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Optometry Admissions
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UC Berkeley School

Admissions Statistics and Requirements for UC Berkeley School of Optometry

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: 65-70

Admission Statistics: (2023 Applicant and Entering Class Data)

Mean Age of First-Time, First-Year Enrollees: 23

Acceptance Rates by Location*:

Number of Applicants
Number of Enrollees
Enrollment Rate
Overall
342
62
18.12%
In-State
-
44
-
Out-State
-
13
-
International
-
5
-

*According to data from ASCO

Academic Averages for Acceptance*:

OAT Academic Average
OAT Science Average
Cumulative GPA
360
350
3.72

*According to data from ASCO

Prerequisites

Prerequisite Course Work:

Required Course
Credits
Required Lab
General Biology
2 semesters or 3 quarters
Yes
Microbiology
1 semester or 1 quarter
No
Human Physiology
1 semester or 1 quarter
Recommended
Anatomy
1 semester or 1 quarter
Recommended
Biochemistry
1 semester or 1 quarter
Preferred
General Chemistry
2 semesters or 3 quarter
Yes
Organic Chemistry
1 semester or 1 quarter
Yes
General Physics
2 semesters or 3 quarters
Yes
Calculus
1 semester or 1 quarter
No
Social Science
1 year
No
Statistics
1 semester or 1 quarter
No
Reading and Composition
2 semesters or 3 quarters
No
Psychology
1 semester or 1 quarter
No

* 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?
All prerequisite coursework should be from an accredited institution where students have earned a final grade of C or better. Courses for which AP credit was given are acceptable if listed on an official college transcript.
Community College Coursework Accepted?
All prerequisite coursework should be from an accredited institution where students have earned a final grade of C or better. Courses for which AP credit was given are acceptable if listed on an official college transcript.

Minimum number of College Credit Hours required:

  • A bachelor’s degree is required

Required Shadowing Hours:

  • There is no specific requirement, but applicants are encouraged to get as many shadowing hours as possible.

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 Estimates Per Semester:

In-State Tuition
Out-State Tuition
Cost of Living Score*
Tuition
$6,132
$6,132
195.5
Fees
$16,389.75
$22,512.25
-
Total
$22,521.75
$28,644.25
-

*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
70.80%
97.9%
76.8%
2022
72.9%
94.0%
96.8%
2021
71.4%
95.2%
89.1%
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