Articles / Applicants and Seats, School by School
How Competitive Is Optometry School?
Nationally there are fewer seats than applicants, but the gap varies a lot by school. Here are the numbers behind each program's 2025 entering class.
Last checked Nov 2, 2026.
The National Picture
OptomCAS counted 2,897 applicants in 2024–25, and 72% were accepted to at least one program. Applicants applied to 4.3 schools on average. Across the programs ASCO reports, there were 1,956 seats.
That 72% is a national figure. It doesn't tell you your odds at any one school, and it can't, because applicants differ in GPA, OAT score, experience and where they applied.
Applicants Per Seat, by School
Applicants per seat is one measure of how many people compete for each place. It ranged from 3.9 at Rocky Mountain to 11.7 at Chicago (Midwestern). Applicants apply to several schools, so these counts overlap and aren't the same as the number of people who competed only for that school.
| School | Seats | Applicants | Applicants per seat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago (Midwestern) | 63 | 738 | 11.7 |
| Arizona (Midwestern) | 72 | 743 | 10.3 |
| MCPHS | 59 | 535 | 9.1 |
| UMSL | 46 | 395 | 8.6 |
| UAB | 55 | 461 | 8.4 |
| Ohio State | 69 | 567 | 8.2 |
| NSU Oklahoma | 28 | 226 | 8.1 |
| Nova Southeastern | 106 | 801 | 7.6 |
| Pikeville (KY) | 60 | 436 | 7.3 |
| Ferris State (MI) | 37 | 246 | 6.6 |
| Pennsylvania (Drexel) | 126 | 825 | 6.5 |
| Detroit Mercy | 35 | 228 | 6.5 |
| Houston | 100 | 634 | 6.3 |
| Indiana | 92 | 575 | 6.2 |
| New England (NECO) | 140 | 860 | 6.1 |
| Berkeley | 69 | 415 | 6.0 |
| Incarnate Word | 74 | 437 | 5.9 |
| Illinois College (ICO) | 125 | 703 | 5.6 |
| Western U | 52 | 276 | 5.3 |
| Southern (SCO) | 140 | 729 | 5.2 |
| SUNY | 96 | 454 | 4.7 |
| SCCO/Ketchum | 103 | 423 | 4.1 |
| Puerto Rico (IAUPR) | 50 | 204 | 4.1 |
| Pacific | 90 | 353 | 3.9 |
| Rocky Mountain | 70 | 272 | 3.9 |
25 of 25 programs report applicant counts. Sorted from most to fewest applicants per seat.
How to Use This
- Build a list with range. The national average applicant applied to 4.3 schools. Compare your GPA and OAT with each class on the stats checker.
- Apply early. Most schools admit on a rolling basis. See the deadlines timeline and what late applying costs you.
- Look past the ratio. Applicants apply to several schools, so one ratio can't show how hard a class is. Read each school's own profile in the school database.
Sources
Figures change each cycle. Always confirm with each school before you apply.
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Keep Reading
- Board Pass Rates by SchoolThe share of each school's graduates who passed all three NBEO parts, with the number tested.
- Optometry Schools by StateEvery U.S. optometry school grouped by state, with public or private status and seats.