As Tuition Goes up, the Number of Veterinarians May Go Down

Mike Chaddock, DVM, EML, associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, discusses how increased tuition may influence students’ decision to become veterinarians.

Interview Transcript (slightly modified for readability)

“With the increase in tuition coming out of the pockets of students and families, they are beginning to absolutely take a look at this amount of money and [asking], is this a return on my investment? I would say, currently, [for] every veterinary school in the country, we have 30 of them in the US, we are filling our classes, but the question remains: how long will we be able to fill our classes and not only fill our classes but will we have the most qualified people to become veterinarians in the future?

That is a real concern, while there is some study that was done by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges that has shown that when students take a look at the amount of debt they may be having and when it gets to [the] $150,000 mark, yes, they’re starting to think twice and say, ‘Hmm, should I apply? Should I go to veterinary school?’ So my answer to your question is, it is certainly beginning to have an effect and people are becoming much more attuned to the cost of education.”