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).