Top Colleges for Animal Studies
Get an overview of the characteristics of animal studies colleges. See how to pick the right school for you then learn about three schools offering animal studies programs and what program options are available. Also, find out about study abroad opportunities and curricula.
What Should I Look for in a Top Animal Studies College?
Animal studies is an emerging interdisciplinary field concerning human-animal relationships and ethical treatment of animals. You might consider attending a school that has a strong veterinary medicine department. Some top schools have been recognized for their support of animal rights issues. Look for programs that offer research opportunities through study abroad initiatives or campus-based research groups.
<h2 id="section---WhatAreThreeTopAnimalStudiesColleges">What Are Three Top Animal Studies Colleges?</h2><h3 id="section---GreenMountainCollegeInPoultneyVT"> Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT</h3><p>Green Mountain College is a small, private 4-year school in rural Vermont. In keeping with its name, in 2019, Green Mountain College was named the 19th 'greenest' school in the nation on the Princeton Review's Top 50 Green Colleges. Advocating sustainability for the environment, society and the economy is a consistent theme throughout the College's programs and philosophies. Respect for the Earth and wildlife is a foundation of the Animal Conservation and Care major, which explores the impact of people on wild and domestic animals, as well as their habitats and living conditions.
</p><p>Students may earn a Bachelor of Arts degree if they are interested in animal advocacy or conservation, or a Bachelor of Science degree if they prefer applied work such as veterinary medicine or wildlife management. Those studying wildlife can take advantage of 2 nearby watersheds, the Poultney River and a nature preserve. Local resources also provide experience with domestic animals through horse farms and dairies, as well as the on-campus Cerridwen Farm.
</p><p>Green Mountain College's animal studies degrees are:
</p><ul><li>B.S. in Animal Conservation and Care
</li><li>B.A. in Animal Conservation and Care
</li></ul><h3 id="section---EasternKentuckyUniversityEKUInRichmond">Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in Richmond</h3><p>EKU was tied for 76th in <i>U.S. News & World Report's</i> Regional Universities in the South category for 2019. EKU's Bachelor of Science in Animal Studies program, hosted by the Department of Psychology, was touted as the first animal studies undergraduate program in the nation. Faculty members are drawn from EKU's anthropology, sociology, psychology, art, biology, philosophy and history departments. Study abroad opportunities could include the Galapagos Islands or Madagascar, where students learn about sea lions and lemurs, respectively. Graduates of the animal studies program may be prepared for careers in agriculture, wilderness studies or animal advocacy.
</p><p>Students can earned the following degree at EKU:
</p><ul><li>B.S. in Animal Studies
</li></ul><h3 id="section---TuftsUniversityInMedfordMA">Tufts University in Medford, MA</h3><p>Tufts was ranked 27th among national universities by <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> for 2019. Its Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine was ranked 12th among veterinary schools by <i>U.S. News & World Report</i> during the same year.
</p><p>You can pursue a Master of Science in Animals and Public Policy (MAPP) through the veterinary school's Center for Animals and Public Policy (CAPP). The multi-disciplinary MAPP program explores the basis of human-animal relationships. Areas of specialization include animals in the community, animals in the environment, animals in society and animals in research.
</p><p>Students enrolled in the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program are required to take courses through the CAPP's Ethics and Values program. Research groups of interest to both DVM and MAPP students include the Tufts Refinement Initiative, the Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium and the Tufts Center for Conservation Medicine.
</p><p>The two degrees available at Tufts are:
</p><ul><li>M.S. in Animals and Public Policy
</li><li>DVM
</li></ul><h2 id="section---9MoreSchoolsWithAnimalStudiesPrograms">9 More Schools with Animal Studies Programs</h2><p></p><table border="1"><tr><th>College/University</th><th>Institution Type</th><th>Location</th><th>Estimated Undergrad In-State Tuition*</th></tr>
<tr><td>Prescott College</td><td>4-year, Private</td><td>Prescott, AZ</td><td>$31,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>Michigan State University</td><td>4-year, Public</td><td>East Lansing, MI</td><td>$14,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>Carroll College</td><td>4-year, Private</td><td>Helena, MT</td><td>$35,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Redlands</td><td>4-year, Private</td><td>Redlands, CA</td><td>$49,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>Arizona State University </td><td>4-year, Public</td><td>Phoenix, AZ</td><td>$11,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Denver </td><td>4-year, Public</td><td>Denver, CO</td><td>$50,500</td></tr>
<tr><td>University of Tennessee</td><td>4-year, Public</td><td>Chattanooga, TN</td><td>$9,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>New York University</td><td> 4-year, Private</td><td>New York, NY</td><td>$52,000</td></tr>
<tr><td>Hunter College</td><td>4-year, Public</td><td>New York, NY</td><td>$7,000</td></tr>
</table><p><i>*Source: NCES, U.S. Department of Education</i></p>