The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program is for those who love animals and enjoy science. Veterinarians (Vets) are healthcare providers who have a DVM degree, which equips them with expertise in caring for a range of animals, from household pets to zoo animals. From an ant to an elephant, Vets know all sorts of non-human creatures.
Fresh veterinarians earn an average of $96,000 after receiving a DVM degree, which is 4-5 years of study. Experienced Vets can earn up to $150,000. This is a lucrative profession, and its average salary is much higher than other college graduates. Vet school graduates of the top 15 programs have a 100 percent employment rate with the highest employability in Texas, Florida, and California. The Vet doctor’s job market will grow by 6% per annum.
Nearly all of the top 28 DVM programs require the GRE general test score. Most DVM programs do not have any minimum GRE thresholds. Nevertheless, a lot of Vet schools do have a minimum GPA requirement of 3.0+. I would recommend that if you have a low GPA, then you should first check with the program before applying. Since many top U.S. schools do not offer the DVM program, getting into the select few can be competitive. It would help if you strived to do well in all aspects of your Vet school application.
Here are the top 28 Vet programs and the respective average GRE scores and average GPAs of their admitted applicants. These scores are also available on the Vet schools’ website.
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What is a Good GRE Score for Vet school?
Top Vet Schools are competitive. On average, the GRE scores of admitted applicants range from 154 to 158 for Verbal and 152 to 156 for Quant. Most of the DVM programs require a balanced score for Quant and verbal, with an average score of 154 for Quant, 156 for verbal, and 4.0 for AWA. So, a composite score of 310 is very competitive.
Some Vet school applicants take the GRE more than once. If that is the case, the good news is that nearly all DVM programs consider your highest score. You need to ensure that your best GRE attempt was taken within five years before applying to veterinary school.
Vet Schools that don’t require a GRE
From the table above, we can see that the following nine Vet Schools do not require a GRE score for admissions.
- Cornell University
- Colorado State University
- University of Florida
- Purdue University–West Lafayette
- Iowa State University
- Michigan State University
- Kansas State University
- University of Missouri
- Mississippi State University
What is a Good GPA for Vet school?
The average GPA for Veterinary school admissions is 3.54. With a GPA of 3.6 or more, you should feel safe when applying for admissions. Top programs also look very closely at your grades in the last 45 semester/68 quarter units of your undergraduate coursework. Your performance in Science courses is also critical for admissions to top Vet schools. If your overall GPA is below 3.5, but your science or the last 45 semester GPA is above 3.5, you will still make a strong applicant for Vet school.
Several of the top programs require a minimum GPA of 3.0+. This is a stringent requirement imposed by more than half of the top DVM programs.
What if I have a Low GPA for Vet School?
If you have a low CGPA (below 3.3), scoring above 310 on the GRE will be crucial to strengthening your application. From an academic standpoint, GPA/GRE are the most common ways of demonstrating academic aptitude. If you have a GPA of 3.6+, but a GRE score of around 300, you would still be competitive for admissions to Vet schools.
Can you get into Vet School with a Low GRE?
Veterinary schools use and trust the GRE to make admissions decisions. The GRE, though not the only admissions factor, will help you stand out during the admissions process. It is the most widely used and trusted indicator of academic success in graduate school. 99% of graduate programs rely on the GRE scores to make admissions decisions. For students preparing for it, the GRE can quickly get on their nerves. Especially for students applying to Veterinary school, getting a good GRE score is a dedicated effort of three to four months.
A balanced GRE score of 305+ is good enough to avoid raising a red flag. I have seen students with 295 on the GRE get into a top DVM school just because they had more than 2000+ hours of prior veterinary experience and an average of 3000+ hours of experience with animals. This means that the profile that you have built over the years can outweigh a low GRE score.
Make sure that you work on all aspects of your application, including the recommendation letters, essays, and resume, especially if you have a low GRE or below par GPA. Vet school admissions may also consist of a mini-interview, which assesses personal traits/qualities. In short, several factors determine your admissions chances to a good Vet program. Nevertheless, a good GRE will play a significant role in supporting your application.