Graduate career-ready veterinarians prepared to advance health and well-being of animals and people while serving communities.

More than 80% of Ohio veterinarians are graduates of Ohio’s only college of veterinary medicine.

Safeguard Ohio’s $125 billion agriculture industry by preventing disease outbreaks, like highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)and ensuring a safe and plentiful food supply.

Nearly 1/3 of Ohio counties are USDA-designated rural veterinary shortage areas.

Advance One Health by collaborating with organizations and stakeholders to optimize health and wellbeing of animals, people and the environment.

Conduct groundbreaking research in public health diseases that impact people and animals, like cancer, diabetes and others, to improve health & wellbeing.

70% of human infectious diseases originate in animals, and veterinarians are critical to preventing the next pandemic by providing detection, surveillance & research discoveries.

February 5, 2025

Increased college funding included in Governor DeWine's proposed FY26-27 Biennial Executive Budget

The College of Veterinary Medicine is pleased to share that Governor Mike DeWine released his proposed FY26-27 biennial executive budget. It included preservation of the current line-item funding for the College of Veterinary Medicine (~$5 million/year) with an increase in annual funding of $15 million/year to support the college’s Protect One Health in Ohio initiative. The total amount of this line item in the Governor’s executive budget is $20 million/year.

This is a critical first step in our efforts to address the urgent needs of the college, the profession, and Ohio’s animal agricultural industry and companion animal owners across the state.  

In partnership with The Ohio State University’s leadership, including the President’s Office, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Office of Government Affairs, the college has worked to provide specific plans with the governor and legislative chambers on how additional budget dollars would be invested to have the greatest impact in Ohio. That plan, the Protect One Health in Ohio (Protect OHIO) initiative has three pillars:

• Educate more Ohio veterinarians to serve rural and large animal needs
• Mentor and support large animal and rural veterinarians
• Establish an Emerging Infectious Disease Center    

In the coming weeks, the Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate will consider this budget proposal and subsequent legislation. The college, in partnership with the Office of Government Affairs, university leaders, and various allies and commodity groups, will convey to members of the legislature the importance of the College of Veterinary Medicine to the State of Ohio and the impact it has on advancing the health and wellbeing of animals, people and the environment.

We are greatly appreciative of the governor’s recognition of the importance of Ohio’s only college of veterinary medicine. I would like to thank Ohio State University’s leadership, including the President’s Office, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Office of Government Affairs for recognizing the critical needs of the college and for their continued partnership to make our case, communicate our vision, and champion our cause.

A tremendous amount of work still remains.  You can help by advocating for the college.  We look forward to providing additional updates on how you can lend your voice in support of the college. We will continue to share updates in Alumni Connect and other college communication tools. 

Thank you for your continued commitment to our land-grant mission areas of education, research, service, and outreach.

The College of Veterinary Medicine is requesting an additional $15 million per year over the FY 2026-2027 biennium to help launch Protect One Health in Ohio (Protect OHIO), a new initiative designed to strengthen Ohio’s veterinary workforce, public health, and agricultural economy through three key pillars:

Educate More Ohio Veterinarians – 42% of $15M
Increasing graduates is critical to addressing Ohio’s large animal and rural veterinary shortage.

• Enroll up to 35 more Ohio students per class year.
• Enhance student education, mentoring and other support programs by adding additional faculty and staff.
• Expand large animal hands-on training and rural community immersion opportunities.

Expand Large Animal and Rural Veterinary Workforce – 14 % of $15M
Creating long-term solutions for recruiting and retaining large animal and rural veterinarians are essential to growing the workforce.

• Build a pipeline of Ohio students interested in careers in large animal and rural veterinary medicine by partnering with schools and youth development programs like 4-H and FFA.
• Promote financial incentives, loan repayment, scholarships and tax breaks to veterinarians serving rural and under-served communities to increase success.
• Collaborate with rural communities to create incentive programs to recruit graduates and support sustainable veterinary practices

Establish Emerging Infectious Disease Center – 44% of $15M
Protecting Ohio’s agricultural industry requires dedicated, proactive disease monitoring and research.

• Expand proactive research on top-priority diseases for animal agriculture in Ohio.
• Strengthen disease monitoring and risk assessment to detect and respond to threats early.
• Work with Ohio producers to support best practices that reduce disease transmission risks.

Among the top 20 U.S. veterinary colleges, Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine ranks third overall in academic excellence, yet the college receives the least state funding and has the worst student to faculty ratio, at 4:1. Expanding enrollment by 35 students per class, 140 students over a four-year period, would require additional faculty. 

The college is committed to maintaining affordable education by limiting tuition increases and offering scholarships. Last year alone, we awarded nearly $4.5 million in scholarships to help lower the cost for our students. This additional funding will help Ohio State’s College of Veterinary Medicine expand class size for Ohio students, recruit and retain world class faculty and researchers to sustain our academic excellence, and help leverage additional resources with industry, community and philanthropic partners to meet this pressing workforce shortage to protect the state’s public health. 

Rural veterinarians, both large animal and mixed practice, play a crucial role in safeguarding Ohio’s robust $125 billion agriculture industry being on the frontlines of disease surveillance, early detection, and consultation with state and federal agencies. Projections indicate a shortage in Ohio of 600 to 1,000 veterinarians by 2030. A shortage of veterinarians forces farmers to shoulder more health care responsibilities, potentially leading to decreased productivity and higher economic losses. Without intervention, the state’s veterinary workforce crisis will exacerbate challenges in both animal and human health, particularly in rural areas where veterinary access is already limited.
 

The Emerging Infectious Disease Center will focus on preemptive research, surveillance, and education to safeguard Ohio’s agricultural economy and public health through the Protect One Health in Ohio initiative. Unlike the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, which specializes in diagnostics and disease response, the Emerging Animal Disease Center will focus on preemptive monitoring, risk assessment, education, and prevention of emerging infectious diseases. Working alongside the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health, and other partners, it will enhance Ohio’s disease preparedness by filling a critical gap – predicting and preventing outbreaks before they occur. This initiative complements existing efforts, fostering innovation in disease prevention and public health.