Utah State University College of Veterinary Medicine now accepting applications
Utah’s first 4-year veterinary school received the Letter of Reasonable Assurance from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education last month
Utah State University’s (USU) College of Veterinary Medicine has received assurance from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council of Education (AVMA COE) of its provisional accreditation in March 2025, a crucial step to becoming the Utah’s first 4-year veterinary degree program.
“Receipt of the Letter of Reasonable Assurance puts us on the path to fulfill our commitment to graduating exceptional veterinarians who are not only skilled practitioners but also compassionate professionals, ready to take on the challenges of animal health with confidence and competence,” explained Dirk Vanderwall, DVM, PhD, in an organizational release.1
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Vanderwall explained in the announcement that receiving this letter means that the USU program is currently on track to meet the 11 standards of accreditation, which is the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States. Since USU announced it received this letter, it has officially open applications for enrollment for its inaugural class, and the accepted students will begin their studies in the fall of 2025.
According to the release, USU considers this milestone 118 years in the making, starting back in 1907 when the trustees of USU, formerly known as the Agricultural College of Utah, pitched their vision to have a veterinary school. However, this vision was put on hold until 2011 when the Utah Legislature voted to fund and create a veterinary medicine education program with USU’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences. The 2011 decision launched a partnership with Washington State University, where USU veterinary students spent the first 2 years of the studies in Utah before moving to Pullman, Washington, for their last 2 years and graduation. This partnership will sunset after the class of 2028 graduates.
“This is an incredibly important milestone for the College of Veterinary Medicine at USU. Reaching this point speaks to the committed efforts of the faculty, staff and administrators in the CVM, USU leadership, and the many stakeholders across the state who fervently supported the establishment of the college,” said Alan L. Smith, MS, PhD, USU interim president.
By opening its own veterinary school, it is predicted by state leaders that it will create home-grown veterinary practitioners to help bolster the $1.82 billion agricultural in Utah, plus filling the need for small animal owners across the entire state.
In the future, USU hopes to expand the class sizes, capping at 80 students a year. In the summer of 2026, construction on the school will be finished on its new state-fund Veterinary Medical Education building, which was designed by Salt Lake City’s VCBO Architecture and general contractor Jacobson Construction. The new classrooms, laboratories, officers, and study spaces will soon be ready to greet the new students and welcome the College of Veterinary Medicine to its new permanent home.
USU is one of multiple veterinary schools across the US preparing to welcome its first class of students, and their states first veterinary school. In Harrison Township, New Jersey, the Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine of Rowan University is preparing to welcome students in the fall of 2025 and The Harvey S. Peeler Jr. College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University, recently celebrated its beam ceremony the college’s future home, with plans to welcome its first class in fall 2026, pending AVME COE approvals. Both schools are also going to be the first for their states.2
References
- Accreditation Announcement Launches USU's Veterinary College. News release. Utah State University. March 27, 2025. Accessed April 22, 2205. https://www.usu.edu/today/story/accreditation-announcement-launches-usus-veterinary-college
- Coppock K. Clemson University’s future veterinary school is making progress. dvm360. Published April 10, 2025. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/clemson-university-s-future-veterinary-school-is-making-progress
