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Certified optician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a certified optician. Certified opticians usually study business, general studies, or nursing. 38% of certified opticians hold a bachelor's degree, and 25% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 847 real certified optician resumes to see exactly what certified optician education sections show.

The most common colleges for certified opticians are the The University of Texas at Arlington and the The University of Texas at Arlington.

There are also many online certified optician courses to help get the education required to be a certified optician.

There are certain certified optician certifications that you should consider. These certified optician certifications include American Board of Opticianry Advanced Certification (ABOC-AC) and Cisco Optical Specialist 1.

What education do you need to become a certified optician?

What degree do you need to be a certified optician?

The most common degree for certified opticians is bachelor's degree, with 38% of certified opticians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 25% and associate degree degree at 22%.
  • Bachelor's, 38%
  • Associate, 25%
  • High School Diploma, 22%
  • Master's, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 11%

What should I major in to become a certified optician?

You should major in business to become a certified optician. 21% of certified opticians major in business. Other common majors for a certified optician include general studies and nursing.

Most common colleges for certified opticians

Certified opticians often get their degrees at The University of Texas at Arlington, University of Northern Colorado, and Texas State University. Here are the most common colleges for certified opticians in the US based on their resumes.
Certified optician common collegePercentages
The University of Texas at Arlington9.62%
University of Northern Colorado5.77%
Texas State University5.77%
University of Wisconsin Colleges5.77%
Pennsylvania State University5.77%

Best majors for certified opticians

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.4%
2General Studies9.5%
3Nursing8.1%
4Psychology7.6%
5Biology4.8%

Best colleges for certified opticians

The best colleges for certified opticians are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University.

A certified optician with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for certified opticians. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become certified opticians.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,306

Enrollment

6,975

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for certified opticians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for certified opticians

The most affordable schools for certified opticians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - dominguez hills.

If the best universities for certified opticians are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for certified opticians.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for certified opticians

The hardest universities for certified opticians to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown University.

Some great schools for certified opticians are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for certified opticians based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. Emory University

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,449

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for certified opticians

The easiest schools for certified opticians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a certified optician without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for certified opticians.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average certified optician salary by education level

Certified opticians with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $56,849 annually. With a Associate degree, certified opticians earn a median annual income of $53,530 compared to $50,427 for certified opticians with an High School Diploma degree.
Certified optician education levelCertified optician salary
High School Diploma or Less$50,427
Bachelor's Degree$56,849
Some College/ Associate Degree$53,530

Certified optician education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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