Best institutions to study Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the microbial causation and immunologic processes related to animal disease, prevention, and treatment.
4 U.S. institutions graduated 30 Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology students in 2024–25 (IPEDS). It is CIP 01.8107, 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 Microbiology and Immunobiology programs
A program that focuses on the scientific study of the microbial causation and immunologic processes related to animal disease, prevention, and treatment. Includes instruction in bacteriology, mycology, virology, immune response mechanisms, humoral and cell function, cancer defenses, immune system dysfunction, immunologic diseases, parasitology, pathogenesis, and disease vectors.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP 2020).
The Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology program focuses on the scientific study of microbial causation and immunologic processes related to animal diseases. This program is designed for students interested in understanding the prevention and treatment of animal health issues through a comprehensive curriculum that includes bacteriology, virology, and immunology. It is part of the broader Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences field.
Students will gain essential skills in areas such as active listening, critical thinking, and scientific analysis. Coursework typically covers topics like immune response mechanisms, disease vectors, and pathogenesis, providing a solid foundation for understanding animal health and disease management.
Credentials awarded
What Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology graduates earned in 2024–25, by award level (IPEDS completions).
- Bachelor's degree21 graduates / yr · 2 institutions70%
- Doctor's degree - research/scholarship7 graduates / yr · 2 institutions23%
- Master's degree2 graduates / yr · 2 institutions6.7%
Graduates over time
Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology completions reported to IPEDS each year, all award levels combined.
| Year | Graduates |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 53 |
| 2021 | 46 |
| 2022 | 50 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2024 | 42 |
| 2025 | 30 |
Top 4 institutions for Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology, 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 | Field earnings* (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PAPublicBachelor's | 20 | 86% | — | $35,700 |
| 2 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MDPublicDoctoralMaster's | 5 | 89% | — | — |
| 3 | Iowa State University Ames, IAPublicDoctoralMaster's | 4 | 75% | — | — |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Berks Reading, PAPublicBachelor's | 1 | 32% | — | — |
* Median earnings 1 year after graduation for the broader Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences field (CIP 01.81) at these institutions; College Scorecard does not publish earnings at the 6-digit level.
Offered in 3 states
Where Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology graduates come from. Each state links to all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences programs offered there.
| State | Institutions | Graduates / yr | Top institution by graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 2 | 21 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus20 / yr |
| Maryland | 1 | 5 | University of Maryland - College Park5 / yr |
| Iowa | 1 | 4 | Iowa State University4 / yr |
Careers & outlook
The payoff after graduation: occupation 29-1131, Veterinarians, and its national outlook.
Graduates of this program can pursue careers as veterinarians, health specialties teachers, or animal scientists. The job outlook for related occupations is much faster than average, with an estimated growth rate of 9.6% and about 3,000 annual openings. The median wage for these professionals is approximately $125,510, typically requiring a doctoral or professional degree.
Top-paying metros
Career pathways for CIP 01.8107
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 Microbiology and Immunobiology 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 Infectious DiseasesCIP 01.8106partial data29 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 Bachelor's degree, Master's degree, or Doctor's degree in Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology.
What skills will I develop?+
You will develop skills in active listening, critical thinking, and scientific analysis, among others.
What is the job outlook for graduates?+
The job outlook is much faster than average, with a growth rate of 9.6% and about 3,000 annual openings.
What careers can I pursue?+
You can work as a veterinarian, health specialties teacher, or animal scientist after completing this program.
What is the CIP code for Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology?+
Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology is CIP 01.8107 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 the microbial causation and immunologic processes related to animal disease, prevention, and treatment. Includes instruction in bacteriology, mycology, virology, immune response mechanisms, humoral and cell function, cancer defenses, immune system dysfunction, immunologic diseases, parasitology, pathogenesis, and disease vectors.
How many institutions offer Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology programs?+
4 U.S. institutions reported Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology graduates in IPEDS 2024–25, across 3 states, awarding 30 credentials in the year. That is 3.1% of all Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences graduates.
How much do Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology graduates earn?+
Earnings are not published at the 6-digit CIP level by any federal source. The Veterinarians occupation, which Veterinary Microbiology and Immunobiology most directly leads to, pays a median of $130,100 a year nationally (BLS OEWS May 2025), and graduates of the broader Veterinary Biomedical and Clinical Sciences field report median earnings of $35,700 one year after graduation (College Scorecard).
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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