Choose your optometry school with the real numbers in front of you.

Every accredited U.S. program in one place: how its graduates do on boards, what four years actually cost, who gets in, and when applications are due.

Browse all 24 schools Check your GPA and OAT

Data from ASCO, OptomCAS and each school's own pages. Last checked Oct 19, 2026.

Start with a tool

School databaseSort all 24 programs by board results, cost, class stats or deadline, and compare up to four side by side. Stats checkerEnter your GPA and OAT to see where each school's entering class sits relative to you. Cost calculatorBuild a four-year budget for any school and see how much falls outside federal loans.

The new federal loan cap changes the math

Starting July 1, 2026, Grad PLUS loans ended for new borrowers. Optometry students can now borrow at most $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total from the federal government. At out-of-state tuition plus a modest living budget, 24 of 24 programs cost more than that over four years.

Covered by federal loans (up to $200,000)Gap you'd fund another way$200k cap

UAB

$248k

$257k

$257k

$261k

$268k

$269k

$282k

UMSL

$286k

Indiana

$289k

Houston

$293k

$293k

$295k

$295k

$299k

$300k

Illinois College (ICO)

$301k

Pennsylvania (Drexel)

$306k

Pacific

$317k

Western U

$322k

MCPHS

$335k

New England (NECO)

$350k

SUNY

$351k

Berkeley

$364k

SCCO/Ketchum

$366k

Estimates use out-of-state tuition for public schools and a living allowance by cost-of-living tier, before scholarships. Residents of a public school's state pay less. Read the full guide or run your own numbers.

Guides for every step

The OAT, explainedWhat's on the Optometry Admission Test, how it's scored, what it costs and the rules for retaking it.
What's a good OAT score?Entering-class OAT averages for every school, and what score to aim for.
The new federal loan capWhat the $200,000 limit on federal loans means for every school's cost.
OptomCAS application timelineMonth by month, from the OAT to your first interview, with every school's deadline.
Shadowing and optometry experienceHow many hours schools expect, how to find an optometrist to shadow, and what counts.
Letters of recommendationHow many letters you need, who should write them, and every school's requirement.
The personal statementThe OptomCAS prompt, the 4,500-character limit, and how to write an essay that sounds like you.
PrerequisitesThe core courses nearly every school wants, and the extras that differ by school.

Board results vary more than most applicants expect

Nationally, 82.5% of graduates passed all three parts of the NBEO boards in 2024–25, and only 66.8% passed Part I on the first try. School results ranged from 98.3% to 47.4%. A failed attempt costs a retake fee, months of extra study during clinic and a later start to your career, so this is the number to check first.

See every school's board results