ASCO Announces Record Setting Applicants to Optometry Institutions for the 2023-2024 Application Cycle

ASCO Announces Record Setting Applicants to Optometry Institutions for the
2023-2024 Application Cycle

The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry is thrilled to report its U.S. institutions had the highest number ever of applicants during the 2023-2024 OptomCAS application cycle.

Optometric institutions collectively saw 2,868 applicants; the previous highest number of applicants was 2,812 in the 2015-2016 application cycle.

More noteworthy highlights include:

• A 3.4% increase in applicants (2,868 vs. 2,773) compared to last cycle.
• A 7.6% increase in total number of applications (12,732 vs. 11,834). Applicants applied to an average of 4.44 schools and colleges.
• A 4.5% increase in Black/African American applicants (140 vs. 134) compared to last cycle. The highest number of Black/African American applicants occurred in 2020-2021 with 160 applicants.
• A 3.6% increase in Hispanic/Latino applicants (374 vs. 361). This application cycle shows the highest number of Hispanic/Latino applicants ever.

“These results are so exciting to see, and I am thrilled that people are wanting to enter the wonderful and meaningful profession of optometry,” says ASCO President Dr. Fraser Horn. “We are seeing the fruits of our public awareness campaign, Optometry Gives Me Live, which targets undergrads in a STEM program and shows them all that optometry can offer them as a career. Optometry is seeing growth and remains vital within the healthcare landscape. The future is bright for the profession of optometry.”

Applicants apply through OptomCAS, the Optometry Centralized Application Service, which launched on June 27 for application cycle 2024-2025. All 24 ASCO member schools and colleges participate in OptomCAS.

A full report on the 2023-2024 application cycle will be available at the end of the year. For answers to questions about the applicant pool and OptomCAS, visit www.optomcas.org or contact Paige Pence, ASCO Director of Student and Residency Affairs, at ppence@opted.org.