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Veterinary surgeon education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a veterinary surgeon. Veterinary surgeons usually study veterinary medicine, veterinary science, or biology. 40% of veterinary surgeons hold a bachelor's degree, and 34% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 73 real veterinary surgeon resumes to see exactly what veterinary surgeon education sections show.
The most common colleges for veterinary surgeons are the Southwestern University and the Southwestern University.
There are also many online veterinary surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a veterinary surgeon.
What education do you need to become a veterinary surgeon?
What degree do you need to be a veterinary surgeon?
- Bachelor's, 40%
- Doctorate, 34%
- Master's, 20%
- Associate, 6%
What should I major in to become a veterinary surgeon?
- Veterinary Medicine, 29%
- Veterinary Science, 24%
- Biology, 7%
- Business, 4%
- Other Majors, 36%
Most common colleges for veterinary surgeons
| Veterinary surgeon common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Southwestern University | 10.00% |
| University of the West | 10.00% |
| New York University | 10.00% |
| Kansas State University | 10.00% |
| Long Island University | 10.00% |
Best majors for veterinary surgeons
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Veterinary Medicine | 28.9% |
| 2 | Veterinary Science | 24.4% |
| 3 | Biology | 6.7% |
| 4 | Business | 4.4% |
| 5 | Microbiology | 4.4% |
Best colleges for veterinary surgeons
The best colleges for veterinary surgeons are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
A veterinary surgeon with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for veterinary surgeons. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become veterinary surgeons.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
8. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
20 best online courses for veterinary surgeons
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Top 10 most affordable universities for veterinary surgeons
The most affordable schools for veterinary surgeons are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for veterinary surgeons are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for veterinary surgeons.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
10. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for veterinary surgeons
The hardest universities for veterinary surgeons to get into are Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for veterinary surgeons are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for veterinary surgeons based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
5. Tufts University
Medford, MA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,461
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
9. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for veterinary surgeons
The easiest schools for veterinary surgeons to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, adventhealth university, and manor college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a veterinary surgeon without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for veterinary surgeons.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
3. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
898
4. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. Pennsylvania State University - Shenango
Sharon, PA • Private
Admissions rate
75%
SAT average
989
Average veterinary surgeon salary by education level
| Veterinary surgeon education level | Veterinary surgeon salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $405,005 |
Veterinary surgeon education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025