Pre-vet Oregon State vs Colorado State vs California schools [CA resident]

Parents Forum
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Hello,

Greetings from deep inside the rabbit hole. I am having a hard time knowing what advice to give my daughter, who is a senior in high school.. She is determined to pursue veterinary medicine and I know that vet schools heavily favor in state residents. We live in California, which makes her in-state UC Davis, so that would be statistically the school that she would have the best chance at. Admission decisions for California schools don’t come out until March, but meanwhile she was accepted at Colorado State and Oregon State so we are considering whether it makes any sense to go out of state for undergrad if her ultimate goal is vet school.

In Oregon, she was accepted into the honors program (still waiting on a response to her honors app in Colorado.) This gives her the ability to apply to the pre-vet scholars program at Oregon, which looks pretty cool as it would give her a lot of access to the vet school, along with a mentor who would oversee a vet-related honors thesis. The advisor also told us that as an honors pre-vet student she would get a guaranteed interview to the vet school. However, she would still have to apply as an out of state student there and officially, at least, the vet school says that they do not give any preference to their own undergrads (which seems inconsistent with the “guaranteed interview” offer) so her application would still go into the out of state pile with something like a 2% chance of acceptance.

All in all I’m struggling with how to factor in the residency question in weighing the pros and cons of these schools. Given that my daughter’s stats are excellent, I know she’ll have plenty of good undergrad options in California and given that roughly a third of UC Davis’s vet students attended UC Davis as undergrads the statistics seem to point us in that direction. On the other hand, I really like the idea of an honors program. Does the residency question really trump all other considerations? Should we put time and energy into evaluating out of state schools at all?

Thanks so much for any advice.

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Staying in-state with family support and lower costs usually makes more sense for pre-med and pre-vet students, especially given how expensive and competitive professional schools are. As a parent of two daughters pursuing medicine and veterinary medicine, I’ve seen how valuable these resources are.

From a quick Google search, UC Davis offers extensive pre-vet support including annual orientation sessions, symposia, and a week-long Summer Pre-Vet Bootcamp. Campus groups like the Vet Aide Club provide hands-on experience and connections to the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, while Pre-Vet Students Supporting Diversity offers mentorship from DVM students. Local volunteer opportunities help build hours and references, and being in-state provides a significant residency advantage.

Honors programs and guaranteed interviews at out-of-state schools sound appealing, but they don’t improve OOS admissions odds. When you factor in cost, family support, and established infrastructure, UC Davis is the more practical choice.

Just my two cents based on what we’ve experienced!

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Did you get WUE at OSU and CSU?

She’d still be in state for vet school in CA or am I missing something? You don’t lose residency by going to college out of state, as far as I’m aware. If you go to OSU, you don’t become an Oregon resident. You remain a CA resident.

WUE tuition will make costs competitive with in state options for undergrad. OSU would actually be cheaper than some UCs factoring in living expenses. CSU in range. Both would be high 30s all in….they’re among the more expensive WUE options.

Please correct me if I’m wrong….

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She should still be an in state applicant for vet school. As @tsbna44 said, undergrad, in most circumstances, doesn’t change that.

We looked at a LOT of schools with our son back in the day. The honors program at Oregon State was head a shoulders above any other program we encountered, by a long margin. He’s an engineer, but I’m assuming it’s similar for other majors. The opportunities are expansive, the instructors have to compete for the privilege of teaching in the honors program, and most importantly, honors classes go deep into the curriculum.

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Ah, I didn’t include the WUE benefit in my previous post. However, from my Google search, UC Davis is one of the top pre‑vet and veterinary schools in the U.S. About one-third of admitted vet students did their undergrad there, which shows how strong its internal pipeline is.

As for cost, her COA at UC Davis would be roughly $37,400–$46,700 per year. With WUE, OSU would be around $36,000–$39,000, and CSU about $47,700. The question is whether the cost will influence the decision compared to the other advantages. In my view, getting into UC Davis is truly a golden ticket for pre‑vet students.

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OP still isn’t into CA schools but it sounds like perhaps the student prefers OSU or CSU and the parent wants to steer away.

I don’t know if there’s a mechanism to apply for WUE or you are automatically considered? I know OSU limits the amount awarded so it’s not automatic.

At least on the website, OSU shows $19,013 tuition and CSU shows $21,690. Room and Board is $21K so that’s about $44K…just a bit less. Showing direct costs, not indirect.

If OP would looking to save, they might look at the Idaho schools (about $10K WUE), the Montana Schools which would be so great with nature and are good schools with Montana State drawing wide - about $10K), UN Reno (about $13K), or even schools like UNM or WWU…if money was a factor.

Good luck to OP.

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One daughter just graduated from a very good DVM program this past May, and is currently working as a veterinarian. She loves it.

Being a veterinarian is a lot of work. This is something that you need to be driven to do. You will be pooped on, peed on, and bitten. There will be late night veterinary emergencies, and some weekend emergencies. At one point just before my daughter was applying to DVM programs I told her that I was impressed that she had reached inside a cow three different ways. She gave me a funny look, paused, and asked: “Dad, which way don’t you know about?”. Regardless at this point she has helped many baby cattle be born, and is quite happy to do so. I think that she has figured out how to clean almost anything off her scrubs. She was required to get a full serious of rabies vaccines just to start her DVM program.

IF you can get to the point of having a DVM without taking on debt, then being a vet pays relatively well. However, that is a really big “IF”. If you take on the cost of a DVM program as debt, then being a veterinarian does not pay well enough to make up for the huge debt load. My daughter has reported several times that most of the students who were in her DVM program were taking on way too much debt, and did not want to talk about it. At graduation we intentionally did not mention this issue (her debt level is fine, but we did not want other students to feel bad about this). Thus finances are very important, and saving college funds for the DVM program is a good idea if you can do it. If you can pay for all 8 years of university this would help your daughter a lot.

Pre-vet classes are the same as premed classes. These are tough classes. However, a student does not need straight A’s. My daughter certainly got some B’s along the way, and had to work very hard to avoid a C or two. At least both me and my daughter thought that her extensive veterinary experience and associated references were what helped her the most in DVM applications, and this seemed to be more important than perfect grades.

The other students in my daughter’s DVM program came from a huge range of undergraduate universities. I did hear a few universities mentioned twice during the incoming ceremony, but mostly it was almost like every student came from somewhere different. You can get a very good start at this process at any one of a huge range of schools. Every school that you mentioned is superb for a pre-vet student. None will be easy.

You are from a WICHE/WUE state. Colorado State and Oregon State are WICHE schools and have WICHE DVM programs. This might help quite a bit with the total cost, although possibly not quite as much as being in-state. I am also under the impression that the WICHE DVM programs have agreed to accept some number of students from other WICHE states. However, I do not know how this works when you are coming from a WICHE state that already has its own DVM program (compared to coming from a WICHE state that does not have any DVM program, so students have to go to a different state for their DVM). Regarding residency, my understanding is the same as some other comments above, that attending university out of state does not change a student’s state of residence.

Experience in a veterinary-related environment is very important. Our daughter had a LOT of both large animal and small animal experience, and I think that this helped her a lot. She had experience in veterinary emergency situations, and helping with veterinary surgeries. She had experience in birthing, and in just cleaning up after the animals. I think that all of this experience is very important. However, it looks like you are comparing schools where a lot of veterinary experience will be available.

And a pre-vet student does not need to attend an undergraduate university that has a DVM program. My daughter for example got her bachelor’s at UVM, which is very good for pre-vet students but that does not have a DVM program at all. It does have horses and cows either on-campus or very close to campus, and an equestrian team, and a CREAM program (which involves caring for cows, including giving shots, drawing blood, administering medication, birthing, and cleaning up). In evaluating in-state schools, I do not think that having a DVM program is needed, but having access to veterinary experience is very important.

Mostly I think that you are comparing great with great. Where your daughter feels the most comfortable, and what is most affordable, might be near the top of the criteria to consider along with access to veterinary experience (preferably including large animals).

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Thanks for all the feedback everyone! @DadTwoGirls I completely understand the “ickiness” factor in veterinary medicine. When my daughter accurately suspected that a horse at our barn had colic and we called the vet, we watched her stick her entire arm (up to her shoulder) up the horse’s butt to pull out as much feces as she could. That kind of stuff doesn’t seem to bother my girls, as they are already pretty used to it. I really appreciate the advice on financing their education, as that makes a lot of sense.

We did just find out that she got into honors at Colorado State also, which is great. I’m very, very lucky in that cost is not so much of an issue. As a number of you mentioned the WUE scholarships combined with the lower cost of living makes the cost comparison a non-issue for undergrad expenses.

@eyemgh thanks for the feedback on the OSU honors program. It certainly sounds excellent on paper, so I’m glad to hear that you liked it.

I’m mostly concerned with the in-state vs out of state chances of admission into Vet School rather than the cost. As @ttb1263 mentioned, UC Davis (which would be our in-state for vet school admission) has a strong internal pipeline, with roughly a third of their incoming vet class every year being UC Davis undergrads, which makes it seem that everyone who doesn’t go to UC Davis for undergrad may be at a disadvantage. Going out of state for undergrad would compromise their ability to make the connections at Davis that could help strengthen their application for Davis specifically.

What I’m struggling with is how to weigh the opportunities they’ve been given at these out of state schools with the honors programs and all the wonderful things that could create in terms of smaller class sizes, priority registration, closer connections to faculty, mentorship that helps them land the hands-in experience they need, etc against the (still not set in stone) opportunity to attend UC Davis with its premier overall reputation and strong internal pipeline. Of course, I’m assuming that she will get into Davis and will NOT get into honors at Davis, both of which I think are pretty likely assumptions.

I also really have no idea it attending OSU or CSU would give them a better chance at being accepted into one of those vet schools even though they would still have to apply to them as out of state students.

And I totally get that we are trying to compare “great to great” and I am so grateful for that, but just having a really hard time figuring out what factors are more important since I can’t rely on cost to help me make the decision! Is an incredibly strong general program with in-state advantages a better bet or is participating in the honors program at an out of state school with a slightly less prestigious reputation overall a wiser choice? Which would prepare them better? I do understand that it’s not that simple and no matter where they go their preparation will mostly be based on the choices they make. But at this point, all we can do is try to set them up for success by helping them choose the environment that gives them the best chance to get there.

Thanks everyone!

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“May be” are strong words.

Why not ask their vet school admissions? There may be another reason - limited amount of pre vet kids nationwide and it’s a flow pattern.

And yet there’s 2/3 that don’t attend UCD undergrad if that statistic you quoted is correct - I couldn’t find it.

Like other schools, many will come from top undergrad because they got in to begin with. It’s a lot easier to get into OSU or CSU than UCD. It’s easier to get into Arizona or Purdue or Kansas State or Cal State Bernardino or UCM than UCD.

So “may be” are strong words but unproven.

Generally, more competitive kids getting in at a perceived higher tier undergrad likely similarly do well at the next level admission wise, but perhaps not because of the undergrad attended but because they have always been stronger applicants. Also, it’s likely many pre vets have animal science degrees. That’s not a wide spread degree - so there’s likely a more narrow list of schools kids are applying from to begin with vs. say medical school (my hypothesis).

Here’s some stats from their page - so she’s in better shape as a CA resident:

The majority of our CA admitted students have earned a 3.6-3.7 in their overall science GPA and their most recent 45 semester units (68 quarter units) GPA. Nonresident student GPA’s average 3.90. A statistical profile of admitted students is available on our Application Statistics page.

Q&A directly on point to your hypothesis:

  • Are my chances of admission to the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine better if I attend UC Davis as an undergraduate and/or take required science courses there?
  • No. You may attend any regionally accredited college or university. We do not have preferred schools from which we select applicants. Choosing a college is an important personal decision. Attend a college that provides a challenging curriculum in an environment where you will succeed academically. Consider schools that offer strong science programs and majors that interest you. Consider also the location and size of the school, extracurricular activities, weather, etc., and decide which school suits your needs best.

155 students from the most recent class came from 55 schools with more than 80% female.

What you can infer from the data is CA residents have a better chance but not that UCD kids do. But ask the school. In the most recent class, 36 of 1139 OOS were accepted while 132 of 962 CA residents were. And GPA wise the OOS residents have higher GPAs - so I think your student has an advantage no matter where she attends as she’s a resident of the state - if a 13.7% acceptance rate seems an advantage.

Of course all this is moot if she doesn’t get into UCD undergrad.

Good luck.

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I agree with your point that being a CA resident when applying for the UC Davis Vet school is a definite advantage.

For the Class of 2027 and 2026, the UC Vet school did breakout which schools the admitted students attended for Undergrad with UC Davis undergrads with an advantage but for 2028/2029 Class admission statistics the Undergrad college is no longer listed.

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Thanks. I assume this disclaimer next to the UCD # is inferring - more got in because more applied but not necessarily a higher percentage got in ? That’s how I read it anyway.

Of course, we don’t know the residency of those who went OOS (or even to CA schools) but the list is limited, likely because many choose an offering (animal science) that is limited at the undergrad level.

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I agree that they do not list how many UCD undergrads did apply so there is no way to know the percentages that were admitted. Just posting more information and I am sure this data is where OP is getting the 1/3 statistics.

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CSU and UCD are incredibly difficult to even land an interview for. My son is at UCD and is a terrific student with a great range of research and husbandry experience, including working at the veterinary teaching hospital. He did not even land an interview. Vet schools, in general, are becoming more and more competitive, year over year. My best advice, still being in the thick of interviews and decisions for this application cycle of his (he had his 6th interview today), is to cast a wide net. Focusing on particular programs or not enough programs, can result in tremendous disappointment. High GPAs, high clinical hours, research experience, paid veterinary employment positions and great essays and LORs do not guarantee a thing.

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Yikes! I’m sorry to hear that it’s been rough. So you understand exactly why I’m stressing about which environment will give my daughter the best preparation. You all have been extremely helpful. It sounds like I should stop worrying about stats that I don’t really understand and just focus on helping her choose an undergrad experience that will give her the best preparation possible. And of course it needs to be somewhere she actually wants to spend four years at! Good luck to your son. I did read another post by another UCD student who didn’t get an interview anywhere in the U.S. but also applied internationally, got in everywhere they applied outside of the U.S. and were doing vet school in London. Maybe something to consider?

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Our daughter thought about applying outside the US. After some thought I think that she decided to try in the US first, and then if she didn’t get in anywhere re-apply in a year and include some schools outside the USA. She however got some acceptances the first round.

Best wishes. I am hoping that he gets at least one acceptance in the near future. Having been called in for 6 different interviews does sound quite hopeful.

As far as I recall, at this time of year a number of years back we were anxiously awaiting results and our daughter was scheduling interviews. I think that it is still early in the cycle. Also, a rejection from UC Davis probably does not predict anything about results at other schools. It is after all the top ranked DVM program in the world, and as such quite difficult for admissions. Of course whatever program is ranked 20th in the USA is still an exceptionally good DVM program (and the cow that my daughter did a C-section on earlier this week did not ask her where she had gotten her DVM).

I agree with this. Our daughter applied to 10 schools which is probably a reasonable number. It might even be low.

I do not know how to predict results. We had essentially no clue whether our daughter was going to get into 10 schools, or one school, or no schools.

One issue that I do not think has come up. It is common for students to get a bachelor’s degree, and then work for a few years, and then attend a DVM program. Where they work can allow them (or cause them) to change their official state of residency. Our daughter graduated with a bachelor’s degree, moved west, and worked for somewhat more than a year before she applied to DVM programs. This resulted in her gaining residency in a different state compared to where we live and also compared to where she got her bachelor’s degree. She was partly motivated by wanting to be sure that she really wanted to be a DVM, and partly motivated by moving to a state that she finds very attractive.

This does require living and working in a state for at least a full year before starting to apply to DVM programs, which means at least two years before actually starting to study in a DVM program.

Between UC Davis, Oregon State, and Colorado State, you really are comparing three exceptional schools with exceptional opportunities for a pre-vet student. I think that any will prepare a student very well from an academic point of view. I also think that any of them will provide opportunities to get some veterinary experience.

And I do not think that we could overstate the importance of experience. Really this is what my daughter and I think got her accepted to multiple very good DVM programs. There is a wide range of experience that can be valuable. Even things like being a waitress involve working with the public, which is part of being a veterinarian. Experience can be obtained on-campus or off-campus or both. Vets do a very wide range of tasks on a wide range of animals. Your daughter, wherever she ends up, will most likely want to see what opportunities she can find, whether on-campus or off-campus, to work with animals.

Given how very good your daughter’s choices appear to be, wherever she would feel the most comfortable might be one important thing to figure out. Unfortunately travel from California to Davis, then on to Corvallis, and then to Fort Worth, and then back home again, could involve covering some distance. It might be worth the trip.