30 Best Animal Science Colleges – 2024

April 2, 2024

best animal science colleges

Animal science majors are a unique breed (pun intended) and are best served by seeking out top academic programs that will meet their specific needs. Some are pursuing an animal science degree as a prelude to veterinary school while others plan to head right into the field of animal management. The schools listed below offer programs that are viewed favorably by both graduate schools and employers, making them ideal landing spots for animal science majors on various tracks (another pun?). Additionally, these best animal science colleges all offer excellent animal facilities and laboratories and offer students a plethora of hands-on learning opportunities.

You’ll find schools on this list from all across the United States, including the East and West Coasts, the South, and the Midwest. The list includes an occasional private school like Cornell, but is predominately made up of public universities.

Methodology 

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Animal Science Colleges.

Best Colleges for Animal Science

Here’s a quick preview of the first ten animal science institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Cornell University

2) University of California-Davis

3) University of Florida

4) North Carolina State University

5) Texas A & M University-College Station

6) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7) California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

8) Purdue University-Main Campus

9) Virginia Tech

10) Iowa State University

All of the schools profiled below have a history of producing excellent results for the graduates. For each of the best animal science colleges, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—each school’s:

  • Enrollment
  • Cost of Attendance
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Median SAT
  • Median ACT
  • Graduation Rate
  • Retention Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

  • Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
  • Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.
#1 Best Animal Science College
Cornell University

Cornell University

  • Ithaca, NY

Academic Highlights: A diverse array of academic programs includes 80 majors and 120 minors spread across the university’s seven schools/colleges. Classes are a bit larger at Cornell than at many other elite institutions. Still, 55% of sections have fewer than 20 students. Most degrees conferred in 2022 were in computer science (17%), engineering (13%), business (13%), and biology (13%). The SC Johnson College of Business houses two undergraduate schools, both of which have phenomenal reputations.

Professional Outcomes: Breaking down the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Cornell, 68% entered the workforce, 28% entered graduate school, 1% pursued other endeavors such as travel or volunteer work, and the remaining 3% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. The top sectors attracting campus-wide graduateswere financial services (18%), technology (17%), consulting (15%), and education (10%). Of the students from A&S going on to graduate school, 15% were pursuing JDs, 5% MDs, and 22% PhDs.

  • Enrollment: 15,735
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,150
  • Median SAT: 1520
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

#2 Best Animal Science College
University of California, Davis

University of California, Davis

  • Davis, CA

Academic Highlights: UC Davis offers 100+ undergraduate majors across four schools: the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the College of Biological Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the College of Letters and Science. 50% engage in some type of research/creative project outside the classroom. The areas of study with the largest number of degrees awarded were biology, the social sciences, psychology, and engineering. Programs in engineering, computer science, and animal science are nationally renowned.

Professional Outcomes: Many recent grads found homes at Silicon Valley or other California-based employers. Corporations employing 200 or more Aggies include Genentech, Google, Apple, Cisco, Meta, Oracle, Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce, and LinkedIn. Ten years out of school, median earnings rise to $112k. Within one year of graduating, 39% of Aggies elect to continue their education; the most popular degrees pursued are master’s, MDs or other health doctorates, law, and MBA/MPA.

 

 

  • Enrollment: 31,797 (undergraduate); 9,053 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $41,389 (in-state); $73,963 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: Test Blind
  • Median ACT: Test Blind
  • Acceptance Rate: 42%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

#3 Best Animal Science College
University of Florida

University of Florida

  • Gainesville, FL

Academic Highlights: With 16 colleges and 100 undergraduate majors to choose from, educational experiences are exceptionally diverse. The Warrington College of Business and the Wertheim College of Engineering are highly respected, so it’s no surprise that those two programs confer the greatest percentage of degrees—12% and 14%, respectively. Biology (11%), the social sciences (11%), and health professions (8%) are next in popularity. 53% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and 33% of students partake in an undergraduate research experience.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation day, 66% of the Class of 2022 had already procured a first job. The top occupational areas were engineering (13%), health care (13%), computer science (5%), and marketing (4%). 200+ Gator alumni can be found at top corporations like Google, EY, Raymond James, Deloitte, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, and PwC. The average salary for all 2022 grads was $69k, with a high of $100k for computer science majors. Of those pursuing advanced degrees, a master’s degree was the most popular pursuit (63%) followed by law school (11%).

  • Enrollment: 34,552 (undergraduate); 20,659 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $23,530 (in-state); $45,808 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1400
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 23%
  • Retention Rate: 97%
  • Graduation Rate: 90%

#4 Best Animal Science College
North Carolina State University

North Carolina State University

  • Raleigh, NC

Academic Highlights: NC State offers more than 100 majors and 120 minors. 64% of sections enroll 29 or fewer students. Engineering is the most popular area of concentration as 24% of Class of 2022 graduates earned a degree in that field. Business/marketing comes in second at 17% followed by biology (10%) and agriculture (7%). NC State has an exceptional regional reputation and an expanding national one with the College of Engineering near the top of many rankings. Programs in design, architecture, and animal science are also very strong.

Professional Outcomes: 54% of students graduating in 2022 had already accepted full-time jobs before exiting; 27% were heading to graduate/professional school. Members of that class reported an average starting salary of $62,024 (with a slightly higher median). Including all graduating years, the companies employing the largest number of alumni are Cisco, Red Hat, SAS, IBM, Lenovo, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel, Google, Deloitte, Facebook, and Salesforce. Many recent grads also work for the university itself and for the Wake County Public School System.

  • Enrollment: 26,254 (undergraduate); 10,446 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,451 (in-state); $51,662 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1340
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 47%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 86%

#5 Best Animal Science College
Texas A&M University — College Station

Texas A&M University — College Station

  • College Station, TX

Academic Highlights: With nineteen schools and colleges and 130+ undergraduate degree programs, Texas A&M is a massive operation. As the name implies, there is a heavy emphasis on agriculture, engineering, and business, which all place well in national rankings and garner deep respect from major corporations and graduate/professional schools. Class sizes trend large, but 24% of courses enroll fewer than 20 students and personal connections with professors are entirely possible, particularly through the research-oriented LAUNCH program.

Professional Outcomes: On graduation day, 54% of students had already received at least one job offer and 22% were heading to graduate/professional school. Many Aggies go on to work at major oil, tech, and consulting firms; more than 500 are employed at each of ExxonMobil, Halliburton, Chevron, EY, Amazon, Microsoft, Intel, Accenture, and PWC. Starting salaries were strong—on average, College of Engineering grads made $80k and College of Agriculture & Life Sciences grads netted $54k. A&M is also the eighth-largest producer of law students in the entire country.

  • Enrollment: 57,512 (undergraduate); 16,502 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,058 (in-state); $59,336 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1270
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 63%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#6 Best Animal Science College
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  • Champaign-Urbana, IL

Academic Highlights: Eight of UIUC’s fifteen schools cater to undergraduate students. There are 150 academic programs offered, including those at the acclaimed Grainger College of Engineering and Gies College of Business. In sheer volume of degrees conferred, engineering and business/marketing are tied at 19%, followed by the social sciences (9%) and psychology (6%). 39% of sections are capped at 19 students. 29% of undergraduates work with a faculty member on a research project; another 22% have some type of fieldwork, practicum, or clinical experience.

Professional Outcomes: 95% of the members of the Class of 2022 landed at their next destination within six months of graduation, with 38% matriculating directly into an advanced degree program. 57% were employed full-time; the most popular sectors were finance, consulting, healthcare, electronics, and education. Corporations landing the most recent Illini grads were KPMG, Deloitte, Epic Systems, EY, PwC, and Amazon. The average salary across all Class of 2022 majors was an extremely solid $75,000.

  • Enrollment: 35,120 (undergraduate); 21,796 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,926-$41,190 (in-state); $55,386-$63,290 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Acceptance Rate: 79%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#7 Best Animal Science College
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

  • San Luis Obispo

Academic Highlights: Across all divisions, there are 60+ majors and 80+ minors offered. The majority of courses–59%–fall between twenty and forty students. Cal Poly’s student-to-faculty ratio is a high 18:1, but such is the cost of an uber-affordable STEM degree from an excellent institution. Over one-quarter of all degrees conferred (22%) are in engineering, and Cal Poly gets recognition in many specialty areas of the field including industrial engineering, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer engineering, and civil engineering.

Professional Outcomes: Within nine months of graduating, 91% of graduates are “positively engaged” in their next life activity. Top employers of Cal Poly grads include many of the top tech, consulting, engineering, and financial firms in the country such as Google, Deloitte, KPMG, Microsoft, Northrop Grumman, Adobe, EY, and Apple. Overall, grads enjoy a terrific median starting salary of $72,000. Of the 14% of alumni who directly enter graduate school, the six most commonly attended schools are all in California.

  • Enrollment: 20,963
  • Cost of Attendance: $32,000 (in-state); $53,000 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1337
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 30%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

#8 Best Animal Science College
Purdue University — West Lafayette

Purdue University — West Lafayette

  • West Lafayette, IN

Academic Highlights: Purdue offers over 200 majors at ten discipline-specific colleges, and 38% of course sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer. Engineering and engineering technologies majors earn 34% of the degrees conferred by the university; the College of Engineering cracks the top ten on almost every list of best engineering schools. The Krannert School of Management is also well-regarded by employers; 11% of degrees conferred are in business. Other popular majors include computer science (10%) and agriculture (5%)—both are incredibly strong.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after receiving their diplomas, 70% of 2022 grads headed to the world of employment while 24% headed to graduate/professional school. The top industries entered by grads in recent years are (1) health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices; (2) finance, insurance, and consulting; (3) manufacturing and machinery; (4) airline, aviation, and aerospace. Companies employing the greatest number of recent alumni were Amazon, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Labcorp, Lockheed Martin, and Microsoft. The average starting salary was $68k across all degree programs.

  • Enrollment: 37,949 (undergraduate); 12,935 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $22,812 (in-state); $41,614 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1330
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 53%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#9 Best Animal Science College
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

  • Blacksburg, VA

Academic Highlights: Eight undergraduate colleges that offer 110+ distinct bachelor’s degrees are housed within Virginia Tech. 33% of sections contain fewer than 20 students, and 21% of recent graduates report participating in some type of undergraduate research experience. Engineering is the area where the greatest number of degrees are conferred (23%), but business (20%) is a close second. Both disciplines are among the most respected at Tech, along with computer science. Other popular majors include the family and consumer sciences (8%), social sciences (8%), biology (8%), and agriculture (4%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 56% of the Class of 2022 were employed and 18% were in graduate school. One recent class sent large numbers to major corporations that included Deloitte (67), KPMG (44), Lockheed Martin (39), Capital One (30), EY (28), Booz Allen Hamilton (18), and Northrop Grumman (12). The median salary for 2022 graduates was $67,000. Among recent grads who decided to pursue an advanced degree, the greatest number stayed at VT, while others enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University, George Mason University, William & Mary, Columbia, Duke, and Georgia Tech.

  • Enrollment: 30,434 (undergraduate); 7,736 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $37,252 (in-state); $58,750 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1330
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 57%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

#10 Best Animal Science College
Iowa State University

Iowa State University

  • Ames, IA

Academic Highlights: With more than 100 majors available across six undergraduate colleges, Iowa State has no shortage of academic pathways to explore. The student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1, yet, courses are a mix of large and small. 31% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students and 22% enroll more than 50. In terms of sheer popularity, engineering wins the day accounting for 23% of degrees earned in 2022. Business (18%), agricultural fields (10%), biology (5%), and education (5%) also see high volume.

Professional Outcomes: Graduates of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences are employed in fairly large numbers by the likes of John Deere, Principal Financial Group, and Amazon. Overall, the most alumni work for Wells Fargo, Bayer, Corteva Agriscience, Collins Aerospace, Cargill, and Microsoft. Most remain in Iowa after graduation but many also move to Minnesota, Chicago, California, or Texas. The average starting salary for an engineering grad was $74,716 in 2023.

  • Enrollment: 25,241
  • Cost of Attendance: $24,204 (In-State); $41,390 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 24
  • Acceptance Rate: 90%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 74%

#11 Best Animal Science College
University of Wisconsin – Madison

University of Wisconsin – Madison

  • Madison, WI

Academic Highlights: There are 230+ undergraduate majors offered across eight schools and colleges, including the top-ranked School of Business and College of Engineering as well as the College of Letters and Science, the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and the Schools of Nursing, Education, Pharmacy, and Human Ecology. Undergrads can expect a mix of large and small classes, with 44% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students. Business (18%), biology (12%), the social sciences (11%), and engineering (10%) are most popular.

Professional Outcomes: In a recent year, 46% of job-seeking grads graduated with an offer.  Top employers included UW-Madison, Epic, Kohl’s, Oracle, Deloitte, and UW Health. Across all graduating years, companies employing 250+ alumni include Google, Target, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, PwC, Accenture, and Meta. 28% of recent grads enrolled directly in graduate/professional school; the majority stayed at UW–Madison while others headed to Columbia, Northwestern, and Carnegie Mellon. The university is the top producer of Peace Corps volunteers.

  • Enrollment: 37,230 (undergraduate); 12,656 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,916 (in-state); $58,912 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 49%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#12 Best Animal Science College
The Ohio State University — Columbus

The Ohio State University — Columbus

  • Columbus, OH

Academic Highlights: There are 200+ undergraduate majors and 18 schools and colleges housed within OSU. Business sees the greatest percentage of degrees conferred at 18% followed by engineering (15%), health professions (10%), and the social sciences (9%). It makes sense that so many flock to the business and engineering schools as they are among the highest-rated undergraduate programs in their respective disciplines. 40% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and approximately 20% of students gain research experience.

Professional Outcomes: Upon receiving their diplomas, 56% of Class of 2022 graduates were entering the world of employment while 17% were already accepted into graduate or professional school.  Hordes of Buckeyes can be found at many of the nation’s leading companies. More than 2,000 alumni work for JPMorgan Chase, more than 1,000 are employed by Amazon, and more than 600 work for Google and Microsoft. Of the grads who directly matriculate into graduate or professional school, many continue in one of OSU’s own programs.

  • Enrollment: 45,728 (undergraduate); 14,318 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,241 (in-state); $52,747 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1340-1450
  • Median ACT: 29-32
  • Acceptance Rate: 53%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#13 Best Animal Science College
Clemson University

Clemson University

  • Clemson, SC

Academic Highlights: There are seven undergraduate colleges within the larger university. Class sizes are mixed, and many sections are smaller than you would expect for such a large university where the student-to-faculty ratio is 16:1. Fifteen percent of classes have single-digit enrollments, and 55% contain fewer than 30 students. Business and engineering also the most popular majors with a 21% and 18% market share of diplomas, respectively. The next most frequently conferred degrees are in biology (9%), the social sciences (7%), and health professions (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 92% of 2022 grads had already entered the working world or were pursuing a graduate degree. The top employers of newly-minted diploma holders include Michelin, Amazon, Vanguard, and Wells Fargo. Computing and Applied Sciences reported a median starting salary of $62,000. College of Business graduates enjoyed median earnings of $60,000. Of the 19% of recent graduates directly entering grad school, the largest number retained their Tiger stripes by continuing their studies at Clemson.

  • Enrollment: 22,566
  • Cost of Attendance:
  • Median SAT: 1310
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#14 Best Animal Science College
University of Georgia

University of Georgia

  • Athens, GA

Academic Highlights: UGA boasts seventeen distinct colleges and schools that offer 125+ majors. Business is the most commonly conferred undergrad degree, accounting for 29% of diplomas earned. It is followed by biology (10%), social sciences (8%), communication & journalism (8%), and psychology (7%). Top-ranked programs include animal science, business, communications, and public and international affairs. 49% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students, and no matter your major, UGA encourages you to conduct research with a member of the school’s faculty.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of the Class of 2022 was employed or continuing their education six months after graduation. Popular employers include Accenture, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Walt Disney Company, and Deloitte. Salaries vary between colleges; engineering grads had a median starting salary of $65k while journalism and communication grads reported a $50k median. In 2022, 24% of graduates enrolled directly into a graduate/professional degree program, with the most commonly attended schools including Columbia, Duke, Emory, Georgia Tech, Penn, and UVA.

  • Enrollment: 30,714 (undergraduate); 9,893 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,142 (in-state); $48,538 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1310
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 94%
  • Graduation Rate: 88%

#15 Best Animal Science College
Pennsylvania State University — University Park

Pennsylvania State University — University Park

  • State College, PA

Academic Highlights: Penn State offers 275 majors and a number of top-ranked programs in a host of disciplines. The College of Engineering is rated exceptionally well on a national scale and is also the most popular field of study, accounting for 15% of the degrees conferred. The Smeal College of Business is equally well-regarded, earning high rankings in everything from supply chain management to accounting to marketing. It attracts 15% of total degree-seekers. 61% of classes have an enrollment below thirty students.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation, 70% of Nittany Lions have found their next employment or graduate school home. 98% of College of Business grads are successful within three months of exiting, flocking in large numbers to stellar finance, accounting, consulting, and technology firms. Hundreds of alumni work at Citi, Salesforce, and Meta, and more than 500 currently work at each of IBM, Deloitte, PwC, Amazon, EY, JPMorgan Chase, Microsoft, Google, and Oracle. 75% of 2022 grads employed full-time earned starting salaries greater than $50k.

  • Enrollment: 41,745 (undergraduate); 7,020 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $32,656 (in-state); $52,610 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1300
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 55%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 85%

#16 Best Animal Science College
Michigan State University

Michigan State University

  • East Lansing, MI

Academic Highlights: This highly regarded state institution boasts over 200 programs—undergraduate, graduate, and professional—across 17 degree-granting colleges. A 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio rates in the average range for public universities of MSU’s size and scope. Class sizes are a genuine mix of small seminars and giant lecture halls. 16% of the degrees conferred in 2022 were in the business/marketing category. The next most common degrees were earned in communication/journalism (12%), engineering (11%), and the social sciences (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within months of strutting across the graduation stage, 56% of Class of 2022 members had landed full-time employment, 27% were pursuing advanced degrees, and 6% were still looking for a job. The top employers of this group included big names like General Motors, Ford Motor Company, Deloitte, Epic Systems, Target, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. The median starting salary earned was $60,000. Among the grads schools favored by recent alumni are the University of Michigan, New York University, Columbia University, and Boston University.

  • Enrollment: 39,201
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,805 (In-State); $55,189 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate:
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 82%

#17 Best Animal Science College
Rutgers University — New Brunswick

Rutgers University — New Brunswick

  • New Brunswick, NJ

Academic Highlights: Rutgers is divided into 17 schools and colleges, collectively offering 100+ undergraduate majors. 41% of class sections have an enrollment of nineteen or fewer students. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in business (20%), computer science (12%), engineering (10%), health professions (10%), biology (9%), and social sciences (7%). Rutgers Business School sends many majors to top Wall Street investment banks, and programs in computer science, public health, and criminal justice have a terrific national reputation.

Professional Outcomes: Upon graduation, 82% of Class of 2022 grads had secured a first job or were heading to an advanced degree program. 67% headed directly to the world of employment, where the companies hiring the largest number of grads included Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oréal, and JP Morgan Chase. Investment banks like Goldman Sachs and Citi also employ hundreds of alumni, as do companies like Verizon, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Novartis, Pfizer, and Google. The median starting salary across all majors was $70,000.

  • Enrollment: 36,344 (undergraduate); 14,293 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $37,849 (in-state); $57,138 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 66%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#18 Best Animal Science College
University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

University of Minnesota–Twin Cities

  • Minneapolis, MN

Academic Highlights: There are 150 majors available across eight freshman-admitting undergraduate colleges. 65% of class sections enroll 29 or fewer students. The most commonly conferred degrees are in biology (13%), business & marketing (11%), engineering (10%), the social sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and psychology (8%). The College of Science and Engineering and the Carlson School of Management have strong national reputations, and the chemistry, economics, psychology, and political science departments are also well-regarded.

Professional Outcomes: The top seven companies snatching up the largest number of recent grads are all companies headquartered in the state of Minnesota: Medtronic, Target, 3M, United Health Group, US Bank, and Cargill. Google, Apple, and Meta all employ hundreds of Twin Cities alumni. The mean starting salary for recent grads was $50k. With 130 graduate programs in science, art, engineering, agriculture, medicine, and the humanities, the University of Minnesota retains many of its graduates as they pursue their next degrees.

  • Enrollment: 39,248 (undergraduate); 15,707 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $33,032-$35,632 (in-state); $54,446-$57,046
  • Median SAT: 1370
  • Median ACT: 29
  • Acceptance Rate: 75%
  • Retention Rate: 90%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

#19 Best Animal Science College
University of Connecticut

University of Connecticut

  • Storrs, CT

Academic Highlights: UConn is home to fourteen schools and colleges as well as 115+ undergraduate majors. The four most commonly conferred undergraduate degrees are in business (15%), engineering (12%), the social sciences (12%), and health professions/nursing (12%). In terms of prestige and national reputation, programs in business, pharmacy, and nursing carry a good deal of weight. The school also does a nice job of creating a balance of classroom experiences—53% of sections enroll fewer than 20 students and only 18% contain more than fifty.

Professional Outcomes: 90% of the Class of 2022 experienced a positive outcome (job, grad school, military, volunteer position) within six months of earning their degrees. Among the 59% who found employment, the largest numbers landed at Aetna, Cigna, PwC, The Hartford, Travelers, and Raytheon Technologies; the median starting salary was $62,400. Massive numbers of alumni are employed by Pratt & Whitney, Pfizer, IBM, and Deloitte. 30% of 2022 graduates immediately entered a graduate or professional program, with many choosing to stay at UConn.

  • Enrollment: 18,983 (undergraduate); 8,020 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $41,606 (in-state); $64,478 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1340
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 55%
  • Retention Rate: 91%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

#20 Best Animal Science College
University of Maryland, College Park

University of Maryland, College Park

  • College Park, MD

Academic Highlights: Undergraduates can select from 100+ majors across twelve colleges. 18% of degrees are conferred in computer science, followed by the social sciences (13%), with  criminology, government and politics, and economics being the most popular majors.  Engineering (13%), business (11%), and biology (8%) are next in line. The School of Business, the School of Engineering, and the College of Journalism are all top-ranked, as are programs in computer science and criminology. 46% of sections enroll fewer than twenty students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 96% of Class of 2022 grads had positive outcomes. 67% found employment; the companies/organizations that hired the greatest number of grads included Northrop Grumman, Deloitte, Amazon, and EY. Meta, Apple, and Google employ more than 200 alumni each.  The mid-50% salary range for 2022 grads was $55k-$83k. 21% of the Class of 2022 headed directly to graduate and professional school; 11% entered doctoral programs, 5% entered medical school, and 5% entered law school.

  • Enrollment: 30,353 (undergraduate); 10,439 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,540 (in-state); $60,918 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 84%
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 89%

#21 Best Animal Science College
University of Vermont

University of Vermont

  • Burlington, VT

Academic Highlights: With over 100 majors and 100 advanced degree programs, the University of Vermont has offerings in just about any major you can name. They sport a student-to-faculty ratio of 19:1 and 41% of sections enroll no more than 19 students. The most popular majors are fairly evenly spread around with biology (12%), natural resources and conservation (10%), business (9%), and nursing (9%)  all attracting similar numbers of undergraduates.

Professional Outcomes: Over the last three years, graduates have enjoyed a 94% success rate. Alumni earned an average starting salary of $49,909 during that span of time. Roughly 90% of grads stated that their current job was related to their career goals. Top employers included Mass General Hospital, Beta Technologies, and GlobalFoundries. Looking at the Class of 2022 who enrolled in advanced degree programs, common universities included Northeastern, BU, Simmons, NYU, and Cornell.

  • Enrollment: 11,898
  • Cost of Attendance: $32,834 (In-State); $59,278 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1350
  • Median ACT: 30
  • Acceptance Rate: 60%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 76%

#22 Best Animal Science College
Kansas State University

Kansas State University

  • Manhattan, KS

Academic Highlights: K-State offers 250+ majors, minors, and certificates in a wide variety of academic disciplines. Impressively, this state university has 47% of sections enrolling fewer than 20 students; the student-to-faculty ratio is 18:1. 20% of all 2022 degrees were awarded in business, while agriculture (12%), engineering (11%), interdisciplinary studies (8%), and biology (7%) are also popular. The engineering program has a strong national reputation.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 96% of K-State alumni are employed or pursuing further education. The most common employers for 2023 graduates were Koch Industries, Textron, the US Army, Garmin, Burns & McConnell. Thirty percent of grads enjoy a starting salary of more than $70,000 and 23% earn between $60k-$69k. Those attending graduate school primarily flocked to K-State, the University of Kansas, the University of Missouri, the University of Nebraska, and Wichita State University.

  • Enrollment: 15,046
  • Cost of Attendance: $23,896 (In-State); $40,368 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 23
  • Acceptance Rate: 95%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 69%

#23 Best Animal Science College
Auburn University

Auburn University

  • Auburn, AL

Academic Highlights: The faculty-student ratio is 20:1, but only about 35% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. Overall, undergraduates can choose from over 150 majors across 12 colleges, which include highly regarded business and engineering programs. Majors in architecture, apparel merchandising & design, and interior design receive high marks, as does nursing. In 2022, the greatest number of degrees conferred were in business (24%) followed by engineering (18%), biological/life sciences (10%), and health professions (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 58% of the Class of 2022 were employed full-time, 23% had entered graduate programs. 59% were pursuing master’s degrees, 28% professional degrees, and 4% doctorates. In 2022, the average starting salary was $58,708; engineering graduates enjoyed the highest average starting salary ($71,656). At least ten recent grads can be found at each of Vanderbilt, Emory, Columbia, Georgia Tech, NYU, and Johns Hopkins.

  • Enrollment: 25,379
  • Cost of Attendance: $27,932 (in-state); $49,340 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1320
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 44%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 81%

#24 Best Animal Science College
Oregon State University

Oregon State University

  • Corvallis, Oregon

Academic Highlights: Across its 11 colleges, graduate schools, and Honors College, OSU offers close to 200 degree programs. While 28% of classes have fewer than 20 students another 21% of sections enroll more than 50 individuals. The three most commonly earned degrees are in engineering (17%) computer science (15%), and business (15%). Other popular areas of study are biology (7%), natural resources and conservation (6%), and the social sciences (5%).

Professional Outcomes: Large number of College of Business alums work at companies such as Nike, Boeing, Intel, Deloitte, Oracle, KPMG, and Adidas.  Including all majors, many others work for Amazon, Salesforce, Meta, Apple, Google, and NVIDIA. An impressive 67% of those applying to medical school are accepted, a figure far higher than the national average. Med schools where recent grads now attend include Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, and UCLA.

  • Enrollment: 28,905
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,866 (In-State); $51,642 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 26
  • Acceptance Rate: 83%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 70%

#25 Best Animal Science College
University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

  • Kingston, RI

Academic Highlights: URI hosts students from 48 states and 66 countries, all of who have come for the school’s 100+ majors and minors and the respectable 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Overall, 39% of undergraduate sections enroll 19 or fewer students. Health professions is the most commonly earned degree area (15%), followed by business (14%), journalism (8%), engineering (8%), biology (8%), and the social sciences (8%). Nursing, CS, business, psychology, and economics are all well-respected programs by employers and grad schools.

Professional Outcomes: Nursing majors at URI have a 92% employment rate and an average starting salary of $75,000. Including all majors, 75% of grads go right into the world of employment and 15% go directly into graduate school. The companies employing the largest number of URI alumni include Fidelity Investments, Lifespan, CVS Health, Moderna, Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, Takeda, and Microsoft.

  • Enrollment: 13,927
  • Cost of Attendance: $31,308 (In-State); $50,704 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1220
  • Median ACT: 27
  • Acceptance Rate: 76%
  • Retention Rate: 85%
  • Graduation Rate: 71%

#26 Best Animal Science College
University of Tennessee – Knoxville

University of Tennessee – Knoxville

  • Knoxville, TN

Academic Highlights: With 360 undergraduate programs, 14 degree-granting colleges and schools, 500 study abroad programs, and 1,700 instructional faculty, nothing is small at the University of Tennessee. With an 18:1 student-to-faculty ratio, this university offers 28% of courses in a more intimate setting of fewer than 20 students; the bulk of courses enroll 20-49 students (57%). Business (24%) is easily the most popular major with engineering (11%), biology (7%), the social sciences (7%), and parks and recreation (7%) next in line.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after receiving their diplomas, 64% of UT-Knoxville alumni have found jobs and 27% have started their graduate school careers. The top employers of the Class of 2023 were the UT Medical Center, PepsiCo, and Axle Logistics. Among those headed to graduate/professional school, the five most commonly attended institutions were the University of Tennessee, UT Health Science Center, Lincoln Memorial University, East Tennessee University, and Belmont University.

  • Enrollment: 27,039
  • Cost of Attendance: $33,910 (In-State); $52,400 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1235
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 68%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

#27 Best Animal Science College
Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University

  • Lubbock, TX

Academic Highlights: Texas Tech has 1,900 faculty members across 10 colleges and 150 academic programs. With a fairly high 21:1 student-to-faculty ratio just 33% of course sections enroll fewer than 20 students. Business/marketing (20%) is by far the most popular major, followed by biology (10%), engineering (10%), journalism (10%), and family & consumer sciences (9%). Petroleum engineering gets the most acclaim, but the business, CS, and psychology departments are also very solid.

Professional Outcomes: The most popular industries entered by Texas Tech include utilities ($96k median starting salary), petroleum engineering ($97k), manufacturing ($64k), finance and insurance ($49k), and transportation and warehousing ($57k). The companies employing the most Red Raider alumni are Dell Technologies, JP Morgan Chase and Co., Microsoft, Oxy, ConocoPhillips, Kimley-Horn, and Pioneer Natural Resources Company.

  • Enrollment: 32,579
  • Cost of Attendance: $30,277 (In-State); $42,877 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1180
  • Median ACT: 25
  • Acceptance Rate: 67%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 64%

#28 Best Animal Science College
Washington State University

Washington State University

  • Pullman, WA

Academic Highlights: At WSU, students can choose from 95 majors, 86 minors, and more than 100 in-major specializations and also enjoy a stellar 14:1 student-to-faculty ratio. That level of support leads to 35% of courses enrolling 19 or fewer students versus 19% that enroll 50 or more. 21% of all degrees in 2022 were conferred in the area of business/marketing. Also popular were engineering (10%), the social sciences (10%), biology (9%), and psychology (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Graduates of WSU tend to concentrate in Seattle, Portland, Spokane, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The greatest number of alumni are presently employed by Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon, SEL, Starbucks, Amazon Web Services, T-Mobile, Google, Nike, Meta, and CBRE. Many students who enroll immediately in an advanced degree program do so at Washington State itself. They offer 140 graduate programs and certificates.

  • Enrollment: 22,612
  • Cost of Attendance: $29,944 (In-State); $45,628 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: 1140
  • Median ACT: 23
  • Acceptance Rate: 83%
  • Retention Rate: 81%
  • Graduation Rate: 62%

#29 Best Animal Science College
Cal Poly – Pomona

Cal Poly – Pomona

  • Pomona, CA

Academic Highlights: Cal Poly Pomona is a massive institution with 1,076 faculty members at over 25,000 undergraduate students. The average size for an undergraduate class section is 32 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 25:1. While a polytechnic institute, the most commonly conferred degree in 2022 was actually business (29%). Next up are engineering (18%), the social sciences (9%), science technologies (6%), and agriculture (4%).

Professional Outcomes: An excellent 91% of the Class of 2023 had already achieved positive outcomes within six months of leaving campus. The employers locking down the largest number of recent Cal Poly Pomona grads were Accenture, Bain & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Bloomberg, DraftKings, Meta, Morgan Stanley, NIH, Nike, PwC, and Tesla Motors. The graduate destinations of Class of 2023 members included Harvard, Brown, Duke, Stanford, Oxford, Yale, USC, UPenn, and Georgia Tech.

  • Enrollment: 25,181
  • Cost of Attendance: $29,226 (In-State); $41,406 (Out-of-State)
  • Median SAT: N/A
  • Median ACT: N/A
  • Acceptance Rate: 55%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 66%

#30 Best Animal Science College
West Virginia University

West Virginia University

  • Morgantown, WV

Academic Highlights: Students from all 50 states and 90 nations flock to Morgantown to study one of 310 majors offered in WVU’s 13 colleges and schools. The school has a 17:1 student-to-faculty ratio and, impressively, is able to keep enrollment in 45% of class sections at 19 students or fewer; 15% contain 50 or more students. Students are spread evenly across many of the most popular majors including nursing (6%), sports kinesiology (5%), general studies (4), mechanical engineering (4%), Exercise science, criminology (3%), journalism (3%), and finance (3%).

Professional Outcomes: Between 40 and 250 West Virginia University alumni work for the following companies: Amazon, Deloitte, Aramco, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Eaton, ADP, Google, PepsiCo, Oracle, Salesforce, and Insight Global. Many alumni remain in the state of West Virginia after graduation, but sizable numbers also migrate to Washington DC, Pittsburgh, New York City, and Baltimore.

  • Enrollment: 19,059
  • Cost of Attendance: $22,668 (In-State); $40,380 (Out-of-State)
  • Average SAT: 1107
  • Median ACT: 23
  • Acceptance Rate: 77%
  • Retention Rate: 81%
  • Graduation Rate: 61%

We hope you have found our list of the Best Colleges for Animal Science to be useful and informative as you continue your college search process. We also invite you to check out some of our other resources and tools including: