Compare / Nova Southeastern vs Southern (SCO)

Nova Southeastern vs Southern (SCO)

Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry in Fort Lauderdale, FL, and Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN, 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	Nova Southeastern	Southern (SCO)
Location	Fort Lauderdale, FL	Memphis, TN
Type	Private	Private
Seats	106	140
Applicants per seat	7.6	5.2
Class GPA	3.54	3.68
Class OAT	325 AA / 319 TS	332 AA / 323 TS
NBEO ultimate pass rate	80.2% (96 tested)	95.3% (128 tested)
Tuition per year	$44,508 2026–27, four-year track	$48,540 2026–27, same for all four years
Living cost tier	High: $30,000 a year	Low: $21,000 a year
Est. 4-year cost, out-of-state	$298,032	$278,160
OptomCAS deadline	Apr 1, 2027	Mar 1, 2027
Interview	On campus or virtual	One-on-one with a faculty member (blind), on campus
Seat deposit	$500	Not published
Letters	2: optometrist + science professor	2: non-relative optometrist + committee/pre-health or science instructor

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: Southern (SCO) is higher at 95.3%, against 80.2% at Nova Southeastern.
Class GPA: Southern (SCO) is higher at 3.68, against 3.54 at Nova Southeastern.
Class OAT Academic Average: Southern (SCO) is higher at 332, against 325 at Nova Southeastern.
Seats: Southern (SCO) is higher at 140, against 106 at Nova Southeastern.
Applicants per seat: Nova Southeastern is higher at 7.6, against 5.2 at Southern (SCO).
Four-year cost, out-of-state: Nova Southeastern is higher at $298,032, against $278,160 at Southern (SCO).

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