In 1949 The Royal Veterinary College became a full part of the University of London, whilst retaining its independence with its own Royal Charter, and in 1955 the College acquired a country estate in Hertfordshire to provide a new field station; today our modern and vibrant Hawkshead campus.
The College offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in veterinary medicine, veterinary nursing, and biological sciences; and CPD programmes in veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing.
RVC produces world-class research and provides support for the veterinary profession through its referral hospitals, including the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, Europe's largest small animal hospital.As one of the world's leading specialist veterinary and biological science research institutions, the RVC brings together talented individuals; all of whom share a passion for human and animal health and welfare.
Our programmes are of international appeal and attract students who go on to become practicing veterinarians, research scientists, veterinary nurses and leaders in industry and government.
Studyportals ranking look at the scores of the most used ranking systems and present you with one number of how well this University performs.
By U.S. News & World Report
Dropped 125 places compared to 2026
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 1079 | 1141 | 1266 |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Times Higher Education
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2027 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| 501 | 501 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
By Shanghai Jiao Tong University
This university doesn’t have a ranking for 2026 yet. Rankings are updated yearly, so check back later for the latest info.
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
| 2024 | 2025 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 801 | 801 | - |
We don’t have enough recent ranking data to show a 3-year trend for this university.
Student Representatives play a pivotal role in acting as the voice of their year group and a bridge between the student body and the rest of the College/Students' Union. They play a vital role in improving students’ experiences by working in partnership with the College and Students Union to resolve issues and deliver change. Student Reps achieve personal development through specific training, working with other students/staff and remuneration including discounted SU events and payment for attending certain Committee meetings.
College Grove is located within the Camden Campus and therefore journey times have not been included below. It is worth noting that all accommodation offered by the RVC are within a 25-minute cycle from campus, and most are within walking distance.
Delivering Library and IT/AV support functions, the Infrastructure Services Directorate (ISD) strives to be at the forefront of information provision and learning facilities - via paper, electronic or audio visual means.
Computer accounts and passwords are issued to staff and students for activities that conform with the RVC IT User policy and other regulations relating to permissible use of the College's equipment and network infrastructure.
The RVC has two campuses - one in central London and one in Hertfordshire. Both are within easy reach of main transport links and are easy to get to from London's airports.
Students are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities both inside and outside of the college authority. Some examples of sports offered are rowing (see: the Royal Veterinary College Boat Club), rugby, netball, hockey, football, and, more unusually, dance, ice-skating, polo and shooting. For purpose of sports, the RVC is a part of the United Hospitals, and the sports clubs compete (and sometimes socialise) with the London medical schools (such as Barts, ICSM, and RUMS).
There are also a number of academically-inclined clubs, such as the Farm Animal Clinical Club, the Dissection Club and the RVC Zoological Society, and non-academic societies, such as wine-tasting, games society, and the RVC Christian Union.
The RVC is the only veterinary school in the world to hold full accreditation from the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association), EAVE (European Association of Establishments of Veterinary Education), RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons), AVBC (Australian Veterinary Boards Council Inc.) and the Society of Biology.
Based on 6 reviews
Is a great university overall, but definitely prioritises the Veterinary Medicine students over all other degrees. However, this is improving and all degree options are being treated more equally. Campus is beautiful and feel safe at all times, and have had good experiences with all other students.
RVC is a great place to learn, and I have enjoyed my time there. London can definitely be an expensive place to live, but it is well worth it in my opinion. It's amazing to be able to attend such a historic university that is still leading the way in veterinary medicine today.
Good university. Vet nursing course has a mixture of placement and theory blocks, lots of hands on experience. Can be hard as a veterinary nurse to get included into societies, but the uni is getting better at that.
Wishlist