Accreditation Process Overview

AVMA accreditation of veterinary medical programs and institutions assures:

  • Prospective students that they will meet a competency threshold for entry into practice, including eligibility for professional credentialing and/or licensure;
  • Employers that graduates have achieved specified learning goals and are prepared to begin professional practice;
  • Faculty, deans and administrators that their programs measure satisfactorily against national standards and their own stated missions and goals;
  • The public that public health and safety concerns are being addressed; and
  • The veterinary profession that the science and art of veterinary medicine are being advanced through contemporary curricula.

Graduation from an AVMA COE-accredited institution is a prerequisite for licensure or certification for professional practice through the majority of state licensing boards and credentialing agencies in order to meet the educational prerequisites.

Accreditation by the AVMA Council on Education (COE) represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review.

Contact information for the COE is:

Council on Education
c/o Karen Martens Brandt, DVM
Director- Education & Research Division
American Veterinary Medical Association
1931 N. Meacham Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173
847.285.6674 | www.avma.org kbrandt@avma.org

Accreditation is a process by which an educational institution or program submits to a voluntary, non-governmental review to determine whether it meets accepted standards of quality. Within veterinary medicine, the AVMA COE develops standards and conducts reviews of DVM or equivalent educational programs. An institution or program is considered fully accredited when it is found to meet these standards. If you would like to provide anonymous comments regarding the School’s compliance with the Accreditation Standards, please click HERE.

Accreditation Status

University of California
School of Veterinary Medicine
Davis, CA 95616-8734
(530) 752-1360
Status: Accredited
Last Evaluation: 2018
Next site visit: 2025

North American Veterinary Licensing Examination Scores

Year Students Taking Exam Students Passing Exam Average Scores SD % Passing
2022-2023 146 136 486 52 93%
2021-2022 154 148 514 54 96%
2020-2021 134 132 519 53 99%
2019-2020 148 141 499 50 95%
2018-2019 133 127 504 57 95%
2017-2018 133 130 515 54 98%
2016-2017 133 131 514 55 98%
2015-2016 139 137 517 53 99%
2014-2015 129 126 502 52 98%