What Veterinary Rankings Really Mean: The tyranny of #1 (#587)

I have never cared for the phrase:

“We are the #1 veterinary school in the United States.”

Not because excellence should not be celebrated, but because I am not entirely sure what, precisely, is being celebrated.

What does #1 veterinary school actually mean?

And perhaps more importantly, what does it do for a profession that prides itself on care, diversity of practice, and service?

What Are We Really Measuring?

Most veterinary school rankings are built less on objective outcomes and more on reputation-based surveys. They reflect what academics and professionals think about institutions, rather than what students consistently experience.

That immediately raises a quiet but important question:

Are we measuring excellence, or simply reinforcing perception?

Reputation rewards visibility, history, and networks.

Reputation does not always capture:

Quality of teaching

Mentorship and culture

Student wellbeing

Financial burden

Fit for a student’s career goals

And yet, these are the very things that shape a veterinarian.

The Illusion of Precision

A ranked list implies precision.

It suggests that the difference between #1 and #5 is meaningful.

But in veterinary medicine, that is rarely true.

Programs differ not in absolute quality, but in strengths, focus, and philosophy.

A school ranked #25 overall may be the best place in the country for a particular student interested in wildlife medicine, parasitology, or rural practice.

So, what exactly are we ranking?

Not excellence in any universal sense.

Only a flattened summary of a complex reality.

The Problem with #1

There is something else about “#1” that troubles me.

The moment you say it, you create a peculiar and fragile position:

There is only one direction left going forward.

Down.

Rankings shift. Methodologies change. Reputations evolve. Today’s #1 is tomorrow’s #3 depending on who is asking the question.

So why anchor identity to something so transient?

It is a curious form of institutional bravado. One that sounds strong but is, in fact, inherently unstable.

And What About Number Four?

If we accept the logic of “We’re #1,” then we must also accept its extension.

Should the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph proudly proclaim:

“We’re #4!”

Would that inspire confidence, or quiet bemusement?

At what point does the number stop being a badge of honor and start becoming a marketing curiosity?

Because if #1 is worth shouting, then surely #2, #3, and #4 deserve banners as well.

And yet, instinctively, we hesitate.

That hesitation reveals something important:

Rankings are not truly about measured excellence.

Rankings are about narrative positioning.

About being able to say “the best” rather than “among the best.”

Saying It Well: A Lesson in Understatement

Not every institution feels compelled to claim the summit.

Colorado State University offers a more measured, and, I would argue, more credible, approach.

Colorado State University describes itself as:

Among the top veterinary programs globally…

Consistently ranking as a top-three veterinary school in the United States.

Notice the tone.

Confident, but not absolute.

Impressive, but not inflated.

Clear, but not fragile.

There is strength in that phrasing.

It acknowledges excellence without pretending to own it entirely.

It places the institution within a community of outstanding peers rather than above them.

And perhaps most importantly, it will still be true next year.

The Quiet Strength of Understatement

There is another way to say it:

We are one of the top-ranked veterinary schools.

It conveys excellence, clearly and confidently, but without the brittleness of absolutism.

It leaves room for others.

It reflects a kind of intellectual humility that sits comfortably within academia at its best.

Understatement is not weakness.

It is discipline.

What Are We Signaling?

When an institution insists on #1, it is not just describing itself, it is signaling values:

Competition over collegiality

Position over purpose

Perception over substance

But veterinary medicine is not a zero-sum game.

The success of one school does not require the diminishment of another.

We are not competing to produce a single winner.

We are collectively responsible for the health of animals, ecosystems, and communities.

The Economics We Don’t Talk About Enough

Let us not forget the practical realities.

Veterinary education commonly costs a student between $180,000 and $300,000 depending on residency status.

That is a life-shaping decision.

And yet rankings rarely foreground:

Debt burden

Financial sustainability

Long-term career flexibility

A student choosing an affordable in-state program over a higher-ranked out-of-state one may, in fact, be making the wiser decision.

Can Rankings Ever Be Done Equitably?

If rankings are to have value, they must move beyond a single number.

A more meaningful approach would consider:

Clinical exposure by species

Teaching quality and mentorship

Graduate outcomes and satisfaction

Cost and financial impact

Specialty strengths

Not:

“Which school is #1?”

But:

“Which school is right for this student?”

That is a far more honest, and humane, question.

Final Thought

Perhaps the real question is not:

“What number are we?”

But:

“Why do we feel the need to ask?”

Because once we let go of the number, something far more meaningful comes into focus.

Not hierarchy.

But purpose.

And in a profession built on care, judgment, and humility, perhaps the most powerful statement is the quietest one.

Sources

UC Davis Ranked #1 Veterinary School in Nation. QS World University Rankings Recognizes School as #1 in Nation, #2 in World. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/news/uc-davis-ranked-1-veterinary-school-nation

• “These rankings underscore that UC Davis is the global leader in veterinary science and agriculture,” said UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May.

• The rankings consider reputation among academics; reputation among employers; the citations and impact of academic papers from a university; and the diversity of a university’s international research network.

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) tops global veterinary science rankings for fifth straight year. https://www.vettimes.com/news/business/human-resources/rvc-tops-global-veterinary-science-rankings-for-fifth-straight-year

• The Royal Veterinary College (RVC), University of London, has been ranked as the

  #1 veterinary school in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

  
  

• This marks the fifth consecutive year, and sixth time overall, that the RVC has secured the top spot.

Rick's Commentary

Wouldn't these world rankings suggest that the Royal Veterinary College is "the global leader in veterinary science," while UC Davis is #2?

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