The University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine bolstered its place among the top veterinary medicine educational institutions in the country, checking in at No. 6 in this year’s U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools rankings, released today.
The latest ranking, announced just one year after UF CVM checked in at No. 5, marks nearly a decade of top-10 recognition, underscoring the college’s sustained excellence and national reputation as an innovative leader in scholarship, research, clinical excellence and community impact.
“We are very proud to be recognized among the best in the country in today’s graduate school rankings,” Dean Dana Zimmel, D.V.M., DACVIM, said. “Most importantly, this well-deserved honor reflects the ongoing pursuit of excellence of everyone who composes the CVM community – from our DVM students, graduate students, faculty and staff to our house officers, hospital clinicians, donors and alumni.”
UF College of Veterinary Medicine Rise: U.S. News & World Report Best Veterinary Schools
- 2026: No. 6
- 2025: No. 5
- 2023: No. 7
- 2019: No. 9
- 2015: No. 14
UF CVM’s No. 6 ranking places the college fifth among public veterinary education institutions in the country and tied at six with the University of Pennsylvania and University of Wisconsin – Madison. The full slate of rankings can be found on U.S. News & World Report’s website.
- It was another banner year for UF CVM, which celebrated the second anniversary of its open heart surgery program for dogs, recently passing the 100-surgery mark for mitral valve repairs, and the launch of its pioneering canine perfusion training program.
- Last summer, the college cut the ribbon on a new state-of-the-art EquiGym High Speed Equine Treadmill, highlighting a $1million upgrade to the Equine Performance Laboratory to advance research and clinical care for equine athletes, currently backed by funding from the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.
- The UF Veterinary Hospitals treated 122,000 animals last year between its Gainesville, UF PETS, and World Equestrian Center locations.
- In fall 2025, UF CVM launched its Comparative Biomedical Sciences graduate program, which offers both masters and doctoral degrees, in strategic response to the growing educational needs in a new era in veterinary science where data, technology and interdisciplinary collaboration converge.
- For her career-long contributions to biomedical discovery and academic leadership, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Education Janet Robishaw, Ph.D., became UF CVM’s second-ever American Association for the Advancement of Science Lifetime Fellow.
- Charting a bold course forward, UF completed its class expansion initiative to address the national shortage of veterinarians by welcoming its fourth and final class of 150 decorated future veterinarians last fall, making 600 DVM students.
- CVM also awarded its first-ever full-ride student scholarship.
- Thanks to generous support from Bernard Little, Jr., and Mary Jane Hunt, CVM launched a professional development pathway program for veterinary hospital residents to provide meaningful research and educational mentorship.
- With community wellbeing, access and civic engagement at the forefront of the college’s culture, the college was awarded two Insight into Academia national awards for its related programming and efforts, the 2025 Excellence in Mental Health and Well-Being Award and the 2026 Civic Engagement and Community Service Award.
UF CVM, which boasts the only veterinary teaching hospital in the state of Florida and is gearing up to celebrate the 50th Anniversary through the 2026-27 academic year, is one of three University of Florida colleges that notched top-10 nods, including the UF College of Education at No. 2 and the College of Pharmacy at No. 4 in their respective professions.
“These rankings reflect the University of Florida’s continued momentum as we strengthen graduate education across disciplines,” said UF Interim Provost Joe Glover. “Our colleges are advancing research, preparing future leaders and delivering real-world impact in Florida and beyond.”