New Jersey opens its first ever veterinary school

🐶 It took a lot of time but New Jersey finally has its own veterinary school

🐱 The first class of students began classes on Sept. 2.

🐶 The application process for next year ends soon

GLASSBORO — It’s been six years in the making, but now, finally, New Jersey has its first veterinary school.

Classes began Sept. 2 with the inaugural class of The Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine at Rowan University in Glassboro, consisting of 75 students, 40 of whom are from New Jersey, and the others represent 16 states, including California and Washington.

It used to be that if a New Jersey resident wanted to attend veterinary school, they had to apply out of state, and even out of the country, until now.

ALSO READ: Off-duty NJ police chief is praised for his heroic river rescue 

After years of blood, sweat, and tears, Dr. Matthew Edson, founding dean of students, said he’s beyond excited.

“We’re super excited to finally have students here. It’s been a little over six years since we’ve started planning this program, and it’s really been a breath of fresh air to have all these new kids here ready to get their DVM degree,” Edson said.

It’s the first time they’ve been able to offer New Jersey residents an education at home with in-state tuition, he added.

The Criteria

After thousands of applications were received from students all over the country and beyond, it was tough to narrow it down to 75 students for the first class of veterinary students at Rowan University.

Edson said the students need to be academically capable of getting through the rigor of a doctoral program, so obviously, good grades are at the top of the list.

However, he said he tried hard to find students with diverse life experiences and characteristics that would make them good veterinarians after graduation.

“I think we’ve ended up with a very unique and well-qualified class that looked at things other than just academic performance, and I think they’re going to all be very great vets when they’re done with this program someday,” Edson said.

The Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine

In 2021, Gov. Phil Murphy approved $75 million in funding to support the construction of the school’s primary academic and clinical facilities.

Established in 2022, Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine is named for businessman, animal lover, and advocate Gerald B. Shreiber, who donated $30 million in 2023 to support student scholarships.

With this veterinary school, Rowan is now one of only two universities in the nation offering three medical degrees, D.V.M., D.O., and M.D. The other is Purdue University in Indiana.

The brand-new Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine consists of 75,000 square feet of educational space, which is primarily classroom and teaching labs, Edson explained.

There is also more than 50,000 square feet of a teaching hospital, which will be open to the public next month, allowing them to bring their pets in for everything from general practice to specialty care.

The remainder of the square footage is dedicated to research laboratories, which the school shares with the School of Translational Biomedical Science and Engineering. As a result, many researchers from different professions will collaborate, hopefully contributing to the body of knowledge at Rowan University, Edson said.

Stethoscope Ceremony

On Aug. 28, students received stethoscopes from Edson during the veterinary school’s first Stethoscope Ceremony at Rowan’s Pfleeger Concert Hall.

Edson said it was a moment he’ll never forget. “To see them there and see the excitement on their faces and their families’ faces in the audience, that was a pretty incredible moment I don’t think I’ll ever forget,” he said.

Tuition

The cost as of 2025 is $37,500 per year for in-state residents and $58,500 per year for out-of-state residents.

“We’ve certainly done our best to keep costs as low as we possibly could for students, but we did provide the benefit of that in-state tuition differential for New Jersey residents,” Edson said.

Applying to Vet School

This is the first year in VMCAS (Veterinary Medical College Application Service), which is the national common application system for vet school, Edson said. In the first two weeks of it being opened, Rowan had more applicants in the pool than last year’s total.

However, as quickly as classes have begun for Rowan University’s inaugural class of veterinary students, the application process for next year’s class closes on Sept. 15.

Anyone interested in applying to veterinary school should get their application in as soon as possible.

Edson said 85 students will be accepted in the second round next fall.

Next Milestone

The next milestone will be the opening of the teaching hospital in early October, where members of the public can bring their pets in. Also on tap is the opening of the general primary care practice, also in early October, with the specialty services rolling out soon after.

Report a correction | Contact our newsroom