Booster Prep

Optometry Admissions

Ohio State University

Admissions Statistics and Requirements for The Ohio State University, College of Optometry

Background Information

  • Location: Columbus, Ohio
  • Institution Type: Public
  • Mission Statement: To educate excellent optometrists who reflect our diverse communities through our professional, residency, and continuing education programs.
  • Combined Degrees Offered: OD/MS
  • Year Opened: 1914
  • Number of Years to Earn Degree: 4
  • Campus Housing Available: Yes
  • Class Size: 68

Admission Statistics: (2024 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

Acceptance Rates by Location*:

Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
556
68
12.23%
In-State
75
33
44.00%
Out-State
407
31
7.62%
International
74
4
5.41%

*According to data from ASCO

Academic Averages for Acceptance* :

OAT Academic Average
OAT Science Average
Cumulative GPA
352
351
3.72

*According to data from ASCO

Prerequisites

Prerequisite Course Work:

Required Course
Credits (Semesters/Quarters)
Required Lab
General Biology
8 / 12
General Chemistry
8 / 12
Organic Chemistry
3 / 4
General Physics
8 / 12
Biochemistry
3 / 4
General Microbiology
4 / 6
Human Physiology
3 / 4
Mathematics
3 / 4
English
3 / 4
Psychology
3 / 4
Humanities
6 / 9
Social Sciences
6 / 9
Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:
AP Credit Accepted?
Yes, as long as those credits were accepted at your undergraduate institution.
Community College Coursework Accepted?
Yes

Minimum number of College Credit Hours required:

  • Students are encouraged to complete a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation in our program. However, some high-achieving students are admitted with three years (90 semester hours) of undergraduate coursework.

Required Shadowing Hours:

  • Applicants must have 10+ hours of shadowing at two optometric practices.

Letters of Recommendation: 

  • Three letters of recommendation are required. One must be from an optometrist, one must be from a professor, and the third letter is from someone of your choice.

Supplemental Information:

Required Supplemental Application?
Supplemental Application Fee
CASPer Required?
Yes
$60 domestic and $70 international
No

Finances and Application Logistics

Financial Estimations for students starting Fall 2025:

Year
In-State Tuition
Out-State Tuition
Additional Fees
Cost of Living Score*
First Year
$31,746
$52,802
$8,395
91.4
Second Year
$31,746
$31,756
$3,230
-
Third Year
$41,870
$41,885
$4,610
-
Fourth Year
$41,870
$41,885
$1,080
-

*All cost of living scores are according to bestplaces.net and provide a rough estimate compared to the average of the United States (a score of 100 is considered average for the United States. Scores lower than 100 would indicate a cost of living lower than average. Scores above 100 indicate a cost of living higher than average).

Board Passage Rates for First Time Takers

Year
Part I Passage Rate
Part II Passage Rate
Part III Passage Rate
2023-2024
94.03%
100%
96.12%
2022-2023
91.80%
96.72%
85.25%
2021-2022
92.75%
97.10%
89.86%
2020-2021
89.39%
96.97%
89.39%
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