Veterinary Studies: Alfort’s national veterinary school makes the 2023 ranking of the world’s top 50 schools

The list of the top 50 veterinary schools worldwide has just been published for the ninth 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 has made a notable entry into the top 50, with the national veterinary school in Alfort ranking 45th.  In the 2023 top three (see the 2025 rankings here ) of the world’s best veterinary schools, the top two remain unchanged: the Royal Veterinary College in London (United Kingdom) retains its number-one spot ahead of UC Davis (California) in second place. Cornell University (United States) moves up one spot to take third place this year. The United States continues to lead the rankings of the best veterinary schools, with 17 universities among the top 50. Canada has three veterinary schools ranked in the global top 50. The United Kingdom remains at the top among English-speaking countries outside North America, with seven universities ranked among the top 50. In Europe, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Italy each have two veterinary schools in the rankings. The seven other countries represented (France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Austria, and Switzerland) each have one institution ranked among the top 50. France makes its debut with the national veterinary school in Alfort. In Oceania, the University of Sydney (23rd, down one spot) is the highest-ranked of the three Australian institutions. New Zealand, still represented by Massey University, ranks 28th, moving up one spot. Brazil, the only Latin American country represented in the top 50, ranks 42nd this year with the University of São Paulo, down one spot. Finally, three institutions from Asia made the list: for the first time, Universiti Putra Malaysia entered the rankings at No. 46; the University of Tokyo (Japan) dropped to No. 34 in the top 50 (down two spots); and Seoul National University (South Korea), which takes the second-to-last position (49th, a drop of eleven places).  

2023 World University Rankings in Veterinary Science

1. Royal Veterinary CollegeUniversity of London; United Kingdom (═ 1st in 2019, 2021, and 2022; 2nd in 2020; 3rd from 2015 to 2018)

2. University of California, Davis; United States (═ 2nd in 2019, 2021, and 2022; 1st from 2015 to 2018 and in 2020)

3. Cornell University; United States (▲ 4th in 2021 and 2022, 3rd in 2020, 5th in 2019, 2nd from 2015 to 2018)

4. University of Bern and Zurich; Switzerland (▲ 7th in 2021 and 2022, 8th in 2020, 21st in 2019, 28th in 2018, unranked in 2017, 25th in 2016, 6th in 2015)

5. University of Utrecht; Netherlands (▼ 3rd in 2019, 2021, and 2022; 4th in 2020; 5th in 2015 and 2018; 9th in 2017; 7th in 2016)

6. University of Guelph; Canada (▼ 5th from 2020 to 2022, 7th in 2018 and 2019, 6th in 2017, 8th in 2016, 4th in 2015)

7. Colorado State University; United States (▲ 11th in 2022, 14th in 2021, 21st in 2020, 23rd in 2019, 18th in 2018, 19th in 2017, 13th in 2015 and 2016)

8. University of Edinburgh; United Kingdom (▼ 3rd in 2021, 6th in 2019, 2020, and 2022, 8th in 2017 and 2018, 11th in 2016, 9th in 2015)

9. University of Pennsylvania; United States (═ 9th in 2022, 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 (═ 10th in 2022, 6th in 2021, 13th in 2020, 8th in 2019, 16th in 2018, 18th in 2017, 22nd in 2016, 25th in 2015)

11. Texas A&M University; United States (▲ 46th in 2021, 26th in 2020, 20th in 2019 and 2022, 10th in 2017 and 2018, 14th in 2016, 6th in 2015)

12. University of Minnesota; United States (▲ 17th in 2022, 20th in 2021, 14th in 2017 and 2020, 13th in 2015 and 2019, 22nd in 2018, 28th in 2016)

13. Ghent University; Belgium (═ 12th in 2021, 11th in 2020, 13th in 2019 and 2022, 17th in 2018, 20th in 2016 and 2017, 27th in 2015)

14. University of Copenhagen; Denmark (▼ 8th in 2022, 7th in 2021, 10th in 2016 and 2020, 15th in 2019, 19th in 2018, 13th in 2017, 17th in 2015)

15. University of Wisconsin-Madison; United States (▼ 12th in 2022, 21st in 2021, 23rd in 2020, 26th in 2019, 30th in 2018, 22nd in 2017, 27th in 2016, 24th in 2015)

16. Iowa State University; United States (▲ 29th in 2022, 27th in 2021, 24th in 2019 and 2020, 40th in 2018, 39th in 2017, 41st in 2016, 35th in 2015)

17. University of Bristol; United Kingdom (▲ 13th in 2021, 15th in 2020, 19th in 2019 and 2022, 20th in 2018, 25th in 2017, 11th in 2015 and 2016)

18. University of Cambridge; United Kingdom (▼ 14th in 2022, 7th in 2020 and 2021, 4th from 2016 to 2019, 8th in 2015)

19. University of Liverpool; United Kingdom (▲ 24th in 2022, 21st in 2021, 18th in 2020, 2018, and 2019, 5th in 2017, 6th in 2016, 9th in 2015)

20. 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 and 2022)

21. University of Glasgow; United Kingdom (▼ 18th in 2022, 10th in 2021, 17th in 2017 and 2020, 12th in 2019, 14th in 2018, 16th in 2016, 7th in 2015)

22. North Carolina State University; United States (▼ 16th in 2022, 31st in 2021, 22nd in 2020, 26th in 2019, 27th in 2018, 21st in 2017, 17th in 2016, 20th in 2015)

23. University of Sydney; Australia (▼ 22nd in 2022, 16th in 2021, 12th in 2020, 9th in 2016 and 2019, 2017 and 2018, 11th in 2015)

24. Wageningen University; Netherlands (▼ 17th in 2021, 19th in 2016 and 2020, 15th in 2017, 2019, and 2022; 13th in 2018; 16th in 2015)

25. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Sweden (▼ 24th in 2022, 31st in 2021, 27th in 2020, 22nd in 2019, 21st in 2018, 28th in 2017, 30th in 2016, 43rd in 2015)

26. University of Georgia; United States (▲ 29th in 2021 and 2022, 37th in 2018 and 2020, 42nd in 2019, 43rd in 2017, 40th in 2016, 31st in 2015) 26 ,University of Georgia; United States (▲ 29th in 2021 and 2022, 37th in 2018 and 2020, 42nd in 2019, 43rd in 2017, 40th in 2016, 31st in 2015)

27. University of Melbourne; Australia (▼ 21st in 2022, 18th in 2016 and 2021, 16th in 2020, 17th in 2019, 15th in 2017 and 2018, 28th in 2015)

28. Massey University; New Zealand (▲ 19th in 2021, 28th in 2020, 29th in 2019 and 2022, 23rd in 2017 and 2018, 25th in 2016, 15th in 2015)

29. Michigan State University; United States (▼ 27th in 2022, 11th in 2018, 2019, and 2021; 8th in 2020; 12th in 2017; 15th in 2016; 21st in 2015)

30. Université de Montréal; Canada (▲ 35th in 2022, 42nd in 2015 and 2021, 43rd in 2020, 46th in 2019, 49th in 2018, 48th in 2017, 44th in 2016)

31. University of Florida; United States (▲ 42nd in 2022, 28th in 2021, 39th in 2019 and 2020, 35th in 2018, 31st in 2017, 24th in 2016, 17th in 2015)

32. University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; Austria (▼ 26th in 2022, 31st in 2019 and 2021, 25th in 2020, 33rd in 2015 and 2018, 37th in 2017, 36th in 2016)

33. University of Calgary; Canada (▲ 37th in 2021 and 2022, 42nd in 2020, 47th in 2019, 48th in 2018, 49th in 2017)

34. University of Tokyo; Japan (▼ 32nd in 2022, 29th in 2021, 43rd in 2019 and 2020, 42nd in 2018, 34th in 2017)

35. Complutense University of Madrid; Spain (═ 35th in 2021 and 2022, 34th in 2019 and 2020, 33rd in 2018, 39th in 2017, 43rd in 2016, 50th in 2015)

36. Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich; Germany (▼ 28th in 2022, 24th in 2021, 30th in 2020, 25th in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019, 23rd in 2016)

37. Tufts University; United States (▲ not ranked in 2021, 50th in 2020, 40th in 2019, 44th in 2018 and 2022, 41st in 2017, 34th in 2015)

38. Purdue University; United States (▼ unranked in 2021, 34th in 2020 and 2022, 32nd in 2016, 2018, and 2019, 24th in 2017, 30th in 2015)

39. University College Dublin; Ireland (▼ 33rd in 2022, 23rd in 2021, 32nd in 2020, 26th in 2019, 24th in 2018, 29th in 2017, 31st in 2016, 40th in 2015)

40. University of Pisa; Italy (▲ 44th in 2022)

41. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; United States (▲ 44th in 2022, 50th in 2021, unranked in 2020, 37th in 2019, 36th in 2018, 27th in 2017, 33rd in 2016, 43rd in 2015)

42. University of São Paulo; Brazil (▼ 41st in 2022, 40th in 2021, 48th in 2020, unranked in 2019, 47th in 2018, 38th in 2016 and 2017, 36th in 2015)

43. Kansas State University; United States (▼ 40th in 2022, 48th in 2015 and 2021, unranked from 2016 to 2020)

44. University of Queensland; Australia (▼ 26th in 2021, 28th in 2020, 33rd in 2019, 38th in 2018 and 2022, 32nd in 2017)

45. National Veterinary School of Maisons-Alfort; France (▲ new entry)

46. Free University of Berlin; Germany (▲ 49th in 2022, 31st in 2021, 33rd in 2020, 35th in 2019, 26th in 2018, 34th in 2017, 44th in 2016)

47. Universiti Putra Malaysia; Malaysia (▲ new entry)

48. University of Milan; Italy (═ 39th in 2021, 45th in 2020, 48th in 2019 and 2022, 49th in 2018, unranked in 2017, 47th in 2016)

49. Seoul National University; South Korea (▼ 38th in 2022, 45th in 2021, 41st in 2015 and 2020, unranked in 2018 and 2019, 50th in 2017)

50. University of Nottingham; United Kingdom (▼ 44th in 2022, 36th in 2019, 2020, and 2021, 29th in 2017 and 2018, 35th in 2016, 45th in 2015)

Removed from the rankings in 2023:

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; United Kingdom (▼ 43rd in 2021 and 2022, 40th in 2020)

Washington State University; United States (▼ 50th in 2022, 43rd in 2021, 38th in 2019 and 2020, 41st in 2018, 34th in 2017, 39th in 2016, 37th in 2015)