University of Cambridge reverses course, keeps vet school open

The University of Cambridge has decided to keep its veterinary medicine course open, reversing a December 2025 recommendation from the School of Biological Sciences that veterinary education should end after the final cohort graduated in 2032. In a February 24, 2026 update, Cambridge’s General Board said the university will continue admitting students, send offer letters for autumn 2026 entry, begin a leadership transition, and commission further analysis with external experts to evaluate alternative models for veterinary education at Cambridge. The Department of Veterinary Medicine publicly welcomed the decision, while the British Veterinary Association, National Farmers’ Union, and other veterinary groups had pushed hard against closure plans. (admin.cam.ac.uk)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this preserves one of the UK’s established training pipelines at a time when workforce capacity, public health coverage, farm animal practice, and food system oversight remain under pressure. The fight over Cambridge was never only about one school’s future: it also reflected wider concerns about training capacity, accreditation standards, and how the profession balances financial sustainability with the need to produce enough graduates. Cambridge’s course is still operating under conditional RCVS accreditation, extended in November 2025 after the regulator said the program had made progress but still needed further improvements. (food.gov.uk)

What to watch: Next comes the harder part: whether Cambridge can satisfy RCVS requirements, stabilize leadership and clinical operations, and define a financially sustainable long-term model on the timelines now running through 2026 and 2027. (admin.cam.ac.uk)