by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 1 U.S. colleges awarded 11 degrees and certificates in Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine. Graduates earn a median $41,594 one year after completing, rising to $57,669 after four years.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
In the U.S., small/companion animal surgery and medicine draws strong interest, with 11 degrees awarded annually. 1 colleges award small/companion animal surgery and medicine degrees, an average of 11 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 11.
All 11 of the awards are master’s degrees, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 54% of small/companion animal surgery and medicine degrees and certificates in the latest year (6 of 11). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (7) and Black or African American (1), and international students earned 3.
O*NET rates Reading Comprehension the most important skill for jobs related to small/companion animal surgery and medicine, at 4.1 out of 5. The key knowledge areas are Biology, Medicine and Dentistry and English Language. The most important abilities are Oral Expression, Written Comprehension and Oral Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a small/companion animal surgery and medicine degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 11 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to small/companion animal surgery and medicine, at 62.9%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 62.9% |
| Post-doctoral training | 14.0% |
| Master’s degree | 10.8% |
| First professional degree | 6.4% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 3.8% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.9% |
Source: O*NET Online.
2 occupations are related to Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine, with an average median salary of $49,930; the strongest outlook belongs to Veterinarians, at 13.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Veterinary Virus Serum Inspector (Vet Virus Serum Inspector), Animal Chiropractor, Animal Doctor and Relief Veterinarian (Relief Vet).
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to small/companion animal surgery and medicine, at 3,199,646.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinarians | 3,199,646 | 13.9% |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,335,407 | 10.7% |
Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine graduates earn a median $41,594 one year after completing their program, $57,669 after four years and $107,990 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $41,594 |
| 4 years | $57,669 |
| 5 years | $107,990 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The same occupation is also the highest-paying one related to small/companion animal surgery and medicine, with a median salary of $53,196.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Veterinarians | $53,196 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $46,663 |
Small/Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine has 9 similar majors in the Agriculture field, which together award 960 degrees a year; the largest are Veterinary Sciences/Veterinary Clinical Sciences, General (740), Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health (63) and Comparative and Laboratory Animal Medicine (47). Browse all Agriculture majors or the full list of college majors.
More about our data sources and methodologies.