Veterinary Technician
Channel Your Passion for Animals into a Veterinary Career
Veterinary technicians provide professional technical support to veterinarians, biomedical researchers, and other scientists.
They also care for hospitalized patients; assist doctors in surgery; perform physical exams, lab work, and technical procedures; take health histories and X-rays; and more.
At Kirkwood, you'll learn to work with a variety of animals including dogs, cats, horses, cows, pigs, sheep, birds, snakes, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rats.
You'll need a strong passion for biological sciences to succeed as a veterinary technician.
Kirkwood offers more than $3 million in scholarships for students each year. Veterinary technician students may also qualify for the Kibbie Grant.
Students in Kirkwood's ag programs planning to transfer to Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are eligible to apply for the Leonard and Evelyn Dolezal Scholarship Program. This scholarship is awarded to incoming freshmen from Linn, Clayton, Fayette and Johnson counties, and transfer students, particularly those from Kirkwood. If a student is not from one of the specified counties, they will become eligible as a Kirkwood transfer student.
Graduates of the Veterinary Technician program will be able to:
- Demonstrate collaborative skills as a member of the veterinary health care team.
- Employ office and hospital management procedures.
- Apply pharmacologic principles and procedures in veterinary practice.
- Perform surgical preparation, anesthesia, and assistance in veterinary surgery and hospital treatment.
- Perform companion animal inpatient and outpatient nursing.
- Obtain samples and perform veterinary clinical laboratory procedures.
- Perform diagnostic medical imaging.
- Demonstrate laboratory, avian, and exotic animal procedures.
- Follow and uphold applicable laws and ethical codes of the profession of veterinary technology.
- Adhere to industry and OSHA standards for safety.
A one-hour program conference is required prior to acceptance to the program. You'll learn more about the program, specific admissions requirements, and have the opportunity to have questions answered by program faculty and staff.
Program Costs
Veterinary Technician
School Year: 2024–2025
Program Entry Semester: Fall/Spring/Summer
| Pre-Reqs | Summer | Fall | Spring | Summer | Fall | Spring | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit Hours per Semester | 0 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 7 | 17 | 17 | 83 |
| In-State Tuition | $0 | $2,170 | $3,689 | $3,255 | $1,519 | $3,689 | $3,689 | $18,011 |
| Technology Fee per Semester | $0 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $300 |
| Clinical Expenses (mileage, lodging, screenings, etc.) | $0 | $1,400 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,400 |
| Conferences/Seminars | $0 | $0 | $20 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $20 | $40 |
| Course Resources (textbooks, software, etc.) | $0 | $200 | $250 | $500 | $0 | $500 | $300 | $1,750 |
| Course/Section Fees | $0 | $40 | $60 | $65 | $0 | $235 | $265 | $665 |
| Laptop (required devices) | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Testing Fees | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Third Party Credentials | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Tool Sets | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Uniforms | $0 | $200 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $200 |
| Other | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Total Estimated Cost | $4,060 | $4,069 | $3,870 | $1,569 | $4,474 | $4,324 | $22,366 |
Costs provided are estimated and based on the following current tuition rates: $217 (In-State), $290 (Out-of-State), $400 (International).
Fees and costs are subject to change. To view all costs associated with attending college visit our Tuition and Costs page.
Explore More
Veterinary Technician students are encouraged to join the Kirkwood chapter of SkillsUSA, a workforce development organization for students with nearly 400,000 members nationally.
SkillsUSA is one of eight recognized members of the National Coordinating Council for Career and Technical Student Organizations (NCC-CTSO). CTSOs are co-curricular groups that help students in career and technical education programs further their knowledge and skills by participating in activities, events, and competitions.
This program is accredited by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). For more information, go to www.avma.org.
As a graduate of this program, you’ll be eligible to sit for state and national licensing exams. Registered Veterinary Technicians in the state of Iowa must graduate from an AVMA accredited program, pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam, and the state of Iowa Veterinary Technician Exam. View the state guide to see the U.S. states in which this program meets the educational requirements for licensure.
Our mission is to advance the practice of veterinary medicine through the education and development of motivated, skillful, and compassionate veterinary technicians.
Veterinary Technician National Exam Reporting to the Community.
3-Year Veterinary Technician National Examination Pass Rates
| July 1, 2020 - June 30, 2023 | |
|---|---|
| Number of first-time candidates who have taken the VTNE | 51 |
| Three-year VTNE pass percentage | 73% |
The three-year pass percentage on VTNE is calculated as follows:
X/Y * 100=Three-year pass percentage whereby
- X is the number of first time candidates that passed the VTNE and
- Y is the number of first-time candidates that have taken the VTNE
Veterinary Technician State Exam Reporting to the Community
| YEAR | Number Taking VTSE | Number Passing | Percent Passing VTSE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15 | 15 | 100 |
| 2022 | 20 | 20 | 100 |
| 2021 | 11 | 11 | 100 |
| 2020 | 14 | 14 | 100 |
| 2019 | 15 | 15 | 100 |
| 2018 | 20 | 20 | 100 |
| 2017 | 16 | 16 | 100 |
| 2016 | 14 | 14 | 100 |
| 2015 | 13 | 13 | 100 |
| 2014 | 16 | 16 | 100 |
| 2013 | 20 | 19 | 95 |
| 2012 | 11 | 11 | 100 |
| 2011 | 16 | 15 | 93.7 |
| 2010 | 23 | 22 | 95.6 |
| 2009 | 19 | 17 | 89 |
| 2008 | 22 | 22 | 100 |
“I came to Kirkwood with not great study habits, but my professors have really worked alongside me to help me figure out what works best for me and to figure out how to study and to give me tools to do that. I’m definitely going to be prepared to go to a bigger university.”
Mackenzie Eichhorn,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Frequently Asked Questions
Veterinary Technicians and Veterinarians are different careers with different education paths. While some veterinary schools require students obtain their four-year bachelor degree prior to admission, others do not. Please talk with your advisor to determine your best course of action.
Self-motivation; a goal-oriented attitude; an outgoing, friendly personality; and maturity are needed to be successful in this career. Working with a veterinarian on a paid or volunteer basis is also a good idea and will expose you to all aspects of the career – including sights, smells, sounds, and issues that may be hard to deal with including euthanasia.
- Livestock (Cattle, equine, goats, sheep, etc.)
- Exotic animals-Reptiles
- Domestic pets
- Pocket pets (Guinea pigs, gerbils, hamsters, etc.)
- Birds
In the State of Iowa, you must graduate from an AVMA accredited program and then pass both the national credentialing exam and the state jurisprudence exam. Requirements vary from state to state so be sure to contact the veterinary medical examining board in the state where you want to practice. Be sure to contact the veterinary medical examining board in the state where you want to practice.
Program Requirements
All students are required to attend a program conference for the Veterinary Technician program. Students can pre-register by clicking on the program conference tab of the program's website.
Prospective students must complete a Kirkwood application and take the HESI entrance exam and/or complete a combination of some college level courses.
Once a student attends a program conference, a student list will be provided to the Kirkwood Bookstore within three business days of attending a program conference. After the third business day, the student will be able to go to the Kirkwood Bookstore (1st floor, Benton Hall) to purchase access to the HESI entrance exam. All students applying for admission into the Veterinary Technician programs are required to take the HESI entrance exam.
Once the HESI exam has been purchased, the student should schedule a time to take the exam at the Test Center on the Cedar Rapids Campus. The exam is offered on Monday and Thursday mornings; you can schedule your exam here. Keep your bookstore receipt and take it with you on the day of the exam. Proof of payment (receipt) will be required in order to take the exam. Students must also create an account through Elsevier and bring the log-in information with them on the day of the exam, along with a valid (not expired) photo I.D., such as a driver’s license or passport for to verify identification.
Students will receive their results immediately upon completion of the test. Students are allowed two attempts at the exam.
Students must meet with an advisor to go over their exam results, whether the required scores were met or not. Students should contact Ashley Moeller at ashley.moeller@kirkwood.edu to schedule a time to discuss results. Ashley's office is located in Washington Hall. The advisor will work with the student to determine their next steps.
The exam is divided into the following sections:
| Grammar | 75 |
| Reading | 75 |
| Vocabulary | 75 |
| Biology | 72 |
| Chemistry | 70 |
| Math | 72 |
**Completion of admission requirements does not guarantee admission into the program. The program admits 24 students and is determined on a first-come, first serve basis.
It is highly suggested that students prepare for this entrance exam, in advance. HESI Admission Assessment Exam Review workbook (ISBN: 9780323582261) is strongly encouraged to be used as a study material. This book is available on Amazon and through Elsevier.
Students can also access Brainfuse through the State Library of Iowa. https://guides.kirkwood.edu/brainfuseguide → Brainfuse Test Preparation → Nursing School Exams → HESI Practice Tests.
NOTE: Students who have earned a C or better in college level-courses won’t have to take that portion of the exam. For instance, a student who earned a C or better in Applied Math is excused from taking the Math section of the HESI entrance exam. A student earning a C or better in Introduction to Chemistry is excused from taking the Chemistry section of the HESI entrance exam. Students should talk with their advisor to learn more.
Questions?
Agricultural Sciences
1000 Washington Hall
319-398-5609
agsciences@kirkwood.edu