An Analysis of the Optometric Applicant Pool Relative to Matriculants

The interplay of applicants to optometry school and matriculants has not been explored systematically. It is vital that the profession examines these trends to ensure a viable pipeline of future doctors of optometry. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the demographics and academic qualifications of entering optometry classes from autumn 2010 through autumn 2018 of U.S.-based optometric institutions' application pool and matriculants (enrollees). METHODS: Data were gathered from reports generated from accredited schools and colleges of optometry in the United States and compiled by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (publicly available) and the Optometry Centralized Application Service. Metrics included the annual number of verified applicants, the annual number of matriculants, the home region of U.S.-based applicants, and the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) performance and grade point average of verified applicants. RESULTS: The number of verified applicants for autumn 2018 was 0.95% higher than that for autumn 2010, yet the number of matriculants in 2018 compared with 2010 increased by 11.2% with an applicant-to-matriculant ratio in 2010 of 1.53 compared with 1.39 in 2018. Grade point average and academic average OAT scores were stable from 2010 to 2018. The ratios of verified applicants with an academic average OAT score of at least 300 to matriculants were 0.87 for autumn 2018 and 0.92 for autumn 2010. The ratios of verified applicants with a grade point average of at least 3.00 to matriculants were 1.13 for autumn 2018 and 1.23 for autumn 2015. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence supports the conclusion that the applicant pool has remained essentially flat for the last decade, whereas the number of matriculants has increased substantially; thus, the number of qualified applicants to matriculants has logically decreased. In the last 2 years, optometric programs have responded by decreasing their institution's number of matriculants to accommodate the national trends.