University of Cambridge will keep its vet school open

CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: The University of Cambridge has decided to keep its veterinary medicine course open, rejecting a recommendation from its School of the Biological Sciences to end veterinary education after the final cohort would have graduated in 2032. In a statement published February 23, 2026, Cambridge’s General Board said the university will continue admitting students, with offer letters for autumn 2026 entry going out immediately. The board also said the vet school will need new leadership, further external analysis of future delivery models, and a financial and operational reorganization of clinical services. (cam.ac.uk)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the decision preserves one of the UK’s established training pipelines at a time when workforce capacity, farm vet shortages, food security, public health resilience, and One Health preparedness are already under pressure. The British Veterinary Association welcomed the move, saying Cambridge plays a crucial role in producing homegrown veterinary talent, while the National Farmers’ Union said keeping the school open matters for regional and national farm-animal capacity. Other groups that had opposed closure, including the Royal College of Pathologists and the British Society of Veterinary Pathologists, had warned that losing Cambridge would weaken veterinary pathology, zoonotic disease preparedness, research capacity, and the supply of vets for public health and government roles. That said, the reprieve doesn’t erase the underlying issues: Cambridge’s degree remains under conditional accreditation from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, which said in November 2025 that the program met only 27 of 77 standards in the prior review and must address remaining recommendations before the next visit in October 2026. (bva.co.uk)

What to watch: The next key milestone is Cambridge’s October 2026 RCVS accreditation visit, alongside the university’s promised work on leadership changes, cost savings, and alternative long-term training models. More broadly, watch whether Cambridge can turn the profession’s argument—that the school matters not just for teaching, but for pathology, research, and One Health infrastructure—into a sustainable operating plan. (rcvs.org.uk)