Projected Cost of Attendance

Arkansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine recognizes that pursuing a veterinary medicine degree is an investment. As the first public veterinary college in the state of Arkansas, our goal is to provide every student with a world-class veterinary education and are actively endeavoring in philanthropic efforts to lower the cost of attendance by establishing scholarships for our DVM students.

View internal and external scholarships available to DVM students >>

Prospective students are encouraged to explore this page and the associated links which provide information related to the estimated cost of attendance a full-time student may experience while attending the DVM program.

Cost of Attendance

The tables below are the estimated cost of attendance for an Arkansas resident and a non-resident. While reviewing this, keep in mind that every student’s individual needs and preferences are different, which means the costs for room and board, personal spending, transportation, and other non-tuition categories can vary widely based upon your individual spending habits.

The estimated cost of attendance represents the maximum amount of financial aid that you can receive. A-State will calculate your financial need by determining your cost of attendance minus your FAFSA expected family contribution amount.  This will help the financial aid office to determine your eligibility for subsidized loans, work-study, etc. Non-federal financial aid may affect eligibility for study loan, and students will be notified on reductions to institutional financial aid by e-mail. 

Arkansas Resident

Class Entry 2026

	Academic Year 1 Fall and Spring Semester	Academic Year 2 Fall and Spring Semester	Academic Year 3 Fall and Spring Semester	Academic Year 4 Summer, Fall, and Spring Semester
Tuition and University Fees	$34,500	$34,500	$34,500	$34,500
CVM Clinical Lab Fee	$500	$500	$500	$500
Books and Supplies	$2,000	$2,000	$2,000	$2,000
Room and Board	$12,750	$12,750	$12,750	$16,750
Personal	$2,790	$2,790	$2,790	$2,790
Transportation	$3,434	$3,434	$3,434	$4,434
Health Insurance*	$3,200	$3,200	$3,200	$3,200
Projected Total Program Expenses	$59,174	$59,174	$59,174	$64,174

*Students are required to maintain health insurance coverage of their choice and at their cost while enrolled as a DVM student.

Non-Resident**

Class Entry 2026

	Academic Year 1 Fall and Spring Semester	Academic Year 2 Fall and Spring Semester	Academic Year 3 Fall and Spring Semester	Academic Year 4 Summer, Fall, and Spring Semester
Tuition and University Fees	$54,500	$54,500	$54,500	$54,500
CVM Clinical Lab Fee	$500	$500	$500	$500
Books and Supplies	$2,000	$2,000	$2,000	$2,000
Room and Board	$12,750	$12,750	$12,750	$16,750
Personal	$2,790	$2,790	$2,790	$2,790
Transportation	$3,434	$3,434	$3,434	$4,434
Health Insurance*	$3,200	$3,200	$3,200	$3,200
Projected Total Program Expenses	$79,174	$79,174	$79,174	$84,174

*Students are required to maintain health insurance coverage of their choice and at their cost while enrolled as a DVM student.

** Residency status is determined at the time of application.  If you are accepted as a non-resident student, you will be classified as a non-resident student for the entire duration of the DVM four-year program.

Arkansas Residency Status

Arkansas residency status is determined during the application process and is based on the prospective student’s permanent address. To be classified as an Arkansas resident, the prospective student must meet one of the following at the time of application submission:

1. The applicant is a full-time undergraduate student (in Arkansas or elsewhere) and is either a permanent resident of Arkansas or claimed as a dependent by their parents who live in Arkansas six months prior to the application deadline.
2. The applicant has lived in Arkansas for at least six months and is a part-time student enrolled in fewer than 8 semester hours per term.
3. The applicant is living and working in Arkansas and is not enrolled in coursework.

Prospective applicants will be asked to provide three of the following documents as proof of residency:

1. Employer verification of dates of employment
2. Permanent Arkansas driver's license
3. Arkansas voter registration
4. Lease agreement
5. Property tax payment assessment receipt
6. Utility bills

All documents requested must include dates indicating six months of residency. Prospective students classified as a non-resident during the application cycle are not eligible for resident tuition during their enrollment in the DVM program.

View the A-State College of Veterinary Medicine Residency Policy for DVM students >>

Funding your Education

According to the American Associate of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), most veterinary students rely upon student loans to fund their veterinary education. AAVMC provides an Annual Data Report which includes information on graduate indebtedness for all American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Council on Education (COE) accredited veterinary colleges within the United States, and offers a Cost Comparison Tool. When reviewing these tools, it is important to evaluate if all costs, including required expenses such as health insurance, are included in the total cost of attendance. Cost of living information is available through the Arkansas Economic Development Council, and US. News and World Report has ranked Arkansas as the number one state in the country for the low cost of living. 

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) My Veterinary Life® provides an overview of federal student loans and repayment options including an overview of the extensive changes to federal student loan programs which were signed into law in July 2025. Prospective and current DVM students are encouraged to explore the Financial Health section of the My Veterinary Life® website as important information and tools related to money management and financial planning resources. Some resources are available to prospective students and some are limited to currently enrolled DVM students who are student members of the AVMA. It is essential for prospective and current veterinary students to keep up to date on the changing landscape of federal borrowing and loan repayment options and be informed of the different loan options including federal student loans for graduate/professional students and private loans. 

Competitive scholarships are available to help provide funding for the DVM program. Our scholarships webpage provides a list of internal CVM scholarships that are only available to A-State DVM students and a list of external scholarships that are awarded by outside groups. AAVMC also provides information on external scholarships and information on career-specific loan repayment programs.

Admitted DVM students will receive a welcome letter from Arkansas State University Financial Aid & Scholarships who will work with admitted DVM students to help determine their financial aid eligibility and are responsible for dispersing student’s financial aid awards.

Earning Potential for Licensed DVM and Job Market Outlook

Investing in your education is a life-changing decision.  It is important to understand not only the educational costs, but the current job market and earning potential for fully licensed veterinarians. 

The AVMA offers a Veterinary Salary Estimator for Current Students. This tool is based upon the historical averages for full-time employment, and takes into consideration the anticipated year of graduation, type of job, location, offers, and community type.

The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services and the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts an Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Survey that measures occupational employment and wage rates for wage and salary workers in nonfarm establishments, by industry, in the United States. Results for Arkansas, both statewide and regional, are available here. Occupational Employment and Wage statistics for the entire country are available on the US. Department of Labor website. Recent employment rates and the job outlook for veterinarians is available in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.