Looking for colleges with Equine/Equestrian Majors for my D24 [AK resident, 4.0, 33, 1380, <$40k]

[AustenNut]

Rather than going too far down the rabbit hole (though I did explore it a little as evidenced by my suggestions below), I guess there are a couple of things:

1. Does your D really want the equine major, or does something else animal-related work?
2. If your D gets to continue riding horses for a team, is she open to a general business or communications or science major and then selecting coursework and/or internships to focus in on horses?
3. Are varsity equestrian teams an option, or only IHSA?

Based on the responses and the reactions to the schools below, I’ll tailor my rabbit hole meanderings in the future.

In the other thread (my post quoted below) I mentioned these schools, though based on the additional info here, only Otterbein of these suggestions would meet the size preferences:

@AustenNut

These are a couple of colleges I’m wondering if your family has considered:

• Emory & Henry (VA): About 1100 undergrads. Offers a B.A., B.S. and minor in Equine Studies as well as a B.A. in Equine-Assisted Therapy, and I think they’re building a new $2M barn. It’s also part of the CTCL association: Emory & Henry College – Colleges That Change Lives
• Otterbein (OH): About 2200 undergrads and has some equine programs that may be of interest. Majors include Equine Business Management, Equine Pre-Veterinary/Pre-Graduate Studies, and Equine Veterinary Technology while it also has minors in Equine-Assisted Activites & Therapies and Equine Business Management: Department of Equine Science - Otterbein University
• U. of Montana-Western: About 1400 undergrads and like a couple of other colleges (Colorado College, Cornell College) has students take one class at a time. “The Equine Studies Department at UMW offers the only Bachelor’s Degree in Natural Horsemanship in the U.S., with options in equine management, psychology, science, business and instruction.” Department of Equine Studies | University of Montana Western Going by your username, I think you’re a WUE resident, so this other school should also get you a WUE rate.

These are some schools with an active IHSA team and some kind of an animal-related major:

• Berry (GA): About 2200 undergrads. It has an active IHSA team and a major in Animal Sciences. It has a working farm and an equine center, too.

• Long Island-Post Campus (NY): About 11k undergrads. It has an active IHSA team and offers a major in Veterinary Technology. Although I think there’s a good-sized commuter population, I think that there is also a decent-sized residential population, too.

Schools with an active IHSA team, but no equestrian-related major:

• U. of South Carolina: About 27k undergrads (don’t know if that’s big enough for their own fire department!). It has a very highly-regarded honors college.

Schools with varsity women’s equestrian teams, but no active IHSA team include:

• Oklahoma State: About 21k undergrads. It doesn’t have an equine major, but has other majors that could possibly interest your D including agribusiness (including a concentration in Farm and Ranch Management), animal science, a concentration in Rangeland Ecology and Management within the Natrual Resource Ecology & Management major, and a zoology major (which, apparently, is different from animal science…I am not a scientist!)

• Southern Methodist (TX): About 7100 undergrads

• Texas Christian: About 11k undergrads. Offers a major in Ranch Management and a minor in Human-Animal Relationships which includes courses titled Zoo Animal Enrichment and Animal Cognition.

• U. of Georgia: About 31k undergrads, so approaching Purdue’s size. It offers majors in Animal Science, Agribusiness, Agricultural & Applied Economics, Agricultural Communication, and Animal Health (as a fast track to vet school).