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Licensed dispensing optician education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a licensed dispensing optician. Licensed dispensing opticians usually study business, physics, or ophthalmic and optometric support services. 36% of licensed dispensing opticians hold a associate degree, and 35% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 238 real licensed dispensing optician resumes to see exactly what licensed dispensing optician education sections show.

The most common colleges for licensed dispensing opticians are the Seattle Central Community College and the Seattle Central Community College.

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

What education do you need to become a licensed dispensing optician?

What degree do you need to be a licensed dispensing optician?

The most common degree for licensed dispensing opticians is associate degree, with 36% of licensed dispensing opticians earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 35% and bachelor's degree degree at 13%.
  • Associate, 36%
  • Bachelor's, 35%
  • High School Diploma, 13%
  • Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a licensed dispensing optician?

You should major in business to become a licensed dispensing optician. 21% of licensed dispensing opticians major in business. Other common majors for a licensed dispensing optician include physics and ophthalmic and optometric support services.

Most common colleges for licensed dispensing opticians

Licensed dispensing opticians often get their degrees at Seattle Central Community College, Northeastern University, and University of Dayton. Here are the most common colleges for licensed dispensing opticians in the US based on their resumes.
Licensed dispensing optician common collegePercentages
Seattle Central Community College13.04%
Northeastern University8.70%
University of Dayton4.35%
University of California - Los Angeles4.35%
Bob Jones University4.35%

Best majors for licensed dispensing opticians

RankMajorPercentages
1Business21.1%
2Physics10.5%
3Ophthalmic And Optometric Support Services7.0%
4Computer Information Systems7.0%
5Marketing5.3%

Best colleges for licensed dispensing opticians

The best colleges for licensed dispensing opticians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

A licensed 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 licensed 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 licensed 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 licensed dispensing opticians

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Top 10 most affordable universities for licensed dispensing opticians

The most affordable schools for licensed dispensing opticians are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for licensed 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 licensed 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 licensed dispensing opticians

The hardest universities for licensed dispensing opticians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.

Some great schools for licensed 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 licensed 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 licensed dispensing opticians

The easiest schools for licensed 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 licensed 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 licensed 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 licensed dispensing optician salary by education level

According to our data, licensed dispensing opticians with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $65,027 annually. Licensed dispensing opticians with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $59,886.
Licensed dispensing optician education levelLicensed dispensing optician salary
High School Diploma or Less$55,184
Bachelor's Degree$65,027
Some College/ Associate Degree$59,886

Licensed dispensing 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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