ASCO Announces Another Year of Record Setting Applicants to Optometry Institutions for the 2024-2025 Application Cycle

ASCO Announces Another Year of Record-Setting Applicants to Optometry Institutions for the 2024-2025 Application Cycle

ASCO is happy to report optometry schools and colleges received the most applicants ever for the 2024-2025 OptomCAS application cycle.

The highlights include:

• Received the highest number of applicants to optometry institutions of 2,896.
• Experienced a 1% increase in applicants (2,896 vs. 2,868) compared to last cycle.
• Experienced a 1.5% decrease in the total number of applications submitted from the previous cycle (12,535 vs. 12,732). Applicants applied to an average of 4.3 schools and colleges.
• Received a 3.6% increase in Black/African American applicants (145 vs. 140) compared to last cycle. The highest number of Black/African American applicants occurred in 2020-2021 with 160 applicants.
• Received a 0.5% increase in Hispanic/Latino applicants (376 vs. 374). This year once again had the highest number of Hispanic/Latino applicants ever.

Applicants apply through OptomCAS, the Optometry Centralized Application Service, which launched on June 26 for application cycle 2025-2026. All 25 ASCO U.S. member schools and colleges participate in OptomCAS.

A full report on the 2024-2025 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.