Will the Cost of Veterinary School Deter Students?
As students and their families bear more and more of the cost of veterinary school, one official worries they may soon decide the cost is no longer worth it.
Mike Chaddock, DVM, EML, associate dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State University, says so far the high cost of a veterinary education hasn't affected enrollment, but he worries that could happen in the future.
Interview Transcript (modified slightly 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 the questions are being asked: Is this a return on my investment? I would say currently every veterinary school in the county—and we have 30 of them in the US—we are filling our classes. 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? And that is a real concern.
"There is a 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."
