Clemson University opens application window for its first veterinary students

The Harvey S. Peeler Jr College of Veterinary Medicine at Clemson University has received a Letter of Reasonable Assurance from the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education. The action marks a step forward in the accreditation process, allowing the university to open its application window for prospective veterinary students.¹

The deadline to apply for admission with the inaugural class is November 17, 2025.¹ The university is aiming to open the veterinary college to students in fall 2026 and will be the first in South Carolina to provide the opportunity for individuals to earn a doctor of veterinary medicine degree.

In a dvm360 interview, Steven Marks, BVSc, MS, MRCVS, DACVIM, founding dean of the Harvey S. Peeler Jr College of Veterinary Medicine, noted the importance of producing veterinarians for a state in which many animal owners experience a lack of access to veterinary care.² “It's also a priority to produce some agricultural veterinarians, and what I mean by that is large animal veterinarians, so [those caring for] equine, bovine, [and] poultry. And we hope to…attract students from underserved areas of the state to return to underserved areas of the state,” Marks said.

In June 2023, Clemson University received approval from its board of trustees to develop the veterinary college, and in November 2024, the university broke ground on its new campus.³ Four months later, the university celebrated progress being made with building the animal health campus facilities by holding a traditional beam-signing ceremony.⁴

Named for South Carolina General Assembly Senator Harvey S. Peeler Jr, who is also a Clemson University graduate, the veterinary college has planned 7 structures for its campus in Pendleton, South Carolina—a short drive from the university’s main campus. The complex includes the centerpiece CVM Hub, which houses classrooms, a library, food service, and social spaces for students. Other structures include a research building with laboratories, a clinical teaching building with laboratory and simulator spaces and a community clinic, an ambulatory service building for the mobile hospital service, separate teaching facilities for equine and farm animal educations, and a utility building.⁴

“It has been an incredible journey building a college from the ground up,” Marks said in the Clemson report.¹ “This team has pulled together and worked tirelessly to make it to this [new] milestone. Of course, I’m grateful to the lawmakers and industry professionals who have supported us along the way. What an amazing experience, and we are just getting started.”

Jim Clements, president of Clemson University, said he is grateful for the support the veterinary college has received from elected officials, community partners, faculty staff, and the greater Clemson community. “Together, we are moving Clemson fiercely forward, and we are making a difference in the lives of people and animals across the great state of South Carolina and beyond,” Clements said in the news report.¹

RELATED: Rowan University opens Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine

References

1. Harris S. Clemson’s Harvey S. Peeler Jr College of Veterinary Medicine opens application window for inaugural class. Clemson News. October 9, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2025. https://news.clemson.edu/clemsons-college-of-veterinary-medicine-opens-application-window-for-inaugural-class/
2. Marks SL, Crossley KC. Advancing the veterinary profession and agricultural care. dvm360. April 17, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/advancing-the-veterinary-profession-and-agricultural-care
3. Crossley KC. Clemson University breaks ground on South Carolina’s first veterinary school. dvm360. November 23, 2024. Accessed October 10, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/clemson-university-breaks-ground-on-south-carolina-s-first-veterinary-school
4. Crossley KC. Clemson University’s future veterinary school is making progress. dvm360. April 10, 2025. Accessed October 10, 2025. https://www.dvm360.com/view/clemson-university-s-future-veterinary-school-is-making-progress