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General ophthalmologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a general ophthalmologist. General ophthalmologists usually study medicine, veterinary science, or biology. 56% of general ophthalmologists hold a doctoral degree, and 31% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 15 real general ophthalmologist resumes to see exactly what general ophthalmologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for general ophthalmologists are the University of Utah and the University of Utah.

There are also many online general ophthalmologist courses to help get the education required to be a general ophthalmologist.

What education do you need to become a general ophthalmologist?

What degree do you need to be a general ophthalmologist?

The most common degree for general ophthalmologists is doctoral degree, with 56% of general ophthalmologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 31% and bachelor's degree degree at 6%.
  • Doctorate, 56%
  • Bachelor's, 31%
  • Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a general ophthalmologist?

You should major in medicine to become a general ophthalmologist. 43% of general ophthalmologists major in medicine. Other common majors for a general ophthalmologist include veterinary science and biology.

Most common colleges for general ophthalmologists

General ophthalmologist common collegePercentages
University of Utah66.67%
University of California, Santa Barbara33.33%

Best majors for general ophthalmologists

RankMajorPercentages
1Medicine42.9%
2Veterinary Science21.4%
3Biology7.1%
4Psychology7.1%
5Industrial Engineering7.1%

Best colleges for general ophthalmologists

The best colleges for general ophthalmologists are Harvard University, Duke University, and Northwestern University.

A general ophthalmologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for general ophthalmologists. 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 general ophthalmologists.

1. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$54,104

Enrollment

7,089

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

6. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for general ophthalmologists

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5. Clinical Kidney, Pancreas and Islet Transplantation

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Top 10 most affordable universities for general ophthalmologists

The most affordable schools for general ophthalmologists are University of Florida, florida state university, and florida international university.

If the best universities for general ophthalmologists 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 general ophthalmologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$8,178

Cost of attendance

20,934

6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

7. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

8. University of Utah

Salt Lake City, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$9,222

Cost of attendance

20,422

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Cost of attendance

25,228

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for general ophthalmologists

The hardest universities for general ophthalmologists to get into are Harvard University, Duke University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for general ophthalmologists 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 general ophthalmologists 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. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

7. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for general ophthalmologists

The easiest schools for general ophthalmologists to get into are University of Baltimore, ferris state university, and washington state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a general ophthalmologist 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 general ophthalmologists.

1. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

2. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

3. Washington State University

Pullman, WA • Private

Admissions rate

77%

SAT average

1,123

4. Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, FL • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,196

5. Augusta University

Augusta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,172

6. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

7. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

8. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

9. University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Las Vegas, NV • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,113

10. MCPHS University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,144

Average general ophthalmologist salary by education level

General ophthalmologist education levelGeneral ophthalmologist salary
Doctorate Degree$250,668

General ophthalmologist 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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