15 Best optometry schools in America | Picked By Price, Reputation and Alumni Strength

Hi there, welcome to my blog, you are here because you want to know the best optometry schools in America, and I have done all the research for you and below I have listed the 15 best optometry schools I think we among the best. i have chosen them due to the factors like affordability and price point, the strength of alumni, and the facilities and reputations.

“Health is wealth” and “The eye is the driver of the body,” they say. The eye is a very delicate and sensitive organ in the body which, due to its sensitivity, more often than not develop problems as we age. 

Best Optometry Schools In America

The professional eye care associate of America observed that about 24million Americans who are 40years and above have a cataract in their eyes while clarifying the misconceptions that cataracts could be prevented or does not in any point the excellent way, affects people. 

In a country with about 300million, 24million is no small measure to face an eye problem, whichUniversitycalls for a good optometrist.

In the united state of America, there are numerous schools of optometry that yields qualified and competent eye doctors, however, because of the need for sound eye doctors in the US, the need to rank the schools arise. 

It is predicated on this that I have enunciated a comparative list of the top best optometry schools in the united state of America. 

While there are several criteria used in qualifying a good optometry school, most people tend to give weight to the pass rate of the school, as such we focus on the pass rates as provided by the ‘’association of schools and colleges of optometry’’ in their yearly performance report 2019-2020.

If you want to know about scholarships that can help pay for college, I have listed some of the best scholarships here.

1) Marshall B Ketchum university of optometry.

A private and nonprofit university has been in existence for over a century and is dedicated to providing concrete eye care worldwide. 

While students’ first year is dedicated to observation and classroom learnings, subsequent levels put them right at the suitable spot and gain first-hand clinical experience. The school has an ultimate pass rate of 91.84%.

2) Indiana University, Bloomington.

WIth The motto, Light, and Truth, The Indiana University was founded in 1820, with great learning facilities, including the library with over nine million books. The faculty of optometry was founded in 1951. However, it didn’t start awarding degrees until 1975.

Being built in a location with beautiful landscapes and vibrant social scenes also contributes largely to the schools boasting archives. The school has the ultimate pass rate of 91.04.

3) Salus university 

Salus university is located in Pennsylvania since 1919, offers a four-year degree in optometry where they train budding optometrists, the science and art of optometry with adequate and standard resources. The school was named in Latin, which means health and wellbeing.

The school has occupational therapists specialized in blindness and low vision and has what it takes for a student to succeed as a professional optometrist. 

The school is the first to confer the degree of doctor in optometry, also the first college of optometry to develop an off-campus externship program, the first to establish graduate programs in fields like blindness and visual impairments, the first to launch a program to advance optometry worldwide, and the first to expand beyond the scope to include speech-language and pathology, audiology, occupational therapy, blindness, and low vision study. 

The school also has a reputation of producing world-class professionals in optometry; this is evident in their ultimate pass rate of 91.03%

4) Western university of health science.

Like all optometry schools, the western health science university in downtown Pomona trains young and budding eye care enthusiasts to the professional level. The university has several awards and recognition; their ultimate pass rate is 90.14%

5) the University of Houston.

Established in 1927, the University of Houston is a public research institute. According to the Carnegie Foundation, the University of Houston has the highest research activity. 

The school operates over 40 research centers in school and spent about one hundred and seventy-seven million dollars on research in 2018, showing the dedication to research in the school. The school has an ultimate pass rate of 90.11% to its name.

6) University Of Pikeville, Kentucky.

Founded in 2016, the University university of Pikeville has distinguished itself by being the only school that offers optometry courses among the three medical schools in Kentucky. In 2011, the governor of Kentucky signed Senate Bill 110 (Better Access to Quality Healthcare Act) into law, making Kentucky only one of three states in the nation to allow optometrists to perform in-office laser eye procedures, inject medications into eyes and remove “lumps and bumps” around the eyes. 

 All of these procedures are part of the curriculum and clinical practice at the University of Pikeville. The university has an average GPA of 3.31 and an ultimate pass rate of 91.89%.

7 Inter-American University Of Puerto-Rico School Of Optometry.

The Inter-American University of Puerto Rico is a private institution with a Christian heritage and an ecumenical tradition, a non-profit organization that provides college instruction to the youth of both sexes. 

It was originally founded in 1912 as the Polytechnic Institute of Puerto Rico by the Reverend J. William Harris and offered elementary and secondary education on the land occupied today by the San Germán Campus. The university has an ultimate pass rate of 92%

8) Illinois College of optometry.

A private university, founded in 1872, obviously has stood the test of time, yet, it is one of the oldest continually operating educational facilities dedicated solely to the teaching of optometrists. 

Specializing in optometry, the school has narrowed its focus to optometry alone, thus channeling all its arsenal to the same. With a GPA of 3.15, and an ultimate pass rate of 92.54%, the ICO university finds itself on our list.

9) The University Of California Berkeley.

Best Optometry Schools In America UC Berkeley

The university was founded in 1868; the school has been committed to the innovative ways of improving the human vision, along with sight their consistent advancement in equipment, technology, and curriculum has granted them a lot of recognition and awards like the “OD of the year, Alameda contra costa countries optometric awards for 2021. 

Excellence in optometric education award, California optometric association. Hellman awards, among others. 

The university also has a boast-worthy ultimate pass rate of 92.54% and an average GPA of 3.42, putting her among the top optometry schools in the US.

10) University Of Missouri, St Louis.

Established in 1980, the school operates with the core mission of improving the state of human vision in the country, and in doing this, they seek to furnish the students with the requisite knowledge to perform this task. 

The school has an ultimate pass rate of 95.65%; this affirms their mission and saves them a spot on the top optometry schools in the US.

11) Suny College Of Optometry.

Sunny college cannot be left aside; the sunny college has proven its worthiness in the optometric realm. 

They provide the A-level type of optometry education, coupled with a good technology advancement and equipment level. 

Surprisingly, the school runs on a non-profit administration. The school has an ultimate pass rate of 96.84%. Definitely one to be reckoned with.

12) Nova South Eastern University.

Nova Southeastern optometry university houses the veteran optometrist in the state, evident in their ultimate pass rate of 97.62%.  The school does not limit itself to the theory but exposes the students to clinical and optometry experiences with its luxurious laboratories and equipment. 

Coupled with that, the school has five eye-care institutes in different locations where eye problems like keratitis, color blindness, and ocular migraine are treated. 

The school also has carefully handpicked programs to facilitate students’ smooth learning, like mini MBA extended programs and preparatory optometry programs.

13) The University Of Alabama At Birmingham.

A school “where legends are made,” the University of Alabama is dedicated to improving the human vision through innovative scientific technology, in-depth research, and quality teachings.

 The university was ranked second nationally in vision research funding in 2019, and it is the only school offering the OD/MBA dual degree.

The school focuses its research on ocular biology, patient-based research, systems neuroscience, and biomedical optics. The school has an ultimate pass rate of 97.87%. 

12) Arizona College Of Optometry.

Arizona college of optometry is one of the highly ranked optometric schools in the united states. This is apparent in the plethora of awards they have to their name like the 6th best academic or noncommercial research institutions in the nation, the Western Maricopa Coalition (WESTMARC) Quality of Life Enhancement in Education Award, 

Midwestern University Multispecialty Clinic in Downers Grove received the Business Excellence Award for Large Businesses and the Business of the Year Award from the Chamber630 organization. The ultimate pass rate of 98% also compliments the award and prestige given to the school.

15)  Southern College Of  Optometry.

When talking about solid clinical and academic institutions, the southern college of optometry tops the list; a glance at their ultimate pass rate, which is 98.50%, is mind-boggling. Established in 1932, Southern college of optometry has a nonprofit institution committed to impacting students with immeasurable knowledge of the treatment and maintenance of the eyes. 

The school also has an eye center that cares for about 60,000 patients annually in a technologically equipped location. The school also have reputable alumni to her name, like 

Dr. Gil Morgan, the equipped older who played on the PGA Tour and now often competes on the Champions Tour, 

Dr. Joshua McAdams, a runner who competed in Beijing during the 2008 Summer Olympics, Dr. James Morrison, member of the Kansas House of Representatives. Dr. John Boozman, Senior US Senator from Arkansas, Dr. Joe Ellis, President of the American Optometric Association.

Factors to consider in choosing a good optometry school.

As much as this list focuses on the NBEO ultimate pass rate in ranking the best optometry schools in the united states, there are no universally accepted criteria in choosing the best optometry school, the process is subjective, and there are several factors to be considered which may include 

• The tuition
• The Average academic performance.
• The standard of facilities and equipment.
• The Alumni

Tuition

The tuition fee is an important factor to consider in choosing a good optometry school. Optometry schools are relatively expensive, and most programs run for four years, 

An average optometry student coming from a third-world country may not be able to afford thousands of dollars. Such nonprofit schools are options in such instances as several than in the united states who are high ranking in important ramifications.

The average academic performance.

This factor is equally important because students’ performance can be a valuable metric to gauge the standard of the lecturers and optometrists in the school. 

In examining this, it starts from the optometry admission test (OAT), this is a requisite examination taken by intending students in optometry schools, this contributes largely as it tells in the level of the students being admitted and the standards being set, this can be looked at with the Grade Point Average. 

Furthermore, the pass rate of the National board of examiners in optometry examination (NBEO) is crucial, particularly the ultimate pass rate. The successful passing of the exam is a requisite to practice optometry in use. Thus, the exam carefully scrutinizes the eligibility of all students of optometry, making it an important factor to consider in choosing an optometry school.

The standard of facilities and equipment 

A good optometry school has to have the important facilities and technology in the laboratory and school at large; the optometry course is very pragmatic; it deals with clinical experiences, and sitting in lectures rooms would not be the option for a clinical school. 

Therefore, a good factor to consider is the technological advancement in facilities of the school in question.

The Alumni

 Going by the saying “let the result speaks,” most schools find a boasting power in their successful Alumni as they are the physical representation of the school’s success. 

The alumni of optometry schools are significant in choosing a good school; a school whose alumni heads the optometry field in the nation would strike a reason for consideration. However, this factor should not be looked at in isolation as a school could be up to standard without its alumni being in the spotlight or holding an important position.

Conclusion

In Conclusion, I hope I have helped you on your way to deciding the best optometry school in America; there are a lot of optometry schools in America. Still, I have picked the 15 above due to reputation, affordability, and facilities, and leave me a comment below if you have more suggestions and comments about my choices.