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Ophthalmologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an ophthalmologist. Ophthalmologists usually study medicine, medical assisting services, or business. 30% of ophthalmologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an doctoral degree. We analyzed 718 real ophthalmologist resumes to see exactly what ophthalmologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for ophthalmologists are the New England Institute of Technology and the New England Institute of Technology.
There are also many online ophthalmologist courses to help get the education required to be an ophthalmologist.
There are certain ophthalmologist certifications that you should consider. These ophthalmologist certifications include Ophthalmology and Certification in Ophthalmology.
What education do you need to become an ophthalmologist?
What degree do you need to be an ophthalmologist?
- Bachelor's, 30%
- Doctorate, 18%
- Associate, 15%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Other Degrees, 26%
What should I major in to become an ophthalmologist?
Most common colleges for ophthalmologists
| Ophthalmologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New England Institute of Technology | 7.14% |
| Howard University | 7.14% |
| Central State University | 7.14% |
| Florida Atlantic University | 7.14% |
| University of the Sciences | 4.76% |
Best majors for ophthalmologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medicine | 23.1% |
| 2 | Medical Assisting Services | 10.8% |
| 3 | Business | 10.4% |
| 4 | Health Care Administration | 8.1% |
| 5 | Nursing | 6.9% |
Best colleges for ophthalmologists
The best colleges for ophthalmologists are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Virginia.
An 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 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 ophthalmologists.
1. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
2. University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$15,730
Enrollment
18,830
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
7. Ohio State University
Columbus, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$10,726
Enrollment
45,769
8. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
New Brunswick, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$14,974
Enrollment
35,656
20 best online courses for ophthalmologists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for ophthalmologists
The most affordable schools for ophthalmologists are University of Florida, florida international university, and hunter college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for 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 ophthalmologists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
3. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
4. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. Louisiana State University at Alexandria
Alexandria, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,668
Cost of attendance
14,488
10. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ophthalmologists
The hardest universities for ophthalmologists to get into are Northwestern University, Vanderbilt University, and University of Virginia.
Some great schools for 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 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
3. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
26%
SAT average
1,427
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
10. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for ophthalmologists
The easiest schools for ophthalmologists to get into are AdventHealth University, d'youville college, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an 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 ophthalmologists.
1. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
5. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
8. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
9. Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,033
10. Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park, MD • Private
Admissions rate
52%
SAT average
958
Average ophthalmologist salary by education level
| Ophthalmologist education level | Ophthalmologist salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $242,346 |
Ophthalmologist 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