by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 2 U.S. colleges awarded 3 degrees and certificates in Veterinary Physiology. 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 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, veterinary physiology is a widely-pursued major, with 3 degrees awarded annually. 2 colleges award veterinary physiology degrees, an average of 2 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 2.
All 3 of the awards are doctorates, the only level colleges reported.
Women earned 33% of veterinary physiology degrees and certificates in the latest year (1 of 3). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (1) and Hispanic or Latino (1), and international students earned 1.
O*NET rates Reading Comprehension the most important skill for jobs related to veterinary physiology, 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 veterinary physiology degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Doctorate | At least 4 years | 3 |
Doctoral degree is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to veterinary physiology, at 62.5%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| Doctoral degree | 62.5% |
| Post-doctoral training | 13.9% |
| Master’s degree | 11.0% |
| First professional degree | 6.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 3.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 1.4% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 0.9% |
Source: O*NET Online.
3 occupations are related to Veterinary Physiology, with an average median salary of $64,561; the strongest outlook belongs to Veterinarians, at 13.9% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Animal Anatomist, Wildlife Veterinarian (Wildlife Vet), Veterinary Physiologist (Vet Physiologist) and Public Health Veterinarian (Public Health Vet).
That occupation also has the most projected jobs of any related to veterinary physiology, at 3,199,646.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Veterinarians | 3,199,646 | 13.9% |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,335,407 | 10.7% |
| Animal Scientists | 77,353 | -1.4% |
Veterinary Physiology 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 highest-paying occupation related to veterinary physiology is Animal Scientists, with a median salary of $93,823.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Animal Scientists | $93,823 |
| Veterinarians | $53,196 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | $46,663 |
Veterinary Physiology has 9 similar majors in the Agriculture field, which together award 968 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.