The OptomCAS GPA: How to Get Into Optometry School

The Hidden Medical Gem

While thousands of students brutalize themselves trying to get into Medical School (MD) or Dental School (DDS), a smaller subset of students are targeting the ultimate lifestyle medical profession: Optometry (OD).

Optometrists enjoy six-figure salaries, absolute autonomy, and strict 9-to-5 hours with zero overnight hospital calls or life-or-death surgical stress.

Because it is such a desirable lifestyle, getting into a Doctor of Optometry program is highly competitive. Applications are processed through the OptomCAS (Optometry Centralized Application Service) portal.

The OptomCAS GPA Averages

There are only about 24 accredited Optometry schools in the United States, meaning seats are extremely limited.

To be considered a competitive applicant in 2026, you should aim for:

Average Cumulative GPA: ~3.4 - 3.5

Average Science GPA: ~3.3 - 3.4

Average OAT Score: ~310 - 320 (Out of 400)

The OAT (Optometry Admission Test)

Unlike Pharmacy, which killed its standardized test, Optometry schools still heavily rely on the OAT.

The OAT is incredibly science-heavy, testing Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physics.

Because Optometry programs are heavily front-loaded with brutal optics and physics courses, the admissions committee will look closely at your OAT Physics score and your OptomCAS Physics GPA.

If you have a 3.8 overall GPA, but you got a 'C' in Physics II and bombed the Physics section of the OAT, you will likely be rejected. They simply do not believe you will survive the first year of the OD curriculum.

The Shadowing Requirement

Aside from your OptomCAS GPA and OAT score, the most critical part of your application is shadowing.

Optometry schools demand proof that you actually know what the day-to-day life of an optometrist looks like. You must secure a letter of recommendation directly from a practicing OD. The only way to get this is to physically walk into local private practices and ask to shadow the doctor for 40 to 50 hours.