32,126.

It’s also worth considering which facilities will best help you follow your specific interests. For example, if you’re passionate about livestock, you may want to consider a program like NC State that has an 80-acre teaching farm. If you’re interested in biomedical research, then you might gravitate towards a program that offers students myriad research opportunities—like the University of Florida.

Below is a list of the country’s best vet schools, based on U.S. News & World Report rankings. We’ve also compiled notes on each school to help you understand each program’s unique offerings:

• Numerical ranking in U.S. News & World Report
• Special notes on faculty and availability
• Location
• Cost (tuition and fees)
• Opportunities for hands-on experience, research, and professional development

Ultimately, though, choosing a veterinary school isn’t about numerical ranking: it’s about finding the right fit. Despite their differences, any of the vet schools on this list will put you on your way to becoming an excellent veterinarian

Top 100 veterinary schools across the globe in 2021

Sl.No.	College	Location	Website
1.	University of California, Davis	Davis, CA, USA	Visit
2.	Royal Veterinary College	London, England	Visit
3.	Cornell University	New York, USA	Visit
4.	Colorado State University	Collins, CO, USA	Visit
5.	Utrecht University	Utrecht, Netherlands	Visit
6.	Ohio State University	Columbus, OH, USA	Visit
7.	University of Guelph	Guelph, ON, Canada	Visit
8.	The University of Sydney	Sydney, Australia	Visit
9.	University of Glasgow	Glasgow, Scotland	Visit
10.	Ghent University	Ghent, Belgium	Visit
11.	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA, USA	Visit
12.	North Carolina State University	Raleigh, NC, USA	Visit
13.	The University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh, Scotland	Visit
14.	University of Bern	Bern, Switzerland	Visit
15.	University of Liverpool	Liverpool, England	Visit
16.	Ludwig Maximilian University	Munich, Germany	Visit
17.	University of Cambridge	Cambridge, England	Visit
18.	Texas A&M University	College Station, TX, USA	Visit
19.	Autonomous University of Barcelona	Bellaterra, Spain	Visit
20.	The University of Tokyo	Tokyo, Japan	Visit
21.	University of Pretoria	Pretoria, South Africa	Visit
22.	Université de Montréal	Montreal, Canada	Visit
23.	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison, WI, USA	Visit
24.	University of Milan	Milan, Italy	Visit
25.	University of Florida	Gainesville, FL, USA	Visit
26.	University of Calgary	Calgary, Canada	Visit
27.	College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences	Hong Kong	Visit
28.	University of Georgia	Athens, GA, USA	Visit
29.	Mumbai Veterinary College	Mumbai, India	Visit
30.	University of Helsinki	Helsinki, Finland	Visit
31.	Tufts University	Middlesex County, MA, USA	Visit
32.	University of Minnesota	Minneapolis, MN, USA	Visit
33.	University of Liège	Liège, Belgium	Visit
34.	Massey University	Palmerston North, New Zealand	Visit
35.	University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna	Vienna, Austria	Visit
36.	University of Queensland	Brisbane, Australia	Visit
37.	Complutense University of Madrid	Madrid, Spain	Visit
38.	Freie Universitaet Berlin	Berlin, Germany	Visit
39.	Purdue University	West Lafayette, IN, USA	Visit
40.	Sri Venkateswara Veterinary University	Tirupati, India	Visit
41.	Auburn University	Auburn, AL, USA	Visit
42.	The University of Adelaide	Adelaide, Australia	Visit
43.	Cairo University	Giza, Egypt	Visit
44.	King Saud University	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Visit
45.	Iowa State University	Ames, IA, USA	Visit
46.	Alexandria University	Alexandria, Egypt	Visit
47.	Washington State University	Pullman, WA, USA	Visit
48.	Indian Veterinary Research Institute	Bareilly, India	Visit
49.	Michigan State University	East Lansing, MI, USA	Visit
50.	University of Nottingham	Nottingham, England	Visit
51.	The University of Sydney	Sydney, Australia	Visit
52.	University of Maryland	College Park, MD, USA	Visit
53.	Mississippi State University	Starkville, MS, USA	Visit
54.	University of Copenhagen	Copenhagen, Denmark	Visit
55.	University of Missouri	Columbia, MO, USA	Visit
56.	Oregon State University	Corvallis, OR, USA	Visit
57.	James Cook University	Townsville, Australia	Visit
58.	University of Tennessee	Knoxville, TN, USA	Visit
59.	The University of Melbourne	Melbourne, Australia	Visit
60.	Kansas State University	Manhattan, Kansas	Visit
61.	University of Illinois	Champaign County, IL, USA	Visit
62.	Murdoch University	Perth, Australia	Visit
63.	Oklahoma State University	Stillwater, Oklahoma	Visit
64.	Louisiana State University	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	Visit
65.	Wageningen University & Research	Wageningen, Netherlands	Visit
66.	Charles Sturt University	Bathurst, Australia	Visit
67.	University of Bristol	Bristol, England	Visit
68.	Southern Institute of Technology	Invercargill, New Zealand	Visit
69.	University of Antwerp	Antwerp, Belgium	Visit
70.	Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences	Uppsala, Sweden	Visit
71.	Kitasato University	Aomori, Japan	Visit
72.	College	Location	Visit
73.	University College Dublin	Dublin, Ireland	Visit
74.	Nippon Veterinary and Animal Science University	Tokyo, Japan	Visit
75.	University of Surrey	Guildford, England	Visit
76.	Estonian University of Life Sciences	Tartu, Estonia	Visit
77.	Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies	Jelgava, Latvia	Visit
78.	CEU Cardinal Herrera University	Alfara del Patriarca, Spain	Visit
79.	University of Camerino	Camerino, Italy	Visit
80.	University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno	Brno, Czech Republic	Visit
81.	University of Giessen	Giessen, Germany	Visit
82.	Tuskegee University	Tuskegee, AL, USA	Visit
83.	Western University of Health Sciences	Pomona, CA, USA	Visit
84.	University of Teramo	Teramo, Italy	Visit
85.	University of Saskatchewan	Saskatchewan, Canada	Visit
86.	Lincoln Memorial University	Harrogate, TN, USA	Visit
87.	University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover	Hanover, Germany	Visit
88.	Midwestern University	Downers Grove, IL, USA	Visit
89.	Virginia–Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine	Blacksburg, VA, USA	Visit
90.	Atlantic Veterinary College	Charlottetown, Canada	Visit
91.	Universidad Austral de Chile	Valdivia, Chile	Visit
92.	University of Zagreb	Zagreb, Croatia	Visit
93.	National Veterinary School of Nantes	Nantes, France	Visit
94.	Aristotle University of Thessaloniki	Thessaloniki, Greece	Visit
95.	Lisandro Alvarado University Centroccidental	Barquisimeto, Venezuela	Visit
96.	University of Peradeniya	Galaha Rd, Sri Lanka	Visit
97.	Norwegian School of Veterinary Science	Oslo, Norway	Visit
98.	University of Life Sciences in Lublin	Lublin, Poland	Visit
99.	Koret School of Veterinary Medicine	Rehovot, Israel	Visit
100.	Guru Anged Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University	Ludhiana, India	Visit

List of the 15 Best Vet Schools

University of California—Davis School of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 1
• Location: Davis, CA
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: Over 300 faculty. The UC Davis website boasts of its professors’ standing in “transdisciplinary research,” especially.
• Professional development opportunities: Research opportunities, international externships, and summer clinics are all available to vet school students, in addition to clinical experiences during the year. More information can be foundhere.
• Year one tuition: California residents: $32,126. Nonresidents: $44,371

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 2
• Location: Ithaca, NY
• Public or Private: Private
• Special notes on faculty: Over 75 faculty members, many who partner with organizations like the Bronx Zoo and the Jane Goodall Institute.
• Professional development opportunities: According to their website, “[m]ost Cornell veterinary students accept offers of employment before graduating.” Cornell also boasts professional development programs like the Summer Dairy Institute and the Veterinary Investigator Program. More information on those and other externships and research opportunities can be foundhere.
• Year one tuition: NY state resident: $37,136. Nonresident: $54,744

Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

• US News and World Report Rank: 3
• Location: Fort Collins, CO
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: CSU’s website boasts “world class faculty who represent 28 veterinary specialties”
• Professional development opportunities: During their 3rd and 4th years, veterinary students at CSU can expect to do clinical rotations at the James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital. Other opportunities include theDVM mentorship program, which pairs vet students with working professionals.
• Year one tuition: Colorado sponsored: $37,980. Colorado non-sponsored: $61,362

North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 4 (tie)
• Location: Raleigh, NC
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: 149 faculty work with the program. Of the clinical faculty, 35 disciplines are represented—these faculty are nationally and internationally recognized. 
• Professional development opportunities: The program includes a “clinical phase” in the fourth year of training. Other opportunities include theSummer Research Internship and theTeaching Animal Unit, an 80-acre “on-campus teaching lab” where students can learn more about livestock and husbandry.
• Year one tuition: NC residents: $19,616. Non-residents: $47,657.

The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 4 (tie)
• Location: Columbus, OH
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: 130 faculty. Ohio State is particularly proud of its faculty on the cutting edge of research in infectious disease, advanced orthopedic procedures, food safety, and the relationship between viruses and cancer. More information can be found here.
• Professional development opportunities: Students have clinical experiences as early as year one. These include the Shelter Medicine & Surgery Program, the Veterinary Clinical & Professional Skills Center, and the 133-acre teaching farm. Details on these programs and others can be foundhere. 
• Year one tuition: Ohio resident: $32,957. Non-resident: $72,293.

Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

• US News and World Report Rank: 4 (tie)
• Location: College Station, TX
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: None
• Professional development opportunities: TheVeterinary, Education, Research & Outreach program, which serves the Panhandle’s livestock; theVeterinary Emergency Team, which provides veterinary support to search-and-rescue operations; veterinary study abroadopportunities.
• Year one tuition: Resident:$24,654. Non-resident: $38,454

University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 4 (tie)
• Location: Philadelphia, PA
• Public or Private: Private
• Special notes on faculty: None
• Professional development opportunities: Clinical curriculum begins in the third year, but clinical electives available as early as first year. Independent study and externship opportunities available, as well as rotations in the Hospital for Large Animals, Swine Unit, and Marshak Dairy. More infohere.
• Year one tuition & fees: PA resident: $51,550 Non-resident: $61,550 

University of Wisconsin—Madison School of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 8
• Location: Madison, WI
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: UWnotes that scientists in the veterinary school “conduct 75% of the infectious disease research at UW-Madison.” 
• Professional development opportunities: UW Veterinary Care Teaching Hospital; hourly lab work opportunities during the school year and summer researchfellowships
• Year one tuition & fees: WI resident:$31,797.Non-resident: $50,485.

University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 9
• Location: Gainesville, FL
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: According tothis fact sheet, most faculty “pursue both clinical and basic science research interests.” One of the school’s goals is to advance biomedical research.
• Professional development opportunities: UF maintains a database ofexternships, including international opportunities.Clinical skills lab provides hands-on clinical experience to first- and second-year students.
  • Year one tuition: FL resident: $28,786. Non-resident: $45,500

University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 10 (tie)
• Location: Athens, GA
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: None
• Professional development opportunities: TheGeorgia Veterinary Scholars Program “provides biomedical research opportunities for veterinary students.”
• Year one tuition: GA resident: $17,514. Non-resident: $47,176

University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 10 (tie)
• Location: St. Paul, MN
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: None
• Professional development opportunities: Facilities include: the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC), Leatherdale Equine Center, John Fetrow Dairy Education Center, and The Raptor Center. Opportunities for disease research are available as early as first year through theSummer Scholars Program and others. The DVM program includes 13 months of clinical rotations within the VMC.
• Year one tuition & fees: MN resident: $32,338. Non-resident: $58,042

Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 12
• Location: North Grafton, MA
• Public or Private: Private
• Special notes on faculty: Tufts is particularly proud of its faculty research. Research news can be perusedhere.
• Professional development opportunities: An entire year (4th year) of clinical rotations.Summer Research Program. Signature opportunities include theWildlife and Conservation Medicine Signature Opportunity and theInternational Medicine Signature Opportunity. There are also opportunities inclinical excellence andanimal ethics.  
• Year one tuition: MA resident:$51,460. Non-resident: 58,360

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 13
• Location: West Lafayette, IN
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: Purdue emphasizes that students receive “one-on-one interaction with faculty” and “access to faculty-led research experiences”
• Professional development opportunities: Third year focus on clinical sciences. International opportunities andexternships are available. Research opportunities are available in theCenter for the Human-Animal Bond and the Center for Animal Welfare Science.
• Year one tuition & fees: IN resident: $19,918. Non-resident: $44,746

Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 14 (tie)
• Location: Auburn, AL
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: over 100.
• Professional development opportunities: Required preceptorship—in which students are supervised in clinical practice—is part of the curriculum. Facilities include a small and large animal teaching hospital. Students can apply for the summerVeterinary Scholars Research Program.
• Year one tuition & fees: AL & KY residents: $20,588. Non-residents: $48,244

Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine

• US News and World Report Rank: 14 (tie)
• Location: Ames, IA
• Public or Private: Public
• Special notes on faculty: Students have the opportunity to practice alongside faculty at the Iowa State Fair, a major event for agriculture and animal husbandry in the region; faculty prioritizes making students “practice-ready”
• Professional development opportunities: One year of clinical training in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center; other training opportunities at the Swine Medicine Education Center, Great Plains Veterinary Education Center, and the Des Moines’ Blank Park Zoo.Study abroad programs are offered. Receives the most funding in the nation from the USDA. According to their fast facts, “last summer, more than 15% of our student body had a research experience.”
• Year one tuition & fees: IA residents: $11,204. Non-residents: $26,376