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Ophthalmic surgical assistant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an ophthalmic surgical assistant. Ophthalmic surgical assistants usually study medical technician, nursing, or business. 35% of ophthalmic surgical assistants hold a associate degree, and 32% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 159 real ophthalmic surgical assistant resumes to see exactly what ophthalmic surgical assistant education sections show.

The most common colleges for ophthalmic surgical assistants are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

There are also many online ophthalmic surgical assistant courses to help get the education required to be an ophthalmic surgical assistant.

There are certain ophthalmic surgical assistant certifications that you should consider. These ophthalmic surgical assistant certifications include Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) and Ophthalmic Surgical Assisting.

What education do you need to become an ophthalmic surgical assistant?

What degree do you need to be an ophthalmic surgical assistant?

The most common degree for ophthalmic surgical assistants is associate degree, with 35% of ophthalmic surgical assistants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 32% and bachelor's degree degree at 9%.
  • Associate, 35%
  • Bachelor's, 32%
  • Diploma, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 7%
  • Other Degrees, 17%

What should I major in to become an ophthalmic surgical assistant?

You should major in medical technician to become an ophthalmic surgical assistant. 15% of ophthalmic surgical assistants major in medical technician. Other common majors for an ophthalmic surgical assistant include nursing and business.

Most common colleges for ophthalmic surgical assistants

Ophthalmic surgical assistants often get their degrees at Purdue University, Hofstra University, and University of Southern Maine. Here are the most common colleges for ophthalmic surgical assistants in the US based on their resumes.
Ophthalmic surgical assistant common collegePercentages
Purdue University9.09%
Hofstra University9.09%
University of Southern Maine4.55%
University of Houston4.55%
Adams State University4.55%

Best majors for ophthalmic surgical assistants

RankMajorPercentages
1Medical Technician15.5%
2Nursing12.7%
3Business12.7%
4Ophthalmic And Optometric Support Services8.5%
5General Studies8.5%

Best colleges for ophthalmic surgical assistants

The best colleges for ophthalmic surgical assistants are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

An ophthalmic surgical assistant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for ophthalmic surgical assistants. 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 ophthalmic surgical assistants.

1. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

4. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

5. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

7. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Enrollment

31,321

8. Howard University

Washington, DC • Private

In-state tuition

$26,756

Enrollment

6,166

9. University of Holy Cross

New Orleans, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,180

Enrollment

863

10. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

20 best online courses for ophthalmic surgical assistants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for ophthalmic surgical assistants

The most affordable schools for ophthalmic surgical assistants are California State University - Long Beach, hunter college of the city university of new york, and university of florida.

If the best universities for ophthalmic surgical assistants 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 ophthalmic surgical assistants.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

8. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ophthalmic surgical assistants

The hardest universities for ophthalmic surgical assistants to get into are Duke University, Northwestern University, and Vanderbilt University.

Some great schools for ophthalmic surgical assistants 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 ophthalmic surgical assistants 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

3. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

7. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

10. Georgetown University

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,456

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for ophthalmic surgical assistants

The easiest schools for ophthalmic surgical assistants to get into are D'Youville College, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an ophthalmic surgical assistant 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 ophthalmic surgical assistants.

1. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

2. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

5. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

6. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

7. La Roche College

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

99%

SAT average

1,008

8. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

Average ophthalmic surgical assistant salary by education level

According to our data, ophthalmic surgical assistants with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $59,255 annually. Ophthalmic surgical assistants with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $49,918.
Ophthalmic surgical assistant education levelOphthalmic surgical assistant salary
Master's Degree$59,255
High School Diploma or Less$39,671
Bachelor's Degree$49,918
Some College/ Associate Degree$44,222

Ophthalmic surgical assistant 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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