For the third year in a row, 71 percent of incoming optometry students in the class of 2030 are women. This is the sixth consecutive year that the percentage of women has topped 70 percent.
Class of 2030 clockwise L-R: Indiana University School of Optometry; Chicago College of Optometry, Midwestern University; and Illinois College of Optometry
Women In Optometry conducted its annual report with the North American optometry schools and colleges, as more than 1,900 new incoming optometry students began their studies for the year.
Class of 2030 clockwise L-R: Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry; Michigan College of Optometry, Ferris State University; and Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry
Last year, only one school—Rocky Mountain University College of Optometry—reported an incoming class of fewer than 50% women.
This year, women account for more than 50% of the incoming class at each optometry school, including 52% at Rocky Mountain.
Class of 2030 clockwise L-R: Rocky Mountain University College of Optometry (Dec. 2026 graduating class); Ohio State University College of Optometry; and Southern California College of Optometry at Marshall B. Ketchum University
The school with the highest percentage of incoming female students is the University of Montreal School of Optometry at 78% women.
Class of 2030 clockwise L-R: University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry; University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry; and Pennsylvania College of Optometry, Drexel University
This annual report numbers include students who identify as female.
Three schools—the University of Waterloo School of Optometry*, MCPHS University School of Optometry* and Ferris State University Michigan College of Optometry—do not report students by gender.
Class of 2030 clockwise L-R: University of Detroit Mercy School of Optometry; Southern College of Optometry; and SUNY College of Optometry
Class of 2030 L-R: University of Missouri, St. Louis, College of Optometry; and University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry
Class of 2030 L-R: Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Optometry; and University of Pikeville, Kentucky College of Optometry
Welcome to the class of 2030!
*The University of Waterloo School of Optometry and MCPHS University School of Optometry did not provide data by press time.
Prevent Blindness has designated Oct. 19-25, 2026, as its sixth annual Inflammatory Eye Disease (IED) Week, raising awareness of conditions that can lead to...
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and Alcon dry eye initiative’s free digital learning tools for eyecare providers are now available in 10 different...
Kerry Hyman, OD, never planned to become a private practice owner. After graduating from Nova Southeastern University in 2017, she spent much of her...
Prevent Blindness has designated Oct. 19-25, 2026, as its sixth annual Inflammatory Eye Disease (IED) Week, raising awareness of conditions that can lead to...
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and Alcon dry eye initiative’s free digital learning tools for eyecare providers are now available in 10 different...
