Accreditation Status
Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE)
The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) recently voted the program’s classification of “Accredited” be continued. The classification “Accredited” indicates that the program generally meets the ACOE standards for accreditation. This classification indicates that the program has no deficiencies or weaknesses that compromise the educational effectiveness of the total program. The Council finds the program to be in compliance with all of the ACOE standards. The next scheduled evaluation visit to the professional optometric degree program at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry is in March 2030.
Information on the ACOE’s standards of accreditation and accrediting procedures may be found on the ACOE web page.
Any inquiries, concerns or requests for information may be sent to accredit@theacoe.org.
Student Outcomes
| Year Matriculated |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|||
|
# |
% of matriculants | # | % of matriculants | # |
% of matriculants |
|
| Graduated in 4 years (by Dec 31 of graduating year) |
70 |
83.3% | 60 | 87.0% | 79 |
83.3% |
| Graduated in 5 years or less |
78 |
92.9% | 64 | 92.8% | 79 |
83.3% |
| Graduated at any time |
79 |
94.0% | 64 | 92.8% | 79 |
83.3% |
| Number leaving for academic reasons |
0 |
0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 2 |
2.1% |
| Number leaving for non-academic reasons |
5 |
5.9% | 4 | 5.8% | 7 |
7.3% |
| Still enrolled or on leave of absence |
0 |
0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
0.0% |
| Completed curricular requirements, but not graduation requirements (if not included above) |
0 |
0.0% | 1 | 1.4% | 6 |
6.3% |
NBEO FIRST-TIME PASS RATES
Includes students who have attempted and passed each part of the exam on their first attempt within the defined year of administration.
NBEO Part I Applied Basic Science
|
Academic Year |
# of first-time takers, program |
first time taker pass rate, program | first time taker pass rate, all exam takers |
|
2023-2024 |
61 | 29.5% | 65.9% |
|
2022-2023 |
91 | 27.5% | 65.8% |
|
2021-2022 |
53 | 22.6% |
63.7% |
NBEO Part II Patient Assessment and Management
|
Academic Year |
# of first-time takers, program |
first time taker pass rate, program |
first time taker pass rate, |
|
2023-2024 |
83 | 51.8% | 84.2% |
|
2022-2023 |
69 | 56.5% | 83.4% |
|
2021-2022 |
80 | 67.5% | 84.8% |
NBEO Part III Patient Encounters and Performance Skills
|
Academic Year |
# of first-time takers, program |
first time taker pass rate, program | first time taker pass rate, all exam takers |
|
2023-2024 |
83 | 67.5% | 79.6% |
|
2022-2023 |
68 | 61.8% | 74.4% |
| 2021-2022 |
73 |
71.2% | 79.7% |
NBEO-ASCO PASS RATES FOR COHORT GROUPS
Includes students who have graduated within the listed timeframe (October – September of the given year) and attempted all three parts of the exam at least once.
| Time frame for Cohort | Number of Candidates | Part 1 ABS First-time Pass Rate |
Part 2 PAM First-time Pass Rate |
Part 3 CSE First-time Pass Rate |
Ultimate Pass Rate |
| 10/2023-9/2024 | 79 | 30.4% | 57.0% | 69.6% |
55.7% |
| 10/2022-9/2023 | 57 | 19.3% | 61.4% |
66.7% |
57.9% |
| 10/2021-9/2022 | 75 | 44.0% | 70.7% | 73.3% |
66.7% |
Western Association of Schools and Colleges (Wasc)
Effective December 8, 2008, the WASC Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities granted final approval of the substantive change proposal for the Doctor of Optometry program.
For more information on the accrediting agency, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).