Booster Prep

Optometry Admissions

UC Berkeley School

Admissions Statistics and Requirements for UC Berkeley School of Optometry

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Background Information

  • Location: Berkeley, California
  • Institution Type: Public
  • Mission Statement: Advancing optometric education, clinical practice, and vision research for the benefit of a diverse and inclusive society.
  • Combined Degrees Offered: No
  • Year Opened: 1923
  • Number of Years to Earn Degree: 4
  • Campus Housing Available: Yes
  • Class Size: 62

Admission Statistics: (2024 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

Acceptance Rates by Location*:

Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
418
62
14.83%
In-State
199
44
22.11%
Out-State
174
14
8.05%
International
45
4
8.89%

*According to data from ASCO

Academic Averages for Acceptance*:

OAT Academic Average
OAT Science Average
Cumulative GPA
360
360
3.75

*According to data from ASCO

Prerequisites

Prerequisite Course Work:

Required Course
Credits (Semesters/Quarters)
Required Lab
General Biology
2 / 3
General Chemistry
2 / 3
Organic Chemistry
1 / 1
General Physics
2 / 3
Biochemistry
1 / 1
Preferred
Microbiology
1 / 1
Anatomy
1 / 1
Recommended
Human Physiology
1 / 1
Recommended
Calculus
1 / 1
Statistics
1 / 1
Reading and Composition
2 / 3
Psychology
1 / 1

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

Community College Coursework and Advanced Placement Credit:
AP Credit Accepted?
Advanced Placement (AP) or IB courses for the prerequisites will be accepted if the appropriate number of credit hours is received as long as the credit can be verified. If your previous institution did not accept your AP coursework, we will consider accepting AP coursework on a case-by-case basis if the AP test score earned was a 4 or better.
Community College Coursework Accepted?
Community college credits are accepted from regionally accredited schools.

Minimum number of College Credit Hours required:

  • A bachelor’s degree is required

Required Shadowing Hours:

  • While there is no required number of shadowing hours, SCCO recommends shadowing in multiple practice settings (e.g., private, VA, corporate) to gain diverse perspectives and help confirm your interest in optometry.

Letters of Recommendation: 

  • 3 letters of recommendation are needed. It is suggested that one is an optometrist, one is a professor, and one is an employer. They do not accept composite letters in lieu of 3 different recommenders 

Supplemental Information:

Required Supplemental Application?
Supplemental Application Fee
CASPer Required?
Yes
$66
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
$42,695
$54,940
Included in Tuition
195.5
Second Year
$42,405
$54,650
-
-
Third Year
$42,405
$54,650
-
-
Fourth Year
$42,405
$54,650
-
-

*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
2024
71.43%
97.96%
77.55%
2023
70.80%
97.9%
76.8%
2022
72.9%
94.0%
96.8%
2021
71.4%
95.2%
89.1%
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