Compare / MCPHS vs New England (NECO)
MCPHS vs New England (NECO)
MCPHS School of Optometry in Worcester, MA, and New England College of Optometry in Boston, MA, side by side on the same measures. Schools are listed alphabetically, and neither is a pick from us.
Last checked Nov 2, 2026. Board results are NBEO 2024–25; class figures are the fall 2025 entering class.
| Measure | MCPHS | New England (NECO) |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Worcester, MA | Boston, MA |
| Type | Private | Private |
| Seats | 59 | 140 |
| Applicants per seat | 9.1 | 6.1 |
| Class GPA | 3.28 | 3.56 |
| Class OAT | 310 AA / 302 TS | 331 AA / 327 TS |
| NBEO ultimate pass rate | 74.5% (47 tested) | 79.3% (116 tested) |
| Tuition per year | $56,370 2026–27 | $51,596 2026–27 |
| Living cost tier | High: $30,000 a year | Very high: $36,000 a year |
| Est. 4-year cost, out-of-state | $345,480 | $350,384 |
| OptomCAS deadline | May 1, 2027 | Mar 31, 2027 |
| Interview | One-on-one with a faculty member, on campus or virtual | One-on-one with a faculty member, on campus or virtual |
| Seat deposit | Not published | $1,000 |
| Letters | 2: any | 2: non-relative optometrist + college faculty (science preferred) |
Four-year costs use out-of-state tuition for public schools, four years of flat tuition and a living allowance by tier, before scholarships. For the U.S. as a whole, the board pass rate is 82.5%.
Where They Differ
- Board pass rate: New England (NECO) is higher at 79.3%, against 74.5% at MCPHS.
- Class GPA: New England (NECO) is higher at 3.56, against 3.28 at MCPHS.
- Class OAT Academic Average: New England (NECO) is higher at 331, against 310 at MCPHS.
- Seats: New England (NECO) is higher at 140, against 59 at MCPHS.
- Applicants per seat: MCPHS is higher at 9.1, against 6.1 at New England (NECO).
- Four-year cost, out-of-state: New England (NECO) is higher at $350,384, against $345,480 at MCPHS.
Class averages aren't cutoffs and pass rates describe past graduates, not you. A higher number isn't a better school; it's a different one to weigh against what you want.
What Each School Page Notes
MCPHS
- Patient care begins in year 2
MCPHS
- 74.5% ultimate pass rate
- Higher total cost
New England (NECO)
- Clinical exposure from year 1
- Boston location
New England (NECO)
- Very high cost of living
Run Your Own Numbers
- Cost calculator for MCPHS and for New England (NECO), with your home state's tuition programs.
- Stats checker: where your GPA and OAT sit against both classes.
- Is optometry worth it? Test either school's cost against what optometrists earn.
- MCPHS profile · New England (NECO) profile
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