Southern College of Optometry

What are the graduation rates for students at Southern College of Optometry?

The standard undergraduate four-year and six-year graduation-rate measures are not useful substitutes for SCO's OD completion outcomes. SCO primarily enrolls professional students, while those federal undergraduate measures follow specified cohorts of first-time, full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking students.

For an OD applicant, more relevant questions are how many students in an entering OD class finish the program, how long completion takes, and how students perform on the examinations required for licensure. Those measures should be read with their cohort years and definitions: completing the degree, passing an exam, and obtaining a license are related but distinct outcomes. A delayed graduation can also increase living expenses and borrowing.

What is the earning potential for graduates at Southern College of Optometry?

An OD degree can lead to work as an optometrist, but no single salary figure describes the likely outcome for every SCO graduate. Pay varies with location, experience, hours worked, practice setting, and whether an optometrist is an employee or a practice owner.

Applicants comparing earnings information should check whether a reported figure measures graduates shortly after completion, licensed optometrists across all career stages, or only people with earnings found in a particular dataset. Those populations are not interchangeable. A sound financial comparison also considers borrowing, interest, licensing expenses, and any additional time spent in residency; reported earnings are not a guarantee of employment or pay.