top vet schools in texas

Last Updated on January 19, 2023

Best Veterinary Colleges & Degree Programs in Texas

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vet schools in texas

Vet Schools in Texas

Students in Texas interested in earning an education in veterinary medicine or related fields may choose from certificates, associate’s, bachelor’s, or doctoral degrees. Students who aim to become veterinarians must earn a doctorate in veterinary medicine; applicants to such programs must hold a bachelor’s degree, preferably in the same field. Many veterinary schools in Texas have limited admission and competition for entry may be high. Clinical experiences supervised practice with animals, and internships are common in such programs.

Best Veterinary Colleges in Texas

Below are profiles of nine of the best public colleges in Texas that offer veterinary related degree and certificate programs; read on for more information about available programs.

School NameSchool Type and SettingVeterinary Programs OfferedTuition (2019-2020)
Texas A&M University4-year, public; small cityDoctor of Veterinary Medicine$6,677 in-state; $18,700 out-of-state (graduate)*
Weatherford College2-year, public; town fringeVeterinary Assisting Certificate$2,710 in-district; $4,330 in-state; $6,100 out-of-state (undergraduate)*
McLennan Community College2-year, public; midsize cityVeterinary Assistant Certificate,
Associate in Applied Science in Veterinary Technology
$3,450 in-district; $3,990 in-state; $3,990 out-of-state (undergraduate)*
Lone Star College System2-year, public; small cityVeterinary Technology Certificate,
Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology
$1,724 in-district; $4,244 in-state; $5,564 out-of-state (undergraduate)*
Navarro College2-year, public; distant townAssociate of Science in Veterinary Science$2,742 in-district; $4,452 in-state; $6,222 out-of-state (undergraduate)*
Blinn College2-year, public; distant townAssociate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology$2,928 in-district; $4,296 in-state; $8,136 out-of-state (undergraduate)*
Cedar Valley College2-year, public; fringe ruralVeterinary Assisting Certificate,
Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology
$1,770 in-district; $3,330 in-state; $5,220 out-of-state (undergraduate)*
Palo Alto College2-year, public; large cityVeterinary Assistant Level II Certificate,
Associate of Applied Science in Veterinary Technology
$3,030 in-district; $6,690 in-state; $14,220 out-of-state (undergraduate)*
Sul Ross State University4-year, public; remote townBachelor of Science in Animal Health Management: Pre-Veterinary Medicine$8,806 in-state; $21,557 out-of-state (undergraduate)*

Sources: *NCES College Navigator

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, located in College Station, offers a DVM degree program. Admission to the program requires 62 semester hours of college credits, including courses in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and microbiology with labs, calculus, animal nutrition and feeding, and genetics. Applicants must also have 40 hours of supervised veterinary experience, as well as knowledge and experience working with animals. The first three years of this program involve classroom education and the fourth year consists of clinical rotations. The school also offers 12-month rotating, veterinary clinical internships.

Weatherford College

Weatherford College’s veterinary assisting certificate program is provided at the school’s Weatherford campus. This is a 31 semester-hour program covering basic equine and small animal knowledge and technical skills necessary to assist veterinarians in clinical practice. The program takes three semesters, including a summer practicum. Graduates are not qualified to sit for the RVT examination, but they will be able to transfer into the veterinary technology program at Cedar Valley College by virtue of an articulation agreement between the two schools.

McLennan Community College

Located in Waco, McLennan Community College offers one certificate and one associate’s degree program in veterinary technology. The certificate program takes one year to complete, covering medical terminology, pathology, and parasitology. The courses cover both small and large animals. The associate’s degree program is competitive and only 30 students are accepted per year. The school provides hands-on training at its 10,000-square-foot animal hospital with specialized veterinarian training facilities.

Lone Star College System

This school’s one-year veterinary technician certificate and associate’s degree veterinary technician programs are offered at the Tomball campus. The one-year certificate program covers courses in medical terminology, exotic animal clinical management, veterinary anatomy and physiology, nutrition, pharmacology, parasitology and food animal clinical management. The associate’s degree program adds coursework in equine, canine and feline clinical management, anesthesia and surgical assistance, radiology and pathology. The associate’s degree core credits are transferable to many colleges and universities towards a bachelor’s degree. Some colleges may accept all 72 credit hours towards a bachelor’s degree in animal science or agricultural business.

Navarro College

Corsica is the location of Navarro College, which offers a pre-veterinarian associate’s degree program. This program is designed to transfer the associate’s degree credits to a bachelor’s degree program in preparation for a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. The school recommends that students consult with the intended four-year program and coordinate the courses for transfer. In addition to the general education courses, students take 8 to 10 pre-veterinarian courses and electives.

Blinn College

Blinn College offers a veterinary technology associate’s degree program in collaboration with Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, providing the first year of the 2-year program at its campus in Bryan. The second year’s clinical training takes place at Texas A&M’s campus in College Station. This is a competitive program and applicants are required to have general animal experience as well as 40 hours of supervised veterinary experience.

Cedar Valley College

Cedar Valley College offers two veterinary technology programs at its campus in Lancaster. The 20-credit hour certificate in veterinary assisting covers veterinary medical terminology and technology, canine and feline clinical management and parasitology. The 2-year associate’s degree veterinary technology program includes the courses in the veterinary assisting programs and adds diagnostic technology, pharmacology, physiology, surgery and assisting and large animal clinical management. This is a technical program with a significant amount of hands-on learning. It is designed to prepare students for entry-level positions as a veterinary technician; therefore, all credits earned are generally not transferable to a bachelor’s degree program.

Palo Alto College

Palo Alto College is the San Antonio campus of the Alamo colleges, offering veterinary assistant level II and veterinary technology associate’s degree programs. Both programs are competitive with limited admissions. Applicants are required to have 80 hours of veterinary clinical experience. The school has clinical pathology, anatomy/physiology and parasitology labs and a surgery suite with prep and recovery areas. The veterinary assistant program is 46 credit hours and focuses on small animal, equine and exotic animal clinical skills. The veterinary technician program takes two years, covering advanced clinical practices, pharmacology, surgery and anesthesia, pathology and food animals.

Sul Ross State University

A member of the Texas State University system, Sul Ross State University’s Department of Animal Science is located in Alpine. The school offers a Bachelor of Science in Animal Health Management with a concentration in pre-veterinary medicine that meets or exceeds the entrance requirements into Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine. Sul Ross’s animal sciences programs utilize the 500 acre Turner Range Animal Science Center which has specialized laboratories as well as facilities for animal health management and more. Pre-veterinary students are encouraged to consult with the Pre-Veterinary Medicine curriculum adviser at Texas A&M to coordinate their curriculum.

Career Requirements

In order to become a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) in Texas, the applicant must complete an accredited veterinary technician program and pass the state and national examinations. The two-year associate’s degree veterinary technology programs described are all accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), and graduates are qualified to sit for the RVT examinations.

Texas also requires veterinarians to be licensed. Applicants who have graduated from a board-approved school or college of veterinary medicine and who pass the licensing examination are qualified to be licensed in Texas as a veterinarian.

Expert Contributor: Stephanie Flansburg Cruz Stephanie has an MA in science and MVZ in veterinary medicine. She has worked in small animal and equine medicine and veterinary surgery.

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