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Behind-the-scenes advice for your journey to become a vet

How much does vet school cost?

Interested in vet school but worried about the cost? Loop Abroad alum Amelia Matczak helps you navigate determining which school is most cost-effective for you.

Education costs in the United States are constantly rising, and veterinary school tuition is no different. With the average debt accrued throughout vet school being three times higher than the annual new-grad salary, it’s no wonder that so many students take cost into consideration when choosing which schools to apply to. 

So, what is the cost of vet school and how can you determine which school is most cost-effective for you?

Public vs Private

It used to be that all veterinary schools in the United States were publicly run. Recently, however, there have been a few private institutions accredited by the AVMA. With private veterinary institutions becoming a mainstay of your university options, it begs the question: which is more expensive? 

Just like undergraduate institutions, a lot of public schools tend to be less expensive than private institutions, particularly compared to the public university in your resident state. Yet, that might not always be the case, depending on what your in-state institution charges or what you might be charged as an out-of-state student. 

Here are the least and most expensive private institutions within the United States:

Least Expensive Private Institution:
Tuskegee University
Tuition: $41,170/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $12,731/year
Cost of attendance: $215,604

Most expensive Private Institution:
Midwestern University
Tuition: $64,980/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $33,018
Cost of Attendance: $391,992 

In-state or Out-of-State?

The average in-state tuition cost, not taking into account the cost of living expenses, for a veterinary degree is $120,000 ($30,000/year) and the average out-of-state tuition is $190,000 ($47,500/year). Although out of state costs seem significantly higher, some school’s in-state tuition is so high that most out-of-state options wind up saving you money. 

For example, The University of Pennsylvania has the highest in-state tuition for students, adding up to about $206,000. Meanwhile, The University of North Carolina offers the lowest out-of-state vet school cost, adding up to $106,000 for the entire degree. So, if you were a Pennsylvania resident, you would save a significant amount of money if you chose to attend an out-of-state institution, such as North Carolina, instead of choosing your in-state institution. The University of Pennsylvania and North Carolina State are the most and least expensive public school options respectively:

Least expensive in-state:
North Carolina State
Tuition: $19,620/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $24,251/year
Cost of Attendance: $175,485

Most expensive in-state:
The University of Pennsylvania
Tuition: $51,550/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $32,619/year
Cost of Attendance: $336,678

Least expensive out-of-state:
North Carolina State
Tuition: $26,630/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $24,251/year
Cost of Attendance: $203,526

Most expensive out-of-state:
The University of Pennsylvania
Tuition: $61,550/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $32,619
Cost of Attendance: $376,678

Note: only public institutions were considered for these categories

International Schools

Over the past 20 or so years, many international schools have also been awarded AVMA accreditation, allowing for students to attend veterinary school abroad while still being able to take the NAVLE upon graduation. Currently, some of the most popular international schools include those in Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and Australia. You might be asking yourself, what is the cost of vet school at these international institutions and how do they compare to vet school costs in the US? Surprisingly, some schools are fairly comparable to those within the US, yet some are higher than US school averages. Here are the most and least expensive schools for international students by region:

Least Expensive Caribbean School:
St. George’s University
Tuition: $180,930 total
Estimated Living Expenses: $109,485 total
Cost of Attendance: $290,415

Note: this program is 3.5 years long

Most Expensive Caribbean School:
Ross University
Tuition: $221,451 total
Estimated Living Expenses: $128,890 total
Cost of Attendance: $350,341

Note: this program is 10 consecutive semesters

Least Expensive Canadian School:
University of Prince Edward Island
Tuition: $51,948/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $12,673/year
Cost of Attendance: $258,482

Most Expensive Canadian School:
University of Guelph
Tuition: $52,837/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $19,416/year
Cost of Attendance: $289,013

Least Expensive United Kingdom School:
University of Edinburgh
Tuition: $39,312/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $20,100/year
Cost of Attendance: $237,650

Note: this is for the accelerated 4-year program

Most Expensive United Kingdom School:
Royal College of Veterinary Medicine
Tuition: $43,793/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $26,125/year
Cost of Attendance: $349,588

Note: this is for the 5-year program

Least Expensive Australian School:
University of Adelaide
Tuition: $42,569/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $26,044/year
Cost of Attendance: $274,450

Most Expensive Australian School:
University of Queensland
Tuition: $44,184/year
Estimated Living Expenses: $25,536
Cost of Attendance: $278,880

So, what is the cost of vet school?

Well, that is very dependent on what state you are from and where you choose to apply.  Luckily, if you still aren’t sure about which vet school will be the most affordable for you, VIN created an online map that, once you input your state of residence, will order AVMA accredited schools for you based on their cost. Regardless of which schools you choose to apply to, make sure you have a financial plan for tuition as well as a plan on how to pay back loans once you graduate.

Keep reading! What are the Requirements to Get Into Vet School?