Accreditation

The professional optometric degree program at The Ohio State University College of Optometry holds the status of “Accredited” from the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE), 243 N. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO  63141—Telephone 314-991-4100.  The next evaluation visit is currently scheduled for November, 2028.  The classification of “Accredited” is granted to an educational program indicating that the program generally meets the standards of accreditation and that the program has no deficiencies or weaknesses that compromise the educational effectiveness of the total program.

The following tables present our outcomes according to the ACOE Standard 1.10. 

NBEO Passage Rates

Published results include the performance of all first-time takers of each NBEO examination Part within the specified timeframe regardless of year of enrollment, year of graduation, or graduation status; first-time taker pass rates published on the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) website are limited to candidates that have graduated. 

NBEO Part I – Applied Basic Science (ABS)

Testing Period (9/1 - 8/31)

# of first-time takers, Ohio State

Ohio State first time taker pass rate 

National first time taker pass rate

The Buckeye Advantage

2024-2025

65

83.1%

62%

+21.1%

2023-2024

61

93.4%

66.7%

+26.7%

2022-2023

66

95.5%

66.1%

+29.4%

2021-2022

62

90%

64.2%

+25.8%

NBEO Part II – Patient Assessment and Management (PAM)

Testing Period (9/1 - 8/31)

# of first-time takers, Ohio State

Ohio State first time taker pass rate

National first time taker pass rate

The Buckeye Advantage

2025 - 2026

64

98.4%

TBD

TBD

2024 - 2025

60

100%

86.6%

+13.4%

2023 - 2024

66

100%

84.1%

+15.9%

2022 - 2023

61

96.7%

82.9%

+13.8%

NBEO Part III – Clinical Skills Examination (CSE) / Patient Encounters and Performance Skills (PEPS)

Testing Period (7/1 - 6/30)

# of first-time takers, Ohio State

Ohio State first time taker pass rate

National first time taker pass rate

The Buckeye Advantage

2025 - 2026

65

72.3%

TBD

TBD

2024 - 2025

60

86.7%

67%

+19.7%

2023 - 2024

66

77.3%

78.1%

-1%

2022 - 2023

61

85.3%

74.4%

+10.9%

Graduation Outcomes

Program Completion Licensing Examination Rates

Calendar Year (1/1-12/31)

# of students who completed all program curricular requirements

# licensed, or who passed all parts of an exam series that would permit licensure, in the United States or Canada

Program Completion Licensing Examination Pass Rate

2025

60

60

100%

2024

67

65

97%

2023

61

60

98.4%

Graduation and Attrition

Entry Year

2022

2021

2020

2019

Number or Matriculants

69

66

68

68

Graduated in 4 years

64

59 (89.4%)

63 (92.6%)

61 (89.7%)

Graduated in 5 or more years

TBD

TBD

1 (1.5%)

4 (5.9%)

Graduated at any time

TBD

TBD

64 (94.1%)

65 (95.6%)

Still enrolled or on leave

2 (2.9%)

1 (1.5%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

Attrition for Academic Reasons

3 (4.3%)

2 (3.0%)

2 (2.9%)

2 (2.9%)

Attrition for other reasons

0 (0%)

4 (6.0%)

2 (2.9%)

1 (1.5%)