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Dispensing optician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a dispensing optician. Dispensing opticians usually study business, general studies, or biology. 32% of dispensing opticians hold a associate degree, and 32% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 991 real dispensing optician resumes to see exactly what dispensing optician education sections show.
The most common colleges for dispensing opticians are the Ferris State University and the Ferris State University.
There are also many online dispensing optician courses to help get the education required to be a dispensing optician.
There are certain dispensing optician certifications that you should consider. These dispensing optician certifications include American Board of Opticianry Advanced Certification (ABOC-AC) and Cisco Optical Specialist 1.
What education do you need to become a dispensing optician?
What degree do you need to be a dispensing optician?
- Associate, 32%
- Bachelor's, 32%
- High School Diploma, 19%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a dispensing optician?
- Business, 24%
- General Studies, 8%
- Biology, 7%
- Psychology, 7%
- Other Majors, 54%
Most common colleges for dispensing opticians
| Dispensing optician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Ferris State University | 8.93% |
| Southern Illinois University Carbondale | 8.93% |
| Baker College | 8.93% |
| University of Phoenix | 7.14% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.36% |
Best majors for dispensing opticians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 23.5% |
| 2 | General Studies | 7.5% |
| 3 | Biology | 7.0% |
| 4 | Psychology | 6.5% |
| 5 | Physics | 5.0% |
Best colleges for dispensing opticians
The best colleges for dispensing opticians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
A dispensing 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 dispensing 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 dispensing opticians.
1. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Maine Maritime Academy
Castine, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$13,478
Enrollment
979
8. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Enrollment
9,142
10. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,306
Enrollment
6,975
20 best online courses for dispensing opticians
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Top 10 most affordable universities for dispensing opticians
The most affordable schools for dispensing opticians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for dispensing 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 dispensing 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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Cost of attendance
22,990
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for dispensing opticians
The hardest universities for dispensing opticians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for dispensing 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 dispensing 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Emory University
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,449
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for dispensing opticians
The easiest schools for dispensing opticians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a dispensing 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 dispensing opticians.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
Average dispensing optician salary by education level
| Dispensing optician education level | Dispensing optician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $48,010 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,922 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $50,869 |
Dispensing optician education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025