ROCKVILLE, Md.—The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) has reported its U.S. institutions had a record number of applicants during the 2023-2024 OptomCAS application cycle. According to the group, optometric institutions collectively saw 2,868 applicants; the previous highest number of applicants was 2,812 in the 2015-2016 application cycle. “These results are so exciting to see and I am thrilled that people are wanting to enter the wonderful and meaningful profession of optometry,” said ASCO president Dr. Fraser Horn.

“We are seeing the fruits of our public awareness campaign, Optometry Gives Me Life, 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 health care landscape. The future is bright for the profession of optometry,” Dr. Horn said.

Highlights from the 2023-2024 OptomCAS application cycle include:

  • A 3.4 percent increase in applicants (2,868 vs. 2,773) compared to last cycle.

  • A 7.6 percent 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 percent increase in Black applicants (140 vs. 134) compared with last cycle. The highest number of Black applicants occurred in 2020-2021 with 160 applicants.

  • A 3.6 percent increase in Hispanic/Latino applicants (374 vs. 361). This application cycle shows the highest number of Hispanic/Latino applicants ever.
Applicants apply through OptomCAS, the Optometry Centralized Application Service, which was launched on June 27, 2024, 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, the group announced. For answers to questions about the applicant pool and OptomCAS, visit https://www.optomcas.org/ or contact Paige Pence, ASCO director of student and residency affairs, at ppence@opted.org.