The student population at Southern College of Optometry is 530 (all graduate). The number of students has increased by 2 (0.38%) over the past decade.
The average student population over the last 11 years is 532 where 530 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 5 year-over-year increases and 4 decreases. It peaked at 538 students in 2021 and was lowest at 525 in 2024. Overall, enrollment rose from 528 to 530 students, a net gain of 2 (0.4%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Southern College of Optometry since 2015.
| Year | Total | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 528 | 208 | 320 |
| 2016-17 | 530 2 | 198 -10 | 332 12 |
| 2017-18 | 534 4 | 183 -15 | 351 19 |
| 2018-19 | 533 -1 | 186 3 | 347 -4 |
| 2019-20 | 536 3 | 187 1 | 349 2 |
| 2020-21 | 538 2 | 183 -4 | 355 6 |
| 2021-22 | 537 -1 | 178 -5 | 359 4 |
| 2022-23 | 532 -5 | 166 -12 | 366 7 |
| 2023-24 | 525 -7 | 165 -1 | 360 -6 |
| 2024-25 | 530 5 | 171 6 | 359 -1 |
| Average | 532 | 183 | 350 |
The percentage of white students is 71.89%. The percentage was 81.82% 10 years ago and Southern College of Optometry still has a high percentage of white students. 14.15% of enrolled students is Asian and 3.21% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 2.64% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 81.82% to 71.89%. Asian enrollment grew from 8.90% to 14.15%. Black student enrollment increased from 2.84% to 3.21%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 0.95% to 2.64%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.4581 which indicates that somewhat diverse. This increased from 0.3202 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Southern College of Optometry over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
| Year | American Indian or Native American | Asian | Black | Hispanic | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | White | Two or More Races |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 0 | 47 | 15 | 5 | 0 | 432 | 21 |
| 2016-17 | 0 | 54 | 15 | 6 | 0 | 428 | 17 |
| 2017-18 | 0 | 62 | 15 | 4 | 0 | 426 | 17 |
| 2018-19 | 3 | 54 | 18 | 4 | 0 | 428 | 19 |
| 2019-20 | 3 | 69 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 413 | 19 |
| 2020-21 | 3 | 69 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 421 | 15 |
| 2021-22 | 5 | 72 | 21 | 2 | 0 | 419 | 12 |
| 2022-23 | 1 | 84 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 401 | 13 |
| 2023-24 | 1 | 80 | 18 | 11 | 0 | 395 | 9 |
| 2024-25 | 1 | 75 | 17 | 14 | 0 | 381 | 31 |
| Average | 2 | 67 | 18 | 6 | 0 | 414 | 17 |
Southern College of Optometry does not offer online degree/certificate programs. All Students have enrolled in on-campus programs.
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