The Illinois College of Optometry is one of the world’s leading optometric institutions. Our size and reputation often precede us, and we think that is a good thing. It means our students are making a real difference in optometry and the world.
Located in Chicago, ICO has earned its popularity. We have been perfecting our curriculum and craft since 1872. Thanks to our distinguished faculty, collaborative student community, and unmatched clinical resources, ICO graduates enter the real world best prepared to practice optometry.
Practicing doctors often say they “can just tell” when an optometrist comes from ICO. An OD from our school is not just a piece of paper; it means you have seen diverse ocular conditions, can practice with confidence, and are backed by the largest alumni support network anywhere.
At the Illinois College of Optometry, we help you answer this question with one word: “Prepared.” We are committed to you, the student of optometry- not just the great doctor you will become but also the whole person you are destined to be.
ICO is dedicated solely to optometry- and proud of it. Our top-notch faculty and courses promise to support you from day one. In your first year at ICO, you will get hands-on clinical experience with real patients in the Illinois Eye Institute. Imagine what you can achieve by Commencement.
At ICO, we do our best to cultivate lifelong collaborators. Our campus offers a convenient space to live and study in- not to mention proximity to the heart of Chicago. After graduation, the same teammates you explored the city will become your lifelong colleagues.
So, WHY, ICO? By the time you graduate, you will have a strong academic, clinical, and cultural foundation. Our students agree. See success from their perspective with our exam scores, testimonials, and student blog. Choose ICO, and you will be prepared- for optometry, for life.
The mission of the Illinois College of Optometry is to develop highly qualified clinical optometrists through excellence in optometric education.
You have already chosen optometry. Now, it is time to find the perfect place to earn your OD. Students from all over the world seek out ICO for our commitment to future optometrists. Our curriculum, clinical resources, alumni network, and student community all come together to prepare effective doctors. In short, we are ready for you. We hope your next big choice is ICO.
If you are interested in the ICO application process, please read through our Course Requirements, Cost of Attendance, and How to Apply. We have plenty of information for International candidates, as well as individuals seeking Financial Aid. Of course, nothing beats a campus visit, so we hope to see you in Chicago soon.
ICO welcomes enthusiastic candidates from all over the world. We do our best to make the international application process easy to understand. So, no matter where you are from, you can smoothly transition into a fantastic doctor. To apply, international candidates must fulfill all general admission requirements, including the OAT and recommendation letters. You must have earned a bachelor’s degree or equivalent with at least 90 semester credit hours of undergraduate coursework.
If you have completed college-level coursework at schools outside the United States or Canada, or if your transcripts are not in English, the transcripts must be submitted to an official evaluation service. ICO accepts transcript evaluations from World Education Services and Educational Credential Evaluators. The evaluation board must send the official copy of the evaluation directly to ICO’s admissions office.
ICO’s Student Financial Services is here to help you find the most affordable ways to finance your education and manage your student loans. Feel free to contact us directly at any time. We look forward to working with you through this important decision.
When you apply for admission, your application is automatically reviewed for academic scholarships. You do not need to apply separately. Scholarships are based on academic merit, and recipients are notified at the time of acceptance.
Forget the days of undergrad education, where general classes were taken to earn credit hours. Every second of ICO’s 4-year program is optometry-focused. Our students receive an unmatched clinical experience, including hands-on patient care in the IEI beginning in their very first year.
Of course, we know that being a doctor extends beyond eye care. ICO offers courses in financial literacy, practice management, and other real-world aspects of optometry. Our top-notch resources expose students to tomorrow’s technologies and modes of practice.
In addition to a rich clinical education, ICO gives its students a firm foundation rooted in biomedical science. Introductory biomedical courses are spread across our program's first two years: human anatomy, immunology, and pharmacology. Interactive laboratories complement many of these.
From basic human sciences to high-level ophthalmic studies, every ICO course is presented through the lens of primary eye care. Our curriculum visits optics, ocular anatomy, physiology, visual perception, neuroanatomy, sensory aspects of vision, and color vision. Thus, every moment ICO students spend in a classroom is a moment spent preparing for real life.
Students gain high-quality experiences in primary eye care, pediatric optometry, binocular vision, low vision rehabilitation, contact lenses, emergency care, and ocular disease in the clinical program. The clinical program is student-centered, beginning in the lecture-laboratory setting and advancing to a one-to-one relationship between students and patients. ICO’s faculty works both in the lecture hall and in the clinic. So, students receive supportive, personalized education in every environment.
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