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Optometry Board Pass Rates by School
Every graduate has to pass the three-part NBEO exam to be licensed. A school's pass rate is one of the few outcome numbers it publishes, so it's worth reading carefully.
Last checked Nov 2, 2026.
What the Numbers Mean
- Ultimate pass rate: the share of graduates tested who passed all three NBEO parts. Nationally that was 82.5% for the 1,628 graduates tested between Oct 1, 2024 and Sep 30, 2025.
- Part I: the first-attempt pass rate on the first part. It was 66.8% nationally, lower than Part II (88%) and Part III (70.1%).
- Graduates tested: how many students the rate is based on.
Pass Rates, Highest to Lowest
| School | Ultimate pass rate | Part I | Graduates tested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State | 98.3% | 95.0% | 60 |
| Southern (SCO) | 95.3% | 86.7% | 128 |
| SCCO/Ketchum | 93.3% | 74.4% | 90 |
| Berkeley | 92.2% | 73.4% | 64 |
| SUNY | 89.9% | 67.7% | 99 |
| UAB | 89.1% | 76.4% | 55 |
| Illinois College (ICO) | 86.9% | 71.7% | 99 |
| Arizona (Midwestern) | 85.0% | 70.0% | 60 |
| Pacific | 84.5% | 76.1% | 71 |
| Houston | 84.0% | 60.6% | 94 |
| UMSL | 83.7% | 72.1% | 43 |
| Pennsylvania (Drexel) | 81.5% | 59.2% | 130 |
| Chicago (Midwestern) | 80.4% | 56.5% | 46 |
| Nova Southeastern | 80.2% | 64.6% | 96 |
| New England (NECO) | 79.3% | 64.7% | 116 |
| Puerto Rico (IAUPR) | 79.2% | 25.0% | 24 |
| Pikeville (KY) | 74.5% | 72.7% | 55 |
| MCPHS | 74.5% | 61.7% | 47 |
| Ferris State (MI) | 72.7% | 63.6% | 33 |
| Indiana | 72.7% | 51.9% | 77 |
| NSU Oklahoma | 71.4% | 76.2% | 21 |
| Incarnate Word | 63.5% | 52.4% | 63 |
| Western U | 47.4% | 29.8% | 57 |
Rocky Mountain and Detroit Mercy have no board results listed in this report. Sorted by ultimate pass rate.
Reading Them Without Over-Reading
- Check the sample. With 21 graduates tested at the smallest program, one student moves the rate by several points.
- It's one year. This report covers graduates tested Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025. Ask each school for results from other years.
- It describes graduates, not you. The rate says nothing about how you will do. It's a reason to ask schools how they prepare students for the boards.
Pass rates sit beside class stats and cost on each school profile, and you can sort the whole database on them.
Sources
- ASCO, NBEO Institutional Yearly Performance Report, graduates tested Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025
Figures change each cycle. Always confirm with each school before you apply.
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