The College of Veterinary Medicine maintains full accreditation from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE). The AVMA COE is recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation as the accrediting agency for veterinary medicine. The AVMA COE uses clearly defined standards to evaluate veterinary medical education programs, including facilities, clinical resources, curriculum, faculty, and research programs. The standards are interpreted and applied by the COE to each college in relation to its mission. Accreditation by the COE is recognized internationally as the gold standard for veterinary medical education.
A comprehensive accreditation review occurs every seven years for fully accredited colleges of veterinary medicine. The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine will undergo such a review by the AVMA COE in 2027, which will include a comprehensive self-study prepared in the fall of 2026 that is reviewed by the COE site team prior to a five-day visit to the College in early 2027. The AVMA COE site team will review everything in the College that relates to DVM students’ education. After the visit, the site team will file a report to the AVMA COE. The Council will then determine the College’s accreditation status.
NAVLE
The general licensing exam for veterinarians is the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination. The NAVLE replaced both the National Board Examination and the Clinical Competency Test in November 2000. Visit the NAVLE website for aggregate pass rates and technical reports dating back to 2000.
Information about DVM licensure, student salary, debt load, and employment rates can be found on our career services page.
NAVLE Pass Rates *
| Year | UGA Students Who Took Exam | UGA Students Who Passed Exam | Pass Percentage |
| 2021-2022 | 110 | 103 | 94 |
| 2020-2021 | 113 | 106 | 94 |
| 2019-2020 | 113 | 107 | 95 |
| 2018-2019 | 114 | 111 | 97 |
| 2017-2018 | 114 | 108 | 95 |
| 2016-2017 | 104 | 100 | 96 |
*The NAVLE pass rate required by the AVMA COE standard for Outcomes Assessment is 80%.
Competency-Based Education
Student competencies are at the core of our educational process. They are defined as the abilities of our students to apply knowledge, skills, aptitudes, and attitudes to successfully perform tasks or exhibit behaviors expected of a veterinarian.
The UGA CVM Outcomes Assessment Framework and Plan incorporates the principles which form the foundation for our competency-based education and provides an assessment framework for evaluating the success of our curriculum.
Anonymous Feedback
Students can give anonymous feedback regarding the compliance of the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine to AVMA Essential Requirements by clicking below. This will open a form in a new window.
Note: If you are outside of the UGA campus network, you must first connect to the VPN before you can access the form.
