Maryland Gets First In-State Veterinary School

Maryland students and pet owners gain a public, lower-cost route to veterinary training when UMES's first class starts in summer 2027.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Veterinary Medicine

Screen-print poster illustration of a wooden exam table and folded towel in a bright room, with a window onto green fields, in warm mustard, teal, and rust tones. — The University of Maryland Eastern Shore opened applications Tuesday for the inaugural class of a veterinary school set to begin in summer 2027, the state's first in-state option. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Live Poll

Would you or a family member consider applying to a lower-cost in-state veterinary school?

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore has opened applications for the inaugural class of its Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program, which begins in summer 2027. The Council on Education of the American Veterinary Medical Association has affirmed the program is on track to achieve accreditation and has allowed the school to begin admitting students.

Why it matters

For Maryland families, UMES would be the first in-state veterinary school, offering a public option that aims to keep tuition below private and out-of-state schools. The timing reflects a national shortage of diversity in the profession, where only 1.6 percent of U.S. veterinarians were Black in 2025.

The three-year accelerated DVM program will admit its inaugural class in summer 2027, with applications due January 15, 2027. Applicants must submit at least three confidential letters of recommendation, including one from a licensed veterinarian.

The players

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

A public historically Black university on Maryland's Eastern Shore that is opening the state's first in-state veterinary school.

American Veterinary Medical Association

The national professional body whose Council on Education oversees accreditation of U.S. veterinary schools.

The details

Applicants apply through the secure online application administered directly by the UMES School of Veterinary Medicine rather than through VMCAS, which the school is not using for this class. Selected applicants will be invited to a structured interview. The school plans to join VMCAS for later admissions cycles, and it will continue through the Council on Education's accreditation process as the inaugural class moves through the curriculum.

2025: BLS measured the 1.6 percent figure for Black U.S. veterinarians.
January 15, 2027: Application deadline for the inaugural class.
Summer 2027: Inaugural class begins the three-year DVM program.

The Home Front

Veterinary care costs and access often shape how households plan for pets, and debt from professional training has long influenced where new veterinarians choose to practice. A public in-state option like UMES is designed to ease that financial pressure by keeping tuition below private and out-of-state schools.

If you are a Maryland family with a pet or a student considering veterinary school, check the application requirements now, including the three confidential recommendation letters and the January 15, 2027 deadline. For pet owners, an in-state public school may eventually mean more local access to veterinarians on the Eastern Shore.

The takeaway

Prospective applicants should note the January 15, 2027 deadline and gather three confidential recommendation letters, including one from a licensed veterinarian. Because UMES uses its own application rather than VMCAS for the inaugural class, check the school's instructions directly before applying.

What happens next

The application deadline is January 15, 2027, and the inaugural class begins in summer 2027. Accreditation milestones will follow as the first cohort moves through the curriculum.