Find Your Optometry School

Every accredited Doctor of Optometry program in the US, Puerto Rico, and Canada, compared on admissions, cost, board pass rates, and campus life. Enter your GPA and OAT to estimate your admission chances at each school, based on its published class averages.

27 Programs

enrolling in the US, PR & Canada

3 on the way

planned, not yet enrolling

$214k

median direct expenses, non-resident (program total)

$200k

median of schools' average graduate debt

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Where the programs are

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Accredited programAccreditation withdrawn (teach-out)Planned, not yet enrolling

Your GPA

Your OAT (AA)

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NATIONAL AVERAGEPrefilled with the average of the 25 programs that publish a mean GPA (3.56) and the 25 that publish a mean OAT (325) — edit either box to personalize every row.

Region

Class size

Accreditation

27 of 27 programs

Program			ADMISSIONS			COSTS		LIFE ON CAMPUS		OUTCOMES	Chances
Compare	Details	School ▲	Seats	GPA	OAT	Cost†	1BR rent	Fun	Climate	Boards*	Chances
		Ferris State University Michigan College of OptometryBig Rapids, MI · Public	37	3.71	334	$188k	$796	Sleepy	14–82°Fheavy snow	74%	TARGET
		Illinois College of OptometryChicago, IL · Private	125	3.59	334	$239k	$1,581	Lively	21–85°Fheavy snow	71%	TARGET
		Indiana University School of OptometryBloomington, IN · Public	92	3.78	i	$203k	$1,072	Decent	22–86°Fsome snow	59%	REACH
		Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of OptometryBayamón, PR · PrivateAccreditation withdrawn	49	3.40	280	$134k	$572	Quiet	70–89°Fno snow	21%	LIKELY
		MCPHS University School of OptometryWorcester, MA · Private	59	3.28	310	$235k	$1,599	Lively	16–82°Fheavy snow	41%	LIKELY
		Midwestern University Arizona College of OptometryGlendale, AZ · Private	72	3.69	333	$214k	$1,583	Quiet	46–106°Fno snow	80%	TARGET
		Midwestern University Chicago College of OptometryDowners Grove, IL · Private	63	3.54	324	$215k	$1,581	Decent	18–84°Fheavy snow	57%	LIKELY
		New England College of OptometryBoston, MA · Private	140	3.56	331	$203k	$2,476	Buzzing	24–82°Fheavy snow	66%	TARGET
		Nova Southeastern University College of OptometryFort Lauderdale, FL · Private	106	3.54	325	$193k	$1,900	Quiet	61–91°Fno snow	53%	LIKELY
		NSU Oklahoma College of OptometryTahlequah, OK · Public	28	3.68	323	$235k	$769	Sleepy	27–92°Flight snow	77%	TARGET
		Pacific University College of OptometryForest Grove, OR · Private	90	3.49	321	$221k	$1,677	Quiet	35–82°Flight snow	78%	LIKELY
		Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Drexel UniversityElkins Park, PA · Private	126	3.38	306	$219k	$1,520	Decent	25–87°Fsome snow	55%	LIKELY
		Rocky Mountain University College of Optometric MedicineProvo, UT · PrivateConditional accreditation	70	3.50	307	$206k	$1,265	Quiet	21–92°Fheavy snow	—	LIKELY
		SCCO at Marshall B. Ketchum UniversityFullerton, CA · Private	103	3.54	343	$223k	$2,746	Decent	46–87°Fno snow	76%	REACH
		Southern College of OptometryMemphis, TN · Private	140	3.68	332	$196k	$1,154	Decent	32–92°Flight snow	81%	TARGET
		SUNY College of OptometryNew York, NY · Public	96	3.67	350	$225k	$2,655	Buzzing	28–85°Fsome snow	76%	REACH
		The Ohio State University College of OptometryColumbus, OH · Public	69	3.86	358	$183k	$1,194	Lively	22–85°Fsome snow	94%	REACH
		UAB School of OptometryBirmingham, AL · Public	56	3.71	329	$217k	$1,155	Decent	33–91°Flight snow	72%	TARGET
		UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of OptometryBerkeley, CA · Public	69	3.76	360	$241k	$2,385	Lively	44–72°Fno snow	70%	REACH
		UIW Rosenberg School of OptometrySan Antonio, TX · Private · faithFAITH-AFFILIATED	74	3.36	300	$190k	$1,177	Quiet	40–96°Fno snow	53%	LIKELY
		University of Detroit Mercy School of OptometryNovi, MI · Private · faithPreliminary accreditationFAITH-AFFILIATED	35	3.46	303	$198k	$1,122	Quiet	19–83°Fheavy snow	—	LIKELY
		University of Houston College of OptometryHouston, TX · Public	100	3.61	337	$221k	$1,323	Decent	44–94°Fno snow	61%	TARGET
		University of Missouri–St. Louis College of OptometrySt. Louis, MO · Public	46	3.50	318	$246k	$995	Quiet	24–90°Fsome snow	74%	LIKELY
		University of Pikeville Kentucky College of OptometryPikeville, KY · Private · faithFAITH-AFFILIATED	60	3.52	301	$195k	$745	Sleepy	26–86°Fsome snow	63%	LIKELY
		University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision ScienceWaterloo, ON · Canada · Public	91	88%	366	$256k	$1,104	Decent	14–80°Fheavy snow	98%	REACH
		Université de Montréal École d'optométrieMontreal, QC · Canada · PublicFRENCH-LANGUAGE	56	R 36	i	$64kCanadians only	$808	Lively	8–80°Fheavy snow	96%	n/a
		Western University of Health Sciences College of OptometryPomona, CA · Private	52	3.27	303	$198k	$2,085	Decent	44–93°Fno snow	27%	LIKELY

Fun bars: social · culture · outdoors; red low → purple high; select the bars for numbersJanuary low → July high, on the same scale every rowLight bar below the median, dark above; grey tick marks it. Each column states its own median on hover. Canadian boards are shown, not ranked.Colored rail: an accreditation status worth reading before you apply*Boards first-time, 3-yr candidate-weighted 2022–25: NBEO Part I for US/PR schools, OEBC written (the Canadian licensing exam) for Waterloo and Montréal. †Direct expenses, non-resident, program total; Canadian figures USD-converted at the US-applicant rate.

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Ferris State University Michigan College of OptometryBig Rapids, MI · Public

Cost†

$188k

GPA

3.71

Boards*

74%

TARGET

Illinois College of OptometryChicago, IL · Private

Cost†

$239k

GPA

3.59

Boards*

71%

TARGET

Indiana University School of OptometryBloomington, IN · Public

Cost†

$203k

GPA

3.78

Boards*

59%

REACH

Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of OptometryBayamón, PR · PrivateAccreditation withdrawn

Cost†

$134k

GPA

3.40

Boards*

21%

LIKELY

MCPHS University School of OptometryWorcester, MA · Private

Cost†

$235k

GPA

3.28

Boards*

41%

LIKELY

Midwestern University Arizona College of OptometryGlendale, AZ · Private

Cost†

$214k

GPA

3.69

Boards*

80%

TARGET

Midwestern University Chicago College of OptometryDowners Grove, IL · Private

Cost†

$215k

GPA

3.54

Boards*

57%

LIKELY

New England College of OptometryBoston, MA · Private

Cost†

$203k

GPA

3.56

Boards*

66%

TARGET

Nova Southeastern University College of OptometryFort Lauderdale, FL · Private

Cost†

$193k

GPA

3.54

Boards*

53%

LIKELY

NSU Oklahoma College of OptometryTahlequah, OK · Public

Cost†

$235k

GPA

3.68

Boards*

77%

TARGET

Pacific University College of OptometryForest Grove, OR · Private

Cost†

$221k

GPA

3.49

Boards*

78%

LIKELY

Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Drexel UniversityElkins Park, PA · Private

Cost†

$219k

GPA

3.38

Boards*

55%

LIKELY

Rocky Mountain University College of Optometric MedicineProvo, UT · PrivateConditional accreditation

Cost†

$206k

GPA

3.50

Boards*

—

LIKELY

SCCO at Marshall B. Ketchum UniversityFullerton, CA · Private

Cost†

$223k

GPA

3.54

Boards*

76%

REACH

Southern College of OptometryMemphis, TN · Private

Cost†

$196k

GPA

3.68

Boards*

81%

TARGET

SUNY College of OptometryNew York, NY · Public

Cost†

$225k

GPA

3.67

Boards*

76%

REACH

The Ohio State University College of OptometryColumbus, OH · Public

Cost†

$183k

GPA

3.86

Boards*

94%

REACH

UAB School of OptometryBirmingham, AL · Public

Cost†

$217k

GPA

3.71

Boards*

72%

TARGET

UC Berkeley Herbert Wertheim School of OptometryBerkeley, CA · Public

Cost†

$241k

GPA

3.76

Boards*

70%

REACH

UIW Rosenberg School of OptometrySan Antonio, TX · Private · faithFAITH-AFFILIATED

Cost†

$190k

GPA

3.36

Boards*

53%

LIKELY

University of Detroit Mercy School of OptometryNovi, MI · Private · faithPreliminary accreditationFAITH-AFFILIATED

Cost†

$198k

GPA

3.46

Boards*

—

LIKELY

University of Houston College of OptometryHouston, TX · Public

Cost†

$221k

GPA

3.61

Boards*

61%

TARGET

University of Missouri–St. Louis College of OptometrySt. Louis, MO · Public

Cost†

$246k

GPA

3.50

Boards*

74%

LIKELY

University of Pikeville Kentucky College of OptometryPikeville, KY · Private · faithFAITH-AFFILIATED

Cost†

$195k

GPA

3.52

Boards*

63%

LIKELY

University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision ScienceWaterloo, ON · Canada · Public

Cost†

$256k

GPA

88%

Boards*

98%

REACH

Université de Montréal École d'optométrieMontreal, QC · Canada · PublicFRENCH-LANGUAGE

Cost†

$64k

GPA

R 36

Boards*

96%

n/a

Western University of Health Sciences College of OptometryPomona, CA · Private

Cost†

$198k

GPA

3.27

Boards*

27%

LIKELY

*Boards first-time, 3-yr candidate-weighted 2022–25: NBEO Part I for US/PR schools, OEBC written (the Canadian licensing exam) for Waterloo and Montréal. †Direct expenses, non-resident, program total; Canadian figures USD-converted at the US-applicant rate.

Cost against board pass rate

The 23 US and Puerto Rico programs: what a non-resident pays for the whole degree against the three-year first-time NBEO Part I average. Up and to the left is more school for less money. Dots outside your current filters fade back; select one to see that school.

Not on this chartCanadian graduates sit the OEBC, not the NBEO, so their pass rates are not comparable with the dots above. Select either one to see its full row.

Large green circle · cheaper than the median and stronger boards than the medianSmall blue circle · every other programTriangle · accreditation flagged: Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry (accreditation withdrawn).Dashed lines are the median on each axis, taken from these 23 programs; the green corner is cheaper-and-stronger than the median, not a ranking. Detroit Mercy and Rocky Mountain have no graduating class yet, so they are not plotted.

Coming soon: 3 programs in the ACOE pipeline (not yet enrolling)

High Point University School of Optometry — High Point, NC. ACOE Stage 2; preliminary-approval site visit completed May 2026, decision pending. Not yet enrolling. School page ↗

UNC Pembroke College of Optometric Medicine — Pembroke, NC. ACOE Stage 1 (public university). Proposed; no enrollment date announced. School page ↗

UT Rio Grande Valley School of Optometry — McAllen, TX. ACOE Stage 1 (public). State approval Jan 2025; first class planned fall 2027 (~40 seats). School page ↗

Source: ACOE program directories & accreditation actions, theacoe.org (retrieved Aug 3, 2026).