To Receive a Doctor of Optometry Degree, Students Must Successfully Complete a Four-Year Degree Program at an Accredited School of Optometry.
There are 23 colleges and schools of optometry in the United States, including Puerto Rico. Choosing the school that is right for you may be challenging, so we encourage applicants to investigate their options and apply to more than one school. The website for the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry offers information that can help answer questions about each school, as well as link you to each school's website.
All 23 schools and colleges of optometry report statistics to ASCO each year about their entering class. Even though we’re a private school, SCO consistently remains competitive in cost of attendance, as well as maintaining a high academic standard for admissions.
The cost of attending optometry school does not end with payment of tuition. Although our tuition is among the lowest of all optometry schools, the cost of living in Memphis is among the lowest in the country for cities with populations above 500,000. Those two factors are significant reasons why our students average approximately $130,000 in student indebtedness when they graduate.
Another statistic we are proud to report is that SCO has held a zero percent federal student loan default rate for 24 out of the last 25 years as reported by the Department of Education. This reveals that SCO graduates are successfully transitioning into optometric practice.
SCO is also very proud of our success in preparing students for the academic and clinical challenges of optometry, which is illustrated by our students consistently achieving above the national average in board passage rates.
With many important factors to consider when applying to optometry school, we invite you to contact us with any questions you may have about SCO.