Our students choose IU for the full spectrum of eye care and vision science.
Here, the research opportunities are as diverse as the patients we serve. From cataracts to diabetes, infants to senior citizens—we see it all, and it prepares us for the most rigorous careers in optometry.
We encourage you to visit before you apply. You’ll know it when you see it: a picturesque campus, a vibrant academic community, and the kind of city you’ll want to call home.
Learn how to applyThe ideal optometry student is passionate about changing lives—and saving them. They have given their time and energy to important causes, to support the underprivileged and the underserved through community service and outreach.
We look for students who are not only proficient in the sciences, but who have strong interpersonal and communication skills. We also look for students who have spent time exploring the field of optometry, preferably through job shadowing, and who have a realistic idea of what’s ahead.
Of course, we look at test scores and GPA. The higher the better. But without communication skills and a passion for the profession, these are just numbers on paper.
Our students see dozens of patients each semester, and we expect the highest level of patient care.
They are also involved in some of the most cutting-edge research happening in the field—the kind of research that requires not only intellect, but a vision.
Learn about upcoming optometry open houses, meetings either in-person or online group webinars. You can schedule a one-on-one virtual advising appointment or discover that the IU School of Optometry has summer camps for high school and college students.
86students, from an applicant pool of 763
3.65undergraduate mean GPA
98.8%earned a bachelor’s degree prior to entering the school
25Indiana residents
61nonresidents, representing 23 states and two from Canada
29%of the entering class are a minority and 12.7% are underrepresented minorities.
60female students
26male students
22median age (ranging from 21 to 38)
Tuition is more than a price tag—it’s an investment. Your tuition covers the cost of one of the nation’s best schools of optometry, more opportunities than you’ll find anywhere, and the reputation of an IU degree. There are plenty of ways to help pay for it, through scholarships, fellowships, grants, and student loans.
Calculate cost and financial aid72.0% of students passed Part 1 on the first try
91.5% of students passed Part 2 on the first try
84.2% of students passed Part 3 on the first try
92.7% of students passed all three exams by graduation
You are sure to find your people here, with more than 750 student organizations available to you, on a campus that always feels alive with things to do.
If you’re new to town, you’re in for a treat. Bloomington is often named one of the nation’s best college towns, with dozens of restaurants, miles of outdoor trails, and entertainment any night of the week. It’s the perfect place for serious graduate students who want to build a future and have fun doing it.
See yourself hereDescription of the video:
IU School of Optometry
Video transcript
[Upbeat music plays.]
[Video: An aerial view shows the outside of the Indiana University School of Optometry building, which features a tall column of windows in the middle of the limestone building and a row of windows across the entire top floor. There is a parking lot and street in front of the building and a dense tree canopy behind it.]
[Words appear: Why did you choose Indiana University School of Optometry?]
[Video: A student sits in the lab at the School of Optometry to be interviewed. A row of exam stalls and equipment are behind her.]
Student one: I chose IUSO...
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student two: I chose IUSO...
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student three: I chose IUSO because...
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student four: The environment from the very start of Admissions Day was phenomenal.
[Video: Students are shown sitting in a classroom, with one student holding up two fingers in a peace sign as the camera rolls by. Then another student is featured in the same spot in the lab.]
Student five: It didn't feel like they were trying to win me over, it felt like they were just wanting what was best for me.
[Video: A student is seen conducting an eye exam on another student in the lab while a professor observes. Then another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student six: I really wanted to find my family away from home.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student seven: I wanted a place that felt like home.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student eight: I love the family atmosphere.
[Video: Three students are seen sitting at a table having a discussion while two other students walk past. Then another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student nine: There was no other interview day that I felt nearly as comfortable as IU.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab. Then students are seen gathering around a table filled with pizzas putting slices on their plates.]
Student ten: It really is like a family and there's a really good support system.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student eleven: I also loved touring campus and I thought it was really beautiful.
[Video: The sign outside the School of Optometry is shown, surrounded by plants and flowers. Then another student is shown being interviewed in the lab.]
Student twelve: Campus itself is beautiful.
[Another student is interviewed in the lab. Then an aerial view shows the Sample Gates and several buildings in the heart of campus. There are lush flowerbeds near the gates and trees surrounding the buildings.]
Student thirteen: And Bloomington is such a beautiful city.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student fourteen: I love Bloomington.
[Video: An aerial view shows Kirkwood Avenue in Bloomington, with shops and restaurants on each side of the street. Trees with orange autumn leaves sit along the street. Then another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student fifteen: I feel like it's just kind of a big cultural center of Indiana.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab. Then a student is shown conducting an eye exam on another student in the lab.]
Student sixteen: I chose IUSO because I felt like it was one of the most diverse programs.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student seventeen: The research opportunities and the quality of education you would get.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab. Then a child is shown getting an exam at the clinic.]
Student eighteen: The pediatric opportunities that we have here.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student nineteen: I thought I had a lot of opportunities to expand my scope of practice and exactly what field I want to go into.
[Video: A sign in the lobby reads creating visionary leaders, Indiana University School of Optometry. Then another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student twenty: I wanted a school that would also push me to become my best in my personal life and help me to grow.
[Video: Another student is interviewed in the lab.]
Student twenty-one: This is my dream school, and it just feels like my small town to me, it feels like home.
[The music ends with a loud cymbal that lingers.]
[Video: The screen goes white.]
[Words appear: Learn how to apply at optometry dot i u dot e d u.]
[Video: The words disappear, and the IU School of Optometry logo appears.]
[End of transcript.]
