Professional doctorate
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) Program
Iowa State University · Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine · Ames, Iowa, United States
- Official award
- Doctor of Veterinary MedicineDVM
- Pathway
- Veterinary medicineStated for United States
- Format
- On campusFour years (years 1-3 fall and spring; year 4 summer, fall and spring)
- Tuition
- $31,360per year, 2026-2027 academic year
About this program
Four-year DVM program with three years in the classroom followed by a fourth year of clinical rotations, including a summer session, in the small animal and large animal hospitals.
- Subject
- Veterinary medicine
- Department
- Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine
- Awarding body
- Not stated on the pages we checked
Qualification and professional pathway
Pathway is classified only from a statement on an official page. An award title such as DVM, BVSc, BSc or MSc does not decide it, and no degree, accreditation or listing by itself grants permission to practise anywhere.
- Degree level
- Professional doctorateA professional doctorate that is itself the entry qualification (for example the DVM or VMD). It is listed separately from research PhDs and is not equivalent to them.
- Pathway
- Veterinary medicinePrograms the source describes as the academic and clinical qualification toward becoming a veterinarian in the stated jurisdiction. Registration or licensing normally requires further steps, and a qualification from one country does not guarantee registration in another.
- Why we classify it this way
- The college says graduates are prepared as practice-ready veterinarians and that the program is accredited by the AVMA Council on Education.“At the conclusion of the program, Iowa State students are prepared as “practice-ready” veterinarians.”Source
- Prior degree required
- No
| Route | Duration | Credits | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| After pre-veterinary coursework | three classroom years plus a clinical fourth year | – | 64 semester credits completed by the end of spring of the entry year; specified foundational courses; a bachelor's degree is not requiredSource |
Accreditation, evaluation and recognition
Recorded for this program and campus, with the authority’s role. Program accreditation, evaluation status, professional-body recognition, eligibility toward registration, institutional recognition, directory listings and memberships are different things; none of them is automatic permission to practise, and recognition in one country does not guarantee registration in another.
Verified in official recordAVMA Council on Education (COE)Program accreditationFull statusUS
Scope: Iowa State University DVM program as listed by the AVMA COE; last evaluation 2024, next evaluation 2031 (as printed)
Study structure
- Delivery
- On campusTaught at the listed campus.
- Study mode
- Full-time
- Duration
- Four years (years 1-3 fall and spring; year 4 summer, fall and spring)
- Clinical components
- Fourth-year clinical rotations in the small animal and large animal hospitals; species track options in year four
- Intakes
- Not published
- Campus
- Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine (Ames)1800 Christensen Drive, Ames, IA 50011-1134
Teaching language
- Taught in
- Not stated on the pages we checked
- English
- English teaching not verifiedAn English-language website does not mean a program is taught in English.
Admissions
- Animal or veterinary experience
- Animal or veterinary experience recommendedGoal of at least 200 hours of veterinary, animal or research experience; no minimum hours required.
- Interview
- No interview
- Previous qualification
- Cumulative undergraduate GPA 2.5; required science GPA cutoff set yearly (2.8 for the 2027 cycle); 64 semester credits by end of spring
- Science prerequisites
- Specified foundational courses equivalent to Iowa State courses, plus an upper-level biomedical course requirement
- Prior degree
- Bachelor's degree not required
- Tests explicitly required
- CASPer is no longer used effective for the 2025-26 admissions cycle.
- Documents
- VMCAS application; ISU Veterinary Medicine Supplemental Application; three electronic letters of evaluation (at least one from a veterinarian strongly recommended)
- Deadlines
- VMCAS application deadline for the 2027 entering class: September 15, 2026, 11:59 pm EDT; supplemental application also due September 15, 2026 · 2027 entering class · this date has passed; check the current cycle
- Official instructions
- Application instructions
Fees and costs
Original currency is authoritative. Each price keeps its basis (per year, per credit, whole program), academic year and student category, and is never converted. Annual tuition and whole-program tuition are different figures.
| Item | Amount | Applies to | Dated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition, years 1-3, Iowa resident (2026-2027)Tuition · mandatory | $31,360per year, 2026-2027 academic year | Iowa resident | 19 October 2026Source |
| Tuition, years 1-3, non-resident (2026-2027)Tuition · mandatory | $65,938per year, 2026-2027 academic year | Non-resident | 19 October 2026Source |
| Tuition, year 4, Iowa resident (2026-2027)Tuition · mandatory | $30,492per year, 2026-2027 academic year | Iowa resident | 19 October 2026Source |
| Tuition, year 4, non-resident (2026-2027)Tuition · mandatory | $52,248per year, 2026-2027 academic year | Non-resident | 19 October 2026Source |
| One-time computer fee for first-year studentsEquipment and protective clothing · mandatory | $2,650one-time, first year | First-year students | 19 October 2026Source |
| Fees (2026-2027)Other compulsory charge · mandatory | $1,586per year, 2026-2027 academic year | Resident and non-resident | 19 October 2026Source |
No total is shown: the sources do not state a whole-program figure and the published duration and fee basis do not support a calculation.
Scholarships and funding
Funding is shown with its basis and who it is for. Competitive funding is not a guarantee.
College of Veterinary Medicine DVM scholarships (VMCAS application serves as scholarship application for incoming students) Scholarship
Competitive · More than $2 million in scholarships and awards annually
Eligibility: DVM students; incoming students considered through VMCAS
Sources and verification
Not published on the program’s source pages: intakes, clinical placement details.
Sources and how this was checked
Last checked 19 October 2026. Each fact carries a verbatim quote that is re-checked against the live page. Research methodology.
Sources (checked 19 October 2026)
- Official program page
- financialaid.iastate.edu/getting-started/cost/cost-of-attendance
- vetmed.iastate.edu/future-dvm-students/prospective-student
- vetmed.iastate.edu/future-dvm-students/prospective-student
- vetmed.iastate.edu/future-dvm-students/prospective-student
- avma.org/education/center-for-veterinary-accredi