We're here to help
Pre-Veterinary Students
Vet School Bound provides the most current information on veterinary school costs, strategies to save money when applying, and helpful tools for pre-veterinary students as they embark on a career in veterinary medicine.
We're here to help
Pre-Veterinary Students
Vet School Bound provides the most current information on veterinary school costs, strategies to save money when applying, and helpful tools for pre-veterinary students as they embark on a career in veterinary medicine.
Helpful Tools
PRESENTATION
The Apply Smarter presentation educates pre-veterinary students on how to best manage the growing cost of veterinary school.
MESSAGE BOARD
The Apply Smarter Message Board is a helpful forum for pre-veterinary students to discuss applying to veterinary school, and learn more about careers in veterinary medicine.
COST OF EDUCATION TOOLKIT
The VIN Foundation Cost of Education Toolkit provides realistic information on what it costs to attend veterinary school.
What Else Should I Consider When Choosing A Veterinary School?
Still deciding if veterinary medicine is the right fit for you? Learn more about becoming a veterinarian and what veterinary life is like at IWanttobeaVeterinarian.org.
How much does it cost?
What are my chances?
What Prerequisites do I Need?
What experience do i need?
Where can I find schools?
How much does it cost?
HOW MUCH WILL MY VETERINARY EDUCATION COST?
New veterinarians with less educational debt have a head start on life, the VIN Foundation Cost of Education Map is here to help. A lighter debt burden translates into more financial, career, and personal flexibility. Wouldn’t it be great to pursue an internship or residency, or even take a new job in your dream location without having to worry as much about how you are going to pay back your loans?
Your vet school experience is important, but the rest of your life is even more so!
RULES & ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE COST OF EDUCATION MAP:
The map uses recent data published by each school to figure a % increase in tuition and fees per year. The projected increase is calculated per school based on the last four years of published tuition data. While past increases are not always an indicator of future increases, trends show that tuition is likely to continue increasing for veterinary school and recent increases give us the best guess at what that might be in the near future. Make sure to ask your target veterinary schools what their best estimate of tuition and cost of living increases will be while you will be attending veterinary school.
PLEASE NOTE, TUITION LISTED INCLUDES FEES.
For the accrued interest estimates, we apply the most recent Direct Unsubsidized (6.59%) and Direct Grad Plus (7.59%) interest rates for the 2018-19 academic year.
What are my chances?
WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF GETTING INTO VETERINARY SCHOOL?
Getting into veterinary school is easier now with the increase of class seats available. This increase in seats provides you an opportunity to be selective about which schools you apply to, and ultimately attend. The map below illustrates how many applicants from each group (resident vs. non-resident) enroll every year, along with correlating class sizes for each veterinary school. This information is helpful in determining best chance of admission as you weigh which school is the best fit your veterinary education.
Want to increase your chances of getting into veterinary school? Check out “Choosing the Best Veterinary School for You” to help you Apply Smarter to veterinary school.
What Prerequisites do I Need?
WHAT PREREQUISITES DO I NEED FOR VETERINARY SCHOOL?
Comparing required coursework with what you have already completed can save you time and money. Veterinary school prerequisites can differ dramatically between schools. Look beyond science courses too; veterinary school requirements may include public speaking, languages, laboratory hours, and more. Some veterinary schools strongly prefer a bachelors degree, others do not.
What experience do i need?
WHAT EXPERIENCE DO I NEED FOR VETERINARY SCHOOL?
Experience working under the direction of a veterinarian, working directly with animals and/or working in a research setting long has been a valued qualification for veterinary school applicants. The weight given to experience has waxed and waned over time, and varies from school to school. VMCAS asks all applicants to report experience hours, specifying the type of experience, on their application.
Presently, many programs are reducing their required number of hours, or not specifying a set number. Nevertheless, all schools consider experience (type and quality counts, as well) when evaluating a candidate’s overall fit for their program. Even as minimum expected hours are decreasing or eliminated, schools do still take experience under consideration and many students log more than 1,000 hours before they apply to veterinary school.
Where can I find schools?
WHERE CAN I FIND DIRECT LINKS TO VETERINARY SCHOOL WEBSITES?
Tracking down basic information on each veterinary school can be a time-consuming task. With all of the information out here, figuring out which sites go directly to what school isn’t as easy as it could be-and where, exactly, are they at again? Check out the map below for direct links to the veterinary school pages in North American and the Caribbean.
Many Other Factors Should Go Into Choosing Your Veterinary School
- Do you want to be close to home, live somewhere new or is location not a deciding factor for you?
- Is instruction primarily lecture or problem based learning?
- Are clinical rotations onsite or will you be sent to local veterinary clinics for clinical training?
- Is the focus of the school — research programs, emphasis on production medicine, flexible curriculum, etc. – important to you?
- Are the class sizes relatively large or small?
