Best institutions to study Veterinary Infectious Diseases
A program that focuses on the scientific study of zoonotic infectious diseases, disease mechanisms, and prevention and treatment strategies.
4 U.S. institutions graduated 29 Veterinary Infectious Diseases students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 01.8106, a specialization of Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (CIP 01.81), and leads most directly to the Veterinarians occupation (BLS SOC 29-1131).
About Veterinary Infectious Diseases programs
A program that focuses on the scientific study of zoonotic infectious diseases, disease mechanisms, and prevention and treatment strategies. Includes instruction in disease pathogenesis, vector biology, mycobacterial infection, blood parasites, retroviruses, food-borne diseases, new infectious agents, ecotoxicology, mechanisms of disease transfer, antibody resistance, comparative pathology, communicable diseases, and disease prevention and eradication.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Veterinary Infectious Diseases program, part of the Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, is designed for students interested in the scientific study of zoonotic infectious diseases and their impact on animal health. This program equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand disease mechanisms, prevention, and treatment strategies in veterinary contexts.
Students in this program will gain core skills in areas such as disease pathogenesis, vector biology, and comparative pathology. Coursework includes instruction on blood parasites, retroviruses, and food-borne diseases, emphasizing both theoretical knowledge and practical applications in veterinary medicine.
Credentials awarded
What Veterinary Infectious Diseases graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Master's degree18 graduates / yr · 2 institutions62%
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship10 graduates / yr · 2 institutions35%
- Postbaccalaureate certificate1 graduates / yr · 1 institution3.4%
Graduates over time
Veterinary Infectious Diseases completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 35 |
| 2021 | 43 |
| 2022 | 40 |
| 2023 | 36 |
| 2024 | 31 |
| 2025 | 29 |
Top 4 institutions for Veterinary Infectious Diseases, ranked by graduates
Graduates (IPEDS completions), 2024–25. Award levels show which credentials each institution confers in this specialization.
| # | Institution | Graduates / yr | Grad rate | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington State University Pullman, WAPublicMaster'sDoctoral | 16 | 60% | — |
| 2 | Tufts University Medford, MAPrivate not-for-profitMaster's | 7 | 94% | $23,570 |
| 3 | University of Georgia Athens, GAPublicDoctoral | 5 | 90% | — |
| 4 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins Fort Collins, COPublicPost-degree cert. | 1 | 67% | — |
Offered in 4 states
Where Veterinary Infectious Diseases graduates come from. Each state links to all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 1 | 16 | Washington State University16 / yr |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 7 | Tufts University7 / yr |
| Georgia | 1 | 5 | University of Georgia5 / yr |
| Colorado | 1 | 1 | Colorado State University - Fort Collins1 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 29-1131, Veterinarians, and its national outlook.
Graduates of the Veterinary Infectious Diseases program can pursue careers as veterinarians, health specialties teachers, or animal scientists. The job outlook is promising, with a growth rate of 9.6% and approximately 3,000 annual openings. The median wage for these professionals is around $125,510, typically requiring a doctoral or professional degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 01.8106
The occupations the NCES crosswalk maps this 6-digit code to, with BLS pay and 10-year outlook.
| Occupation | US median pay | Growth | Openings / yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Veterinariansprimary SOC 29-1131 | $130,100 | +9.6% Much faster than average | ~3,000 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary SOC 25-1071 | $107,310 | +17.3% Much faster than average | ~27,400 | Doctoral or professional degree |
Animal Scientists SOC 19-1011 | $68,940 | +5.8% Faster than average | ~200 | Bachelor's degree |
Job Zone Five: Extensive Preparation Needed
- Education
- Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
- Experience
- Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
- Training
- Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Related careers
Skills & knowledge in Veterinary Infectious Diseases programs
From the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the occupation this specialization most leads to.
Skills you'll build
Knowledge areas
Abilities that matter most
Day-to-day work activities
What graduates do on the job
- Treat sick or injured animals by prescribing medication, setting bones, dressing wounds, or performing surgery.
- Inoculate animals against various diseases, such as rabies or distemper.
- Examine animals to detect and determine the nature of diseases or injuries.
- Collect body tissue, feces, blood, urine, or other body fluids for examination and analysis.
- Operate diagnostic equipment, such as radiographic or ultrasound equipment, and interpret the resulting images.
- Educate the public about diseases that can be spread from animals to humans.
Tools and technology used
Other Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences specializations
The 11 other 6-digit CIP codes under Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (CIP 01.81).
- Veterinary Sciences/CIP 01.8101
Veterinary Clinical Sciences 740 graduates / yr23 institutions - Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public HealthCIP 01.8110partial data63 graduates / yr6 institutions
- Comparative and Laboratory Animal MedicineCIP 01.8102partial data47 graduates / yr6 institutions
- Veterinary Pathology and PathobiologyCIP 01.8108partial data46 graduates / yr6 institutions
- Veterinary Microbiology and ImmunobiologyCIP 01.8107partial data30 graduates / yr4 institutions
- Small/CIP 01.8104
Companion Animal Surgery and Medicine limited data11 graduates / yr1 institutions - Veterinary PhysiologyCIP 01.8109limited data3 graduates / yr2 institutions
- Large Animal/CIP 01.8103
Food Animal and Equine Surgery and Medicine limited data1 graduates / yr1 institutions - Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical SciencesCIP 01.8199limited data1 graduates / yr1 institutions
Show 2 more CIP codes with no U.S. programs reported+
- Veterinary Anatomy01.8105
- Veterinary Toxicology and Pharmacology01.8111
No institution reported completions for these codes in the latest IPEDS year, so they have no page.
See all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences programs →
Common questions
What degrees can I earn in this program?+
You can earn a Master's degree, a Doctor's degree, or a Postbaccalaureate certificate in Veterinary Infectious Diseases.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop skills in active listening, critical thinking, and various scientific disciplines related to veterinary medicine.
What careers can I pursue after graduation?+
You can become a veterinarian, health specialties teacher, or animal scientist.
What is the job outlook for this field?+
The job outlook is much faster than average, with a growth rate of 9.6% and about 3,000 annual job openings.
What is the CIP code for Veterinary Infectious Diseases?+
Veterinary Infectious Diseases is CIP 01.8106 in the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020), a 6-digit specialization within Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences (CIP 01.81). NCES defines it as: A program that focuses on the scientific study of zoonotic infectious diseases, disease mechanisms, and prevention and treatment strategies. Includes instruction in disease pathogenesis, vector biology, mycobacterial infection, blood parasites, retroviruses, food-borne diseases, new infectious agents, ecotoxicology, mechanisms of disease transfer, antibody resistance, comparative pathology, communicable diseases, and disease prevention and eradication.
How many institutions offer Veterinary Infectious Diseases programs?+
4 U.S. institutions reported Veterinary Infectious Diseases graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 4 states, awarding 29 credentials in the year. That is 3.0% of all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences graduates.
How much do Veterinary Infectious Diseases graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Veterinarians occupation, which Veterinary Infectious Diseases most directly leads to, pays a median of $130,100 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About the data on this page
Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.
Program definitions are from the NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020). Skills, knowledge, abilities, work activities, tools, and job zones are from the O*NET database by the U.S. Department of Labor, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
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