23 Feb 2026
The announcement followed a general board meeting which was preceded by a protest against the controversial plans.
Allister Webb
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Image: tanibond / Adobe Stock
Plans to close the University of Cambridge vet school have been scrapped following a meeting of its general board today (23 February).
The decision was confirmed in a statement released a short time ago, after students and staff were informed at a town hall session this afternoon.
A university spokesperson said the decision had followed a “detailed discussion about the future of veterinary education” at the university.
He added: “It has agreed next steps in light of the analysis put forward by both the School of the Biological Sciences and the Department of Veterinary Medicine, and the concerns of many in the Cambridge community and the veterinary profession more widely.”
Earlier today, hundreds of people had gathered in the city for a march against the closure plan, where university bosses were accused of not listening to students, staff or other concerned stakeholders.
But the university said its next steps had been agreed by the board “having heard the strength of feeling in the community around Cambridge”.
Officials added that offer letters to applicants hoping to take up places this autumn will now be sent out “imminently”.
But new leadership is also set to be appointed to help the school “in addressing its many challenges”, while the board was said to have recognised that the School of Biological Sciences could not be “solely responsible” for the future of veterinary education.
The statement added that proposed financial and operational reorganisation measures relating to clinical services should proceed with cost savings identified by the vet school going ahead “without delay”.
VIDEO: Supporters protest closure of University of Cambridge’s vet school ahead of a crucial meeting today (23 February 2026) to decide its future. Video: © Vet Times
