The eye is said to be the window of the body; as such, a profession that revolves around the Medicare of the eyes should be treated with utmost care. That is why we have made the list of the best optometry schools in the world.
This information will enable you to make the wisest decision when choosing a career in optometry.
In this piece, you will be equipped with the right information about the profession and the best optometry schools worldwide, categorized according to their acceptance rates and tuition fees.
Table of contents
Why is Optometry important?
The eyes are an essential part of our existence; hence, optometrists are of great value in our society. Optometrists are taught how to use various equipment to assess a patient’s vision.
In addition, they learn to diagnose eye diseases and offer treatment to remedy the health of a person in general by examining their eyes.
Optometrists are trained to provide eye care to people with vision problems or develop them due to the reduced ability to adjust their eyes to changes in light and distance, a problem that often appears as we age.
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What does the optometrist do?
Optometrists perform eye exams to determine a person’s vision. They diagnose if a person has 20/20 vision, which is the ability to see without correction or some degree of myopia or farsightedness.
They prescribe glasses, contact lenses, and other visual aids and may prescribe medications in some states. Some optometrists may perform minor surgeries.
They also look for eye diseases such as glaucoma and examine the eyes for signs of deterioration due to diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Some optometrists specialize in caring for patients with certain types of vision problems or in the care of children or the elderly.
How long does it take to study in optometry schools?
Completing your education to become an optometrist takes seven to nine years: three to four years of college plus four years of optometry school. The one-year clinical residency for specialization is an optional additional year.
The time that optometrists go to school depends on several factors, but it usually takes between seven and nine years. Imagine knowing, upon graduation, that your skills could save patients’ eyesight.
Completing your education to become an optometrist takes seven to nine years: three to four years of college plus four years of optometry school. The one-year clinical residency for specialization is an optional additional year.
How competitive are optometry schools?
Optometry schools are highly competitive; most applicants obtain a bachelor’s degree before applying. Most OD schools take four years to complete. Some students opt for a one-year residency program to obtain advanced training in a specialized area.
The average grade point average for most optometry schools is around 3.40 or higher; therefore, some enter with 4.0s while others get 3.0s.
How much do optometrists earn?
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average salary of an optometrist in May 2019 was $106,040, and most earn between $52,810 and $192,050 per year.
The offices of other health professionals employed the majority of optometrists, and these employers paid the optometrists an average salary of $114,260.
Ascending on the professional scale, middle-level junior optometrists can expect to earn at least $83,460 per year, while the senior optometrist’s payment can exceed $136,270.
The most successful and experienced optometrists in the US. They earned an average salary of $190,000.
In Europe, the starting salaries for newly qualified optometrists are generally around £15,000, depending on your employer and location.
With experience, you can earn from around £28,000 to more than £65,000. Profits for company directors, partners, and independent professionals depend on the performance of the business.
What are the best optometry schools in the World?
Following recent research, here is the list of the Best optometry schools in the World; this article has concise information about each of the schools.
- University of California-Berkeley School of Optometry
- Queensland University of Technology, Australia
- Illinois College of Optometry
- Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA
- Faculty of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
- Canberra University, Australia
- School of Optometry Université de Montréa, Canada
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- College of Optometry of Southern California
- Kentucky College of Optometry
- University of Manchester, UK
- Cardiff University, UK
- Faculty of Optometry and Vision Sciences University of Waterloo, Canada
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#1. The University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry (Berkeley Optometry) is one of the best optometry schools in the World, especially in the United States. The optometry program at the University of California, Berkeley, began in 1923, making it the third university optometry program established in the United States (and the second oldest active university optometry program).
Berkeley Optometry offers a four-year professional graduate program leading to the Doctor of Optometry (OD) title.
The school also offers a one-year ACOE-accredited residency program in specialties of clinical optometry (primary care, eye diseases, contact lenses, low vision, binocular vision, and pediatrics).
In addition, Berkeley Optometry serves as the home department of the Multidisciplinary Group of Vision Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley, whose graduate students earn MS or Ph.D. degrees
The Berkeley Optometry curriculum is designed to provide clinical training in optometry and instruction in vision sciences. Students are trained to be the main providers of eye and vision care, which includes comprehensive eye exams and diagnosis, treatment, and management of most eye conditions and diseases.
Berkeley optometry applicants must have a bachelor’s degree and complete undergraduate general science courses (biology, general, organic, and biochemistry; mathematics, statistics, physics, anatomy, physiology, microbiology, immunology, and psychology).
The University of California-Berkeley offers 2-degree programs in Optometry. It is a large public university in a medium-sized city. In 2015, 78 students graduated in the Optometry study area with students who obtained 61 Doctorates and 17 Certificates.
Acceptance Rate: 15%
Tuition Fee: $37,231 (resident), $48,778 (non-resident)
#2. Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Founded in 1909, this university is among the best and oldest in Australia. With six faculties, the university is known in Australia and worldwide as a major research institution pioneering a vaccine to help prevent cervical cancer, a highly advanced portable MRI scanner.
The outstanding university is also known for producing Nobel prizes and Grammy winners, among others. This institution is recognized for its main contributions to nanotechnology, brain, and molecular bioscience research.
Acceptance Rate: 16%
Tuition Fee: AUD 30, 100
#3. Illinois College of Optometry
The Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) is a private college of optometry in Chicago, Illinois, and is among the best optometry schools in the world. With the graduation of approximately 160 optometrists a year, it is the largest optometry university in the United States. It is the oldest continuously operating educational facility dedicated exclusively to the teaching of optometrists.
The university complex incorporates more than 366,000 square feet (34,000 m2), including an on-site eye care clinic, an electronically enhanced conference center, a library, computerized clinical learning equipment, a cafeteria, a gym, and living facilities.
The Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) is the main clinical training center for ICO students and is located next to the university. In addition to primary eye care, there is subspecialized care that includes glaucoma, retina-vitreous, neuro-ophthalmic disorders, external cornea disease, orbital oculoplastic, pediatrics / strabismus-amblyopia, and low vision rehabilitation.
Acceptance Rate: 20%
Tuition Fee: $43,265
#4. Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA
Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU) is a private graduate school in the United States for health professions and among the best optometry colleges, with the main campus in downtown Pomona, California, and an additional medical school campus on 50 acres in Lebanon, Oregon.
The College of Optometry will build on a rock-solid foundation, establishing its own clear identity, describing a central approach to its educational, clinical, and research programs, and creating a distinguished reputation.
The vision of the School of Optometry covers four main perspectives and serves four different stakeholders: the public, the profession, the students, and the faculty.
Western University is one of the largest graduate schools for health professions in California, offering 21 academic programs at nine universities.
Under the banner of WesternU Health, the university operates various patient care centers in California and Oregon. The Pomona and Portland (Oregon) campuses include a medical center, a dental center, an eye care institute, a pharmacy, and a travel health center, all of which are open to the public.
Western University of Health Sciences offers a 1-degree program in Optometry. It is a private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 73 students graduated in the area of Optometry study with students who obtained 73 doctorates.
Acceptance Rate: 30%
Tuition Fee: $38,510
#5. Faculty of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Optometry in Auckland began in 1965 within the Department of Psychology at the Faculty of Science. It is now part of the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences.
It is the only Optometry school in New Zealand and one of the six regional schools accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand.
Accreditation allows graduates to practice optometry in New Zealand and Australia without additional exams.
The school also has a firm commitment to research and offers studies to get postgraduate qualifications, including a postgraduate diploma, two master’s degrees, and a Doctor of Philosophy.
The school is at the forefront of research in optometry and vision sciences.
Acceptance Rate: 32%
Tuition fee: NZ $55,150 Bachelor’s degree
#7. School of Optometry Université de Montréa, Canada
The University of Montreal translates as the University of Montreal, a public research university in French in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university’s main campus is located on the north slope of Mount Royal in the Outremont and Côte-des-Neiges neighborhoods.
The School of Optometry at the University of Montreal has a mission that focuses on three (3) areas: education, research, and dissemination. The school must help ensure that the optometrist has the highest level of knowledge and skills to intervene with the population, under North American practice standards, as a health professional who works at the forefront of health care.
Acceptance Rate: 50%
Tuition Fee: $8,407
#8. University of Alabama at Birmingham
UAB School of Optometry is one of the best optometry colleges in the US. Students are prepared to be the nation’s leaders in providing comprehensive, evidence-based vision care and discovering new principles of vision science.
UAB optometry students offer numerous assessments and comprehensive eye exams in the clinic and throughout Alabama through community outreach. Students, teachers, and residents collectively examine almost 25,000 patients per year.
Acceptance Rate: 58%
Tuition Fee: $17,140
#9. College of Optometry of Southern California
Marshall B. Ketchum University is a private university focused on graduate programs in medical care and located in Fullerton, California. MBKU expanded from the Southern California College of Optometry, founded in 1904.
Southern California College of Optometry is one of the oldest optometry schools in the US and one of the Best optometry schools in the World. The Southern California College of Optometry is a 4-year graduate program that leads to the title of Doctor of Optometry (OD), accredited by the Accreditation Council in Optometric Education (ACOE) of the American Optometric Association.
During the first year, students spend most of their time in conferences and laboratories learning basic sciences (including optics, biomedical sciences, and visual sciences) and introductory clinical procedures.
Throughout the year, freshmen will have hours of observation in the clinic as an introduction to patient care. During the second year, students will have more advanced lectures in visual sciences and will spend time learning and perfecting clinical procedures.
Slowly, students will be provided to see patients at Ketchum Health to prepare them for the third and fourth-year clinics.
Third-year students spend half of their time in class and the other half in hospital care under the supervision of clinical faculty. The topics of the conferences are more advanced, including courses in contact lenses, vision therapy, eye diseases, ocular pharmacology, clinical optometry, and public health.
The last year (fourth year) consists of four 3-month rotations as part of the Clinical Outreach Program. A clinical rotation is performed in specialized services in Ketchum Health; the other three are found in several external clinics. Students can choose from more than 80 clinics in the US and abroad.
The Doctor of Optometry degree will be awarded to students who complete the four-year academic and professional curriculum in optometry.
Upon successful completion of the SCCO program and NBEO exams, graduates can apply for a license in the United States or Canada
The clinical and teaching facility of the university is known as Ketchum Health. The center provides patient care for optometry at the University Eye Center in Anaheim and Los Angeles. It also provides patient care and internal medicine in family medicine in Anaheim.
Marshall B Ketchum University offers a 1-degree program in Optometry. It is a private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 96 students graduated in Optometry study with students who obtained 96 Doctorates.
Acceptance Rate: 60%
Tuition Fee: $42,885
#10. Kentucky College of Optometry
Located in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO) is the only optometry college in Kentucky and among the best optometry colleges in the world.
They are part of a community of medical professionals in Kentucky who provide eye care to those who need it most and learn in an environment created with the future of optometry in mind.
KYCO students have many rewarding clinical opportunities to care for patients who need it.
Acceptance Rate: 67%
Tuition Fee: $42,200
#11. University of Manchester, UK
The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England, formed in 2004 by the merger of the Institute of Science and Technology of the University of Manchester and the Victoria University of Manchester.
The optometry course at the University of Manchester provides the clinical skills and knowledge of the ophthalmic devices necessary for a successful career as an optometrist.
Acceptance rate: 70.1%
Tuition fee: £9,250
#12. Cardiff University, UK
Cardiff University School of Optometry and Vision Sciences is a public research university in Cardiff, Wales. Founded in 1883 as the University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, it became a founding college of the University of Wales in 1893, and in 1997 it received its powers to grant degrees.
This school provides students with scientific and clinical knowledge to graduate as a pre-enrollment optometrist and final training under the supervision of a practicing optometrist.
The School of Optometry and Vision Sciences has been independently evaluated as ‘Excellent’ and awarded the highest category of research excellence because its excellent facilities include new and renovated clinics and laboratories, all equipped with equipment of the Last generation.
Graduates in optometry from Cardiff University are significantly ahead of the national average to obtain their professional qualifications.
Acceptance rate: 74%
Tuition fee: £9,000
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#13. Faculty of Optometry and Vision Sciences University of Waterloo, Canada
The School of Optometry and Vision Sciences is a professional school at the University of Waterloo. It is a school within the university’s Faculty of Science and is the larger of the two optometry schools in Canada.
The school is the only English-speaking optometry school in the country and among the best optometry schools; The Francophone program of the University of Montreal operates in Quebec.
The Optometry building is equipped with research laboratories supported by metal, wood, electronic and optical workshops, a library center for vision sciences, and histology, and living facilities for living animals. Researchers also have controlled access to data and clinic issues.
Acceptance Rate: 75%
Tuition fee: $18,000
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How many Optometry Schools are in the US?
There are quite several optometry schools in the US that have not only been accredited but are recognized among the best optometry schools in the world. These schools are well equipped with the latest, groundbreaking technology for learning, diagnosis, and treatment of eye defects and a health Centre or teaching hospitals for student practice.
Here are some of the optometry schools in the US; the University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry tops the chart as the best optometry school in the US with a strict acceptance rate of only 15%, showing its high level of competitiveness.
Following it are the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago and the Western University of Health Sciences, which also stands among the best optometry colleges in the US.
What is the job prospect for optometrists?
The employment of optometrists is projected to grow 10 percent from 2018 to 2028, faster than the average of all occupations. Because vision problems tend to occur more frequently later in life, the aging of the population will generate a demand for optometrists.
How much does it cost to study optometry?
Tuition and optometry school fees at private universities cost $15,000- $29,100 per year or $60,000- $116,400 for the four-year program for residents and $20,000- $29,100 per year or $80,000- $116,400 for a title for non-residents.
Best Optometry Schools | FAQs
Completing your education to become an optometrist takes seven to nine years: three-to-four years of college plus four years of optometry school. The one-year clinical residency for specialization is an optional, additional year.
Yes, math is part of optometry, and the math we do is the physics of optics on steroids—the dreaded physiological optics.
Optometry schools are highly competitive; most applicants earn a bachelor’s degree before applying.
An optometrist is an eye doctor who has earned the Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree. Optometrists in the United States also are licensed to prescribe medications to treat certain eye problems and diseases. The scope of medical care that can be provided by optometrists is determined by state law.
Conclusion
In conclusion, studying to become an optometrist is a challenge you can take if you are in the right school and have access to the right learning team that helps you be more practical during learning.
References
- https://www.ihireoptometry.com/careeradvice/pages/optometrist-education-guide-top-10-optometry-schools
- https://optometriceducation.org/students-future-students/member-schools-and-colleges/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_optometry_schools
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