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Should I go to a technical college before going to a four year college then to vet school?

Hi, I am a senior in high school and I'm interested in becoming a veterinarian, I will be going to vet school at Clemson, and a technical college that is close to home offers courses that transfer to Clemson. I talked with a vet and she said I should go to a four year college for undergrad instead of a technical college, because vet school is hard to get into and they may not accept me from a technical college. Is this true? I am not sure what to do because I cannot find another small four year college that offers classes that will transfer to Clemson.

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Karin’s Answer

Hi Jayden,

Veterinarian is a great career choice, but getting into Veterinary School is competitive. Since Vet School is a graduate degree, you would first get your bachelors in a major that interests you. Many students choose biology, chemistry or biochemistry, but it can be anything. Make sure you cover the pre-requisite courses as listed on the Clemson website.

You could start at a Community College or Technical College, e.g. Midlands Technical College, for the first 2 years to save some money and then transfer to a 4-year school, e.g. Clemson, to complete your bachelors. Undergraduate courses, mostly gen ed requirements and foundational courses, are the only ones that would transfer from Community or Technical College to a 4-year school. There is no transfer of courses from undergraduate to Vet School.

IF you start at the Technical College, you need to check which courses are considered equivalent so you get credit at the 4-year school. Like your vet friend said, there is always a danger that course credits from Community or Technical Colleges are considered inferior to credits from 4-year schools and disadvantage you. You might want to talk to the Admission Office at the Vet School, but since they are only opening in 2026 they might not even have a definitive answer yet.

I hope this helps! All the best to you!

KP

Karin recommends the following next steps:

https://www.clemson.edu/veterinary-medicine/students/admissions.html#academicrequirementsforadmission
https://www.midlandstech.edu/programs-and-courses/transfer#schools
https://www.clemson.edu/admissions/undergraduate-admissions/apply/transfer.html
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Courtney’s Answer

Hello,

Yes, vet school is very hard and competitive to get into. If you want to go to Clemons, you will need to go for the whole time, if preferred, rather than trying to go to technical college and then transferring.
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Nirah’s Answer

Yes, this is true. Also, I think it is very unlikely that any credits from a technical school would transfer to the veterinary program at Clemson- they might transfer to the four year undergrad degree program, but not to the DVM program. There would be no overlap between tech school classes and the classes in the DVM program.
There WOULD be a significant advantage for you to attend an in-state school- the minimum GPA requirement is lower. I recommend you speak directly to the admissions office and ask about their policies. Since they are not yet open, it is all a bit speculative.
Website posted below.

Nirah recommends the following next steps:

https://www.clemson.edu/veterinary-medicine/students/admissions.html#academicrequirementsforadmission
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Eric’s Answer

You actually don't need a bachelor's degree to go to vet school, making sure that have the required transfer credits is more important, so yeah, it is important where you get them and making sure that they will transfer first. If you go to the trade school - make sure that you're getting hands-on experience. You may not get transfer credits, BIG BUT- you will get technical experience, something that really (and I mean really really really) makes the difference between a good vet and a mediocre one. Good leaders have hands on experience and the ability to perform. Having worked with CVTs straight outta school and 'baby doctors' as we call them - also straight outta school - when they haven't actually worked with animals... Conclusion: if I had to do it again, I would have worked for a couple of years and then gone to school. I just knew I liked animals, I didn't really realize that I had a talent for it until I'd kinda been doing it for a few years. This is a very high-stress industry. Don't rush in. Take your time and take care of yourself.

Eric recommends the following next steps:

Get a job in the field, even if it's just cleaning kennels or volunteering at a shelter
Read, read, read - we need good nurses too, not just good doctors
Then go to school
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