Frequently Asked Questions

There are 25 accredited programs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. See every one in the school database, or put a few side by side on the compare page.

Last cycle, 2,897 people applied through OptomCAS for 1,956 first-year seats, and 72% of applicants were accepted somewhere. Applicants accepted somewhere averaged a 3.56 cumulative GPA. The stats checker shows where your numbers sit against each school's class.

Nearly every school shares a core of science courses, and the extras differ by school. The prerequisites guide lines them up. If your degree isn't in science, see switching to optometry.

The Optometry Admission Test is a computer-based, multiple-choice exam with four sections: Survey of the Natural Sciences, Reading Comprehension, Physics and Quantitative Reasoning. Scores run from 200 to 400. The OAT, explained has the format and fees.

There's no passing score, so it depends on where you apply. Entering classes averaged between 280 and 360 on the Academic Average. What is a good OAT score lists every school.

You must wait 60 days between attempts and can test at most four times in any 12 months. Schools see every attempt, and scores can't be voided. See the retake rules.

The ADA says practice questions aren't intended to indicate how you'll perform on the OAT. Read what practice scores can and can't tell you.

For 2026–27, $190 for the first school and $85 for each additional school. Applicants last cycle applied to about 4.3 schools on average. Add it up for your list in the cost calculator and the application checklist.

OptomCAS opened Jun 25, 2026 and closes May 20, 2027. Most schools admit on a rolling basis, so earlier is better. See each school's date on the deadlines timeline and read about applying late.

OptomCAS accepts up to four letters, and each school sets how many it requires. The letters guide covers who to ask and when.

Up to 4,500 characters including spaces, and one essay goes to every school. See the personal statement guide.

No. OptomCAS converts every grade to a number, weights it by credits and counts every repeated course, so its GPA can differ from your school's. Try the GPA calculator.

Often not. For students starting after Jul 1, 2026, federal loans are capped at $50,000 a year and $200,000 in total, and Grad PLUS no longer exists. Most programs cost more. See the federal loan cap and how to pay less.

Yes. The tools and guides are free. Some links are affiliate links, always labeled, and money never changes the data or the order of any comparison. See how we make money.

Official sources: ASCO, OptomCAS, the ADA and each school's own pages, with the date we last checked on every page. See the editorial policy. If a figure looks out of date, tell us.