Veterinary Sciences: The 2022 Ranking of the World's Top 50 Veterinary Schools Has Been Released

The top 50 veterinary schools worldwide have just been announced for the eighth consecutive year. Fifty of the world’s leading universities in the field of veterinary science—from some 20 countries—are compared and ranked in the QS World University Rankings. In Europe, France is still absent from the top 50, but the National Veterinary School of Alfort ranks among the top 51–60.

A total of 51 different disciplines are included in the overall QS World University Rankings. In the 2022 rankings of the world’s best veterinary schools, the top three remain unchanged: the Royal Veterinary College in London (United Kingdom) retains its No. 1 spot ahead of UC Davis (California) in second place and the University of Edinburgh (United Kingdom) in third place, just as in 2021.  

[2025 Rankings: Click here] 

Once again this year, the United States leads the rankings of the best veterinary schools by a wide margin, with 18 universities among the top 50. Also in North America, Canada has three veterinary science universities ranked among the world’s top 50. The United Kingdom remains at the top among English-speaking countries outside North America, with 8 universities ranked among the top 50.  

In Europe, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Italy each have two veterinary schools ranked in the top 50. The six other countries represented (Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, and Switzerland) each have one institution ranked among the top 50. Finland, which entered the rankings in 2019 with the University of Helsinki, drops out of the rankings in 2022. France is still not represented, but that may change soon, as the national veterinary school in Alfort is among the institutions ranked between 51st and 60th.  

In Oceania, the University of Melbourne (21st, down three spots) is the highest-ranked of the three Australian institutions. New Zealand, still represented by Massey University, ranks 29th, down ten spots.  

Brazil, the only Latin American country represented in the top 50, ranks 41st this year with the University of São Paulo, down one spot. Finally, two institutions made the list from Asia: the University of Tokyo (Japan), which ranks 32nd in the top 50 (down three places), and Seoul National University (South Korea), which climbed to 38th place (up seven places).  

To measure the reputation and performance of a school or university, the QS Top Universities World Rankings are based on three components: academic reputation (extensive surveys of academics and faculty), graduate employability, and research impact (publications in the Elsevier Scopus database). For the past seven years, another metric has been included: the h-index, which measures both the productivity and the impact of the work published by a scientist or academic. It can also be applied to a group of scientists (a department, a university, a country) or to a scientific journal. Starting this year, another metric—the International Research Network—reflects institutions’ ability to diversify their international research networks by establishing sustainable partnerships.    

2022 World University Rankings in Veterinary Science

1. Royal Veterinary College, University of London, United Kingdom (═ 1st in 2019 and 2021, 2nd in 2020, 3rd from 2015 to 2018)  

2. University of California, Davis, United States (═ 2nd in 2019 and 2021, 1st from 2015 to 2018 and in 2020)  

3. University of Utrecht, Netherlands (═ 3rd in 2019 and 2021, 4th in 2020, 5th in 2015 and 2018, 9th in 2017, 7th in 2016)  

4. Cornell University, United States (═ 4th in 2021, 3rd in 2020, 5th in 2019, 2nd from 2015 to 2018)

5. University of Guelph, Canada (═ 5th in 2020 and 2021, 7th in 2018 and 2019, 6th in 2017, 8th in 2016, 4th in 2015)

6. University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom (▼ 3rd in 2021, 6th in 2019 and 2020, 8th in 2017 and 2018, 11th in 2016, 9th in 2015)

7. University of Bern and Zurich, Switzerland (═ 7th in 2021, 8th in 2020, 21st in 2019, 28th in 2018, unranked in 2017, 25th in 2016, 6th in 2015)

8. University of Copenhagen, Denmark (▼ 7th in 2021, 10th in 2016 and 2020, 15th in 2019, 19th in 2018, 13th in 2017, 17th in 2015)

9. University of Pennsylvania, United States (▲ 15th in 2021, 20th in 2020, 18th in 2019, 6th in 2018, 7th in 2017, 4th in 2016, 19th in 2015)

10. Ohio State University, United States (▼ 6th in 2021, 13th in 2020, 8th in 2019, 16th in 2018, 18th in 2017, 22nd in 2016, 25th in 2015)

11. Colorado State University, United States (▲ 14th in 2021, 21st in 2020, 23rd in 2019, 18th in 2018, 19th in 2017, 13th in 2015 and 2016)

12. University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States (▲ 21st in 2021, 23rd in 2020, 26th in 2019, 30th in 2018, 22nd in 2017, 27th in 2016, 24th in 2015)

13. Ghent University, Belgium (▼ 12th in 2021, 11th in 2020, 13th in 2019, 17th in 2018, 20th in 2016 and 2017, 27th in 2015)

14. University of Cambridge, United Kingdom (▲ 7th in 2020 and 2021, 4th from 2016 to 2019, 8th in 2015)

15. Wageningen University, Netherlands (▲ 17th in 2021, 19th in 2016 and 2020, 15th in 2017 and 2019, 13th in 2018, 16th in 2015)

16. North Carolina State University, United States (▲ 31st in 2021, 22nd in 2020, 26th in 2019, 27th in 2018, 21st in 2017, 17th in 2016, 20th in 2015)

17. University of Minnesota, United States (▲ 20th in 2021, 14th in 2017 and 2020, 13th in 2015 and 2019, 22nd in 2018, 28th in 2016)

18. University of Glasgow, United Kingdom (▼ 10th in 2021, 17th in 2017 and 2020, 12th in 2019, 14th in 2018, 16th in 2016, 7th in 2015)

19. University of Bristol, United Kingdom (▼ 13th in 2021, 15th in 2020, 19th in 2019, 20th in 2018, 25th in 2017, 11th in 2015 and 2016)

20. Texas A&M University, United States (▲ 46th in 2021, 26th in 2020, 20th in 2019, 10th in 2017 and 2018, 14th in 2016, 6th in 2015)

21. University of Melbourne, Australia (▼ 18th in 2016 and 2021, 16th in 2020, 17th in 2019, 15th in 2017 and 2018, 28th in 2015)

22. University of Sydney, Australia (▼ 16th in 2021, 12th in 2020, 9th in 2016 and 2019, 2017 and 2018, 11th in 2015)

23. Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain (▲ 24th in 2021, 31st in 2018 and 2020, 30th in 2019, 33rd in 2017, 21st in 2016, 23rd in 2015)

24. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden (▲ 31st in 2021, 27th in 2020, 22nd in 2019, 21st in 2018, 28th in 2017, 30th in 2016, 43rd in 2015)

25. University of Liverpool, United Kingdom (▼ 21st in 2021, 18th in 2020, 2018, and 2019, 5th in 2017, 6th in 2016, 9th in 2015)

26. University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria (▲ 31st in 2019 and 2021, 25th in 2020, 33rd in 2015 and 2018, 37th in 2017, 36th in 2016)

27. Michigan State University, United States (▼ 11th in 2018, 2019, and 2021; 8th in 2020; 12th in 2017; 15th in 2016; 21st in 2015)

28. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany (▼ 24th in 2021, 30th in 2020, 25th in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019, 23rd in 2016)

29. Iowa State University, United States (▼ 27th in 2021, 24th in 2019 and 2020, 40th in 2018, 39th in 2017, 41st in 2016, 35th in 2015)

30. Massey University, New Zealand (▼ 19th in 2021, 28th in 2020, 29th in 2019, 23rd in 2017 and 2018, 25th in 2016, 15th in 2015)

31. University of Georgia, United States (═ 29th in 2021, 37th in 2018 and 2020, 42nd in 2019, 43rd in 2017, 40th in 2016, 31st in 2015)

32. University of Tokyo, Japan (▼ 29th in 2021, 43rd in 2019 and 2020, 42nd in 2018, 34th in 2017)

33. University College Dublin, Ireland (▼ 23rd in 2021, 32nd in 2020, 26th in 2019, 24th in 2018, 29th in 2017, 31st in 2016, 40th in 2015)

34. Purdue University, United States (▲ not ranked in 2021, 34th in 2020, 32nd in 2016, 2018, and 2019, 24th in 2017, 30th in 2015)

35. Complutense University of Madrid, Spain (═ 35th in 2021, 34th in 2019 and 2020, 33rd in 2018, 39th in 2017, 43rd in 2016, 50th in 2015)

36. University of Montreal, Canada (▲ 42nd in 2015 and 2021, 43rd in 2020, 46th in 2019, 49th in 2018, 48th in 2017, 44th in 2016)

37. University of Calgary, Canada (═ 37th in 2021, 42nd in 2020, 47th in 2019, 48th in 2018, 49th in 2017)

38. Seoul National University, South Korea (▲ 45th in 2021, 41st in 2015 and 2020, unranked in 2018 and 2019, 50th in 2017)

39. University of Queensland, Australia (▼ 26th in 2021, 28th in 2020, 33rd in 2019, 38th in 2018, 32nd in 2017, 29th in 2016, 22nd in 2015)

40. Kansas State University, United States (▲ 48th in 2015 and 2021, unranked from 2016 to 2020)

41. University of São Paulo, Brazil (▼ 40th in 2021, 48th in 2020, unranked in 2019, 47th in 2018, 38th in 2016 and 2017, 36th in 2015)

42. University of Florida, United States (▼ 28th in 2021, 39th in 2019 and 2020, 35th in 2018, 31st in 2017, 24th in 2016, 17th in 2015)

43. London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, United Kingdom (═ 43rd in 2021, 40th in 2020)

44. Tufts University, United States (▲ not ranked in 2021, 50th in 2020, 40th in 2019, 44th in 2018, 41st in 2017, 34th in 2015)

45. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States (▲ 50th in 2021, unranked in 2020, 37th in 2019, 36th in 2018, 27th in 2017, 33rd in 2016, 43rd in 2015)

46. University of Nottingham, United Kingdom (▼ 36th in 2019, 2020, and 2021; 29th in 2017 and 2018; 35th in 2016; 45th in 2015)

47. University of Pisa, Italy (▲ new entry)

48. University of Milan, Italy (▼ 39th in 2021, 45th in 2020, 48th in 2019, 49th in 2018, unranked in 2017, 47th in 2016)

49. Free University of Berlin, Germany (▼ 31st in 2021, 33rd in 2020, 35th in 2019, 26th in 2018, 34th in 2017, 44th in 2016)

50. Washington State University, United States (▼ 43rd in 2021, 38th in 2019 and 2020, 41st in 2018, 34th in 2017, 39th in 2016, 37th in 2015)

     

Universities that dropped out of the rankings in 2022:

University of Helsinki, Finland (▼ 38th in 2021, 45th in 2020, 49th in 2019)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, United States (▼ 47th in 2020 and 2021, 41st in 2019, 45th in 2018)

University of Adelaide, Australia (▼ 49th in 2020 and 2021, 43rd in 2019)