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Optometry Admissions
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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: 69

Admission Statistics: (2023 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: "The ages of our first-year students varies widely as there are numerous paths available to begin a career in optometry”

Acceptance Rates by Location*:

Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
485
69
14.23%
In-State
28
Out-State
37
International
4

*According to data from ASCO

Academic Averages for Acceptance* :

OAT Academic Average
OAT Science Average
Cumulative GPA
342
339
3.69

*According to data from ASCO

Prerequisites

Prerequisite Course Work:

Required Course
Credits
Required Lab
English Composition
1 Course
No
Inorganic Chemistry
2 Courses
Yes
Organic Chemistry
1 Course
No
Biochemistry
1 or 2 courses
No
Physics
2 Courses
Yes
Mathematics- Calculus
1 Course
No
Biology
2 Courses
Yes
Physiology
1 or 2 courses
No
Microbiology
1 Course
Yes
Introductory Psychology
1 Course
No
Humanities
2-3 Courses
No
Social Sciences
2-3 Courses
No

* There are some acceptable substitutions for specific courses. Go to https://optometry.osu.edu/admissions/admissions-requirements for more information 

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:
AP Credit Accepted?
Ohio State Optometry accepts Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit as long as those credits were accepted at your undergraduate institution. All laboratory coursework must be completed in person.
Community College Coursework Accepted?
Ohio State Optometry accepts Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) credit as long as those credits were accepted at your undergraduate institution. All laboratory coursework must be completed in person.

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 2024:

Year
In-State Tuition
Out-State Tuition
Additional Fees
Cost of Living Score*
First Year
$31,137
$52,193
$8,091
91.4
Second Year
$31,137
$31,147
$3,221
-
Third Year
$41,096
$41,111
$6,128
-
Fourth Year
$41,096
$41,111
$1,359
-

*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
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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