Student Outcomes
Graduation and Attrition Rates
| Year Matriculated | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |||
| # | % of matriculants | # | % of matriculants | # | % of matriculants | |
| Graduated in 4 years | 59 | 86.7% | 80 | 84.2% | 51 | 70.8% |
| Graduated in 5 years or less | 63 | 92.6% | 84 | 88.4% | 51 | 70.8% |
| Graduated at anytime | 64 | 94.1% | 84 | 88.4% | 51 | 70.8% |
| Still enrolled or on leave of absence | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 2.1% | 11 | 15.3% |
| Attrition for academic reasons | 0 | 0.0% | 2 | 2.1% | 2 | 2.8% |
| Attrition for other reasons | 4 | 5.8% | 7 | 7.4% | 8 | 11.1% |
Early entry into patient care and ongoing, diverse patient care experiences are hallmarks of the WesternU education. Clinical education begins during the first semester of the first year. Students participate in clerkship rotations from first through second year, advancing into greater involvement and more advanced levels of care. Every third-year student has exposure to not only comprehensive eye examinations but will also care for patients with ocular diseases, provide complicated contact lens fittings, and care for patients in pediatrics, and geriatrics. The third-year students also care for all aspects of rehabilitative services such as low vision, vision therapy, and neuro-rehabilitation. During the fourth year, the student externs are off campus at a variety of external rotation sites including affiliated private practices, co-management and referral centers, and Veteran Affairs facilities.
Published results include the performance of all first-time takers of each NBEO examination Part within the specified timeframe regardless of year of enrollment, year of graduation, or graduation status; first-time taker pass rates published on the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) website (link) are limited to candidates that have graduated.
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% |
Program Completion Licensing Examination Rates
The proportion of students completing all of a program’s curricular requirements within a calendar year who, by the end of that calendar year, are licensed, or have passed all parts of an examination series that would permit licensure, in the United States or Canada.
|
Calendar Year |
# of students who completed all program curricular requirements | # licensed or who passed all parts of an exam series that would permit licensure, in the United States or Canada | Program Completion Licensing Examination Pass Rate |
|
2025 |
65 |
24 |
36.9% |
WesternU College of Optometry (WUCO) students have demonstrated strong leadership within the College and within the optometric professional community.
The following College clubs have been actively involved in service to the College, the University and the local community. In the case of VOSH, WesternU students have traveled to Haiti, Mexico, Fiji and Peru to render service to those in need. WesternU Optometry students have also attained high-ranking positions in several national organizations.
WUCO students have established WesternU chapters of:
- American Academy of Optometry (AAO)
- American Optometric Student Association (AOSA)
- Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society (BSK)
- College of Optometric Vision Development (COVD)
- Fellowship of Christian Optometrists (FCO)
- Gold Key Honor Society
- Lions Club International
- National Optometric Student Association (NOSA)
- Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA)
- Optometric Extension Program (OEP)
- Optometry Private Practice Business Club (OPPB)
- Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (VOSH)
Each year students elect Liaisons to Optometric professional organizations as listed below:
- American Academy of Optometry (AAO)
- American Optometric Student Association (AOSA)
- American Optometric Association – Contact Lens and Cornea Section (AOA-CLCS)
- American Optometric Association – Sports Vision Section (AOA-SVS)
- American Optometric Association – Vision Rehabilitation Section (AOA-VRS)
- American Public Health Association (APHA)
- Armed Forces Optometric Society (AFOS)
- Asian American Optometric Society (AAOS)
- Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry (ARBO)
- Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
- California Optometric Association (COA)
- Inland Empire Optometric Society (IEOS)
- Los Angeles County Optometric Society (LACOS)
- National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO)
- Orange County Optometric Society (OCOS)
- Rio Hondo Optometric Society (RHOS)
- San Diego County Optometric Society (SDCOS)
- San Fernando Valley Optometric Society (SFVOS)
- San Gabriel Valley Optometric Society (SGVOS)
- South Bay Optometric Society (SBOS)
On the University level, Class officers also serve as Senators and have a voice in the University’s Student Government Association.
The University also provides opportunity for service and leadership through a wide variety of inter-professional student clubs and interest groups, which now number near 100 in total.