A Smaller Pool Requires Sharper Strategy

There are only 23 ACOE-accredited OD programmes in the United States. Compare that to 155 medical schools or 252 law schools and you understand immediately: the optometry applicant's school list is inherently constrained. You cannot spray applications at 20 schools like a law school applicant. You need to be precise.

The good news is that optometry's smaller pool makes it more manageable to research every programme thoroughly. The bad news is that a poorly constructed list — too many reaches, too few targets — can leave you without an acceptance.

The Match Category Framework

Before building your list, you need to know where you stand. AdmitBase calculates your match score against every programme's 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile OAT and GPA data. The result is a category for each school:

  • Safety (75–100): Your numbers exceed the school's medians. Admission is likely; scholarship money is possible.
  • Target (50–74): You're competitive with typical admitted students. A well-executed application gives you a strong chance.
  • Reach (25–49): You're below median. Possible but requires strength elsewhere — clinical experience, personal statement, diversity of background.
  • Far Reach (0–24): A significant numerical stretch. Include only if you have a compelling connection to the programme.

The Ideal List Composition

For most applicants, a list of 6–10 schools works well given the 23-school landscape:

  • 2–3 Safety schools: These are your floor. At least one should be a programme you'd genuinely attend.
  • 3–4 Target schools: The core of your list. These are realistic with strong applications.
  • 1–3 Reach schools: Worth including if there's a specific reason — location, speciality focus, personal connection.

With only 23 programmes, applying to 8–10 means you're covering a significant fraction of all US schools. That's fine. OptomCAS makes it relatively efficient to add schools since the core application is shared.

Factors Beyond Numbers

OAT and GPA determine your competitiveness, but other factors shape whether a school belongs on your list:

  • Location and residency: Some state schools (Michigan College at Ferris State, Northeastern State Oklahoma) offer dramatically lower tuition for residents. If you're from one of these states, the financial argument for your state school is compelling.
  • Clinical training model: Some programmes emphasise internal clinics (Illinois College of Optometry's large Chicago clinic), others push external rotations. If you want specific clinical exposure — paediatrics, low vision, speciality contact lenses — investigate each programme's rotation options.
  • Class size: Ranges from 36 (Northeastern State) to 160 (Illinois College of Optometry). Smaller classes often mean more individual attention but fewer peer connections; larger classes offer more networking but less faculty access.
  • NBEO pass rates: First-time pass rates on the National Board range from under 80% to over 98%. A programme with consistently low pass rates is a red flag regardless of other factors.
  • Cost: Annual tuition ranges from ~$18,000 (state schools) to ~$48,000+ (private). Over four years, that difference compounds dramatically. Factor in cost of living in each city.

Don't Overlook International Options

The University of Waterloo in Canada is world-renowned and worth considering if you're open to practising in Canada or completing US licensure requirements after graduation. UK and Australian programmes also produce excellent optometrists, though the licensure pathway back to the US is more complex.

For more on what specific OAT scores you need for different programmes, see our OAT score guide.