Best Optometry Colleges in India 2026: Ranking, Fees, Admission, Courses, Placements

About 300+ best Optometry colleges are there in India. Of these,  228 colleges are privately owned, 30 colleges are owned by public/government organisations, and public-private entities own 6 colleges. Some of the top Optometry colleges in India include AIIMS Delhi, CMC Vellore, Jamia Hamdard, JIPMER Puducherry, AIIMS Rishikesh, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, LPU, KGMU, AIIMS Jodhpur, Chandigarh University, SOA University, Maharishi Markandeshwar University, Mullana, and many others. Students can secure admission after passing Class 12 boards or through entrance exams like CUET, CUET PG, etc.

According to NIRF ranking 2024, under “Medical” category, AIIMS Delhi emerged be as the No. 1 Optometry college in India by securing 1^st position followed by CMC Vellore and JIPMER Puducherry.

As per NIRF ranking 2024, AIIMS Delhi emerged to be as the top Optometry college in India. Some of the other colleges are mentioned below along with their tuition fees:

Top Colleges	NIRF 2022	NIRF 2023	NIRF 2024
All India Institute of Medical Sciences Ranking	1	1
Christian Medical College Ranking	3	3
JIPMER Puducherry Ranking	6	5	5
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences Ranking	25	18	12
KGMU Ranking	11	12	19

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website of the ranking body listed and may vary.

Optometry course is a professional course in healthcare domain that deals with measuring vision and diagnosis and treatment of vision-related ailments, among others. Duration of undergraduate Optometry courses is four years and that of postgraduate level is two years. 

Optometry subjects involve both theoretical as well as practical classes. An internship or training of six months to one year is also mandatory for successful completion of this course. 

AIIMS Delhi is India's premier medical institution celebrated for its unparalleled clinical exposure, groundbreaking research & highly subsidised world-class healthcare. It consistently ranks as the top medical college in the country by the NIRF & is recognised globally for producing exceptional doctors & medical scientists.

It has premier centers dedicated to cardiology, neurosciences, ophthalmology & trauma care allowing for advanced, multidisciplinary clinical exposure rarely found elsewhere.

Career options in after Optometry is wide and in huge demand both in India and abroad. Optometrists can work as post-secondary teachers, occupational/industrial safety programs, consultants in eye care industry or do research in optometry colleges. Optometrists can also set up their own private clinics & work independently.

They can also choose a career in sports vision, public health and government service or community health centers. Regards.

Yes, there are many affordable Optometry colleges in India. Some of them are mentioned below having tuition fees of less than INR 1 lakh:

Low-cost Colleges	Tuition Fee
AIIMS Delhi	INR 1,200
CMC Vellore	INR 1,800
JIPMER Puducherry	INR 4,800
KGMU	INR 48,000
GMCH Chandigarh	INR 38,000

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website.

The Optometry salary in India can always vary depending on the various factors such as the location, experience and even the type of practice (private clinic, hospital, corporate eye care chain), and level of education. 

• Entry-Level: INR 2-4 LPA

• Mid-Level: INR 4-6 LPA 

• Senior-Level: INR 6-10 LPA

Yes, joining the best Optometry colleges in India can be worthwhile for you. For that, you need to check its ROI. Listed below are some colleges along with their tuition fees and average placement package:

College Names	Tuition Fee	Average Placement Package
AIIMS Delhi Courses	INR 1,200	INR 24 LPA
Jamia Hamdard Courses	INR 2 lakh	INR 6 LPA
JIPMER Puducherry Courses	INR 4,800	INR 8 LPA
SIMTS Chennai Courses	INR 5 lakh	INR 4 LPA
SOA University Courses	INR 3 lakh	INR 4 LPA

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website / media reports/ NIRF website and may vary.

CMC, Vellore is a private college that is ranked number three (3) by NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) in the year 2025 under the medical colleges category. This college offers various UG, PG, diploma, & various other courses for students interested in pursuing Nursing, Medicine, Allied Health Sciences, & various other streams.  Christian Medical College, Vellore also offers distance education for UG (undergraduate), PG & other courses. 

Yes, an optometrist has a doctorate-level degree in optometry which is also known as a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree.

The Doctor of Optometry degree is a professional doctoral degree that enables individuals to practice Optometry which is called the field of healthcare focused on the examination, diagnosis, treatment and even management of vision and eye-related disorders.

 

Yes, there are many private Optometry colleges in India. Some of them are mentioned below along with their tuition fees:

Private Colleges	Tuition Fee
CMC Vellore Admission	INR 1,800
Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences Admission	INR 5 lakh
LPU Admission	INR 5 lakh
Chandigarh University Admission	INR 2 Lacs – INR 5 lakh
SOA University Admission	INR 3 lakh

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website and may vary.

BOptometry and BSc Optometry are two different courses that come under Optometry. Candidates can see table below to see comparison between two courses -

Yes, there are many government Optometry colleges in India. Some of them are mentioned below along with their tuition fees:

Public/Govt. Colleges	Tuition Fee
AIIMS Delhi Admission	INR 1,200
Jamia Hamdard Admission	INR 2 lakh
JIPMER Puducherry Admission	INR 4,800
AIIMS Rishikesh Admission	INR 1 lakh
KGMU Admission	INR 48,000

Disclaimer: This information is sourced from official website and may vary.

5% of the seats are reserved horizontally to PwD students as per the rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. If no eligible,  students are available for a seat allotted for PwBD under a category, the seat will be filled by various students from the same category. eg an unfilled UR-PwBD seat will be filled
based on merit by an eligible student from UR category.
The no. & distribution of seats may vary depending upon the periodic directives
decisions from the competent authority & Government of India.

You have multiple options to look forward to after graduating from an Optometry degree. The basics being working at a government hospital or at a private clinic. After gaining enough skills and experience, you can also set up your own practice.

Academically speaking, You can go the usual route with doing a UG and PG degree, then pursuing a PhD in Optometry. After this you can teach Optometry subjects at any medical college. Since eyes are one of most important human organs, optometrists can look forward to a career that offers enormous scope for growth and a wide range of options for practice in future.

Yes, practical training and internships are an essential part of the BSc Optometry course. These hands-on experiences allow students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings and develop the necessary skills to perform eye examinations, diagnose visual problems, and recommend corrective measures. 

Internships typically take place in the final year, providing exposure to patient care, optometric instruments, and various vision correction techniques. This practical training is crucial for building confidence and proficiency before entering the workforce.

BSc Optometry is not a doctorate. It is an undergraduate degree. It does not make graduates eligible for surgeries either. The term 'doctor' is for individuals who have earned a doctoral degree. 

The best government colleges for BSc Optometry have good infrastructure and high-quality education.

• AIIMS Delhi
• JIPMER 
• AIIMS Rishikesh
• Pt. Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences
• Christian Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana
• MUHS
• Kerala University of Health Sciences

Source - Multiple external / official sites on the web hence the data may/ may not vary.

King George's Medical University application window is open. Eligible students can go through the steps here to complete the King George's Medical University application process:

1. Go to the KGMU main site and apply.
2. Login and then fill the application form.
3. Pay an application fee and submit the form.

Lovely Professional University has a strong record of placements for courses like BTech, BBA, BCA, BArch, MBA, MCA, etc. Currently, the highest package offered during LPU placements in 2025 was INR 49.4 LPA. The LPU average package offered to the top 25% students of the batch 2025 was INR 10.23 LPA. The key highlights of LPU placements for the Class of 2023, 2024 and 2025 are tabulated below:

Particulars	Placement Statistics (2023)	Placement Statistics (2024)	Placement Statistics (2025)
Highest package	INR 54.75 LPA	INR 53 LPA	INR 49.4 LPA
Average package	INR 7 LPA (MBA, BTech CSE)	INR 7.80 (MBA) INR 7.92 LPA (BTech CSE)	INR 10.23 LPA (top 25%)
Total recruiters	1,107	1,611	2,225+
Total offers	5,500+	7,443	6,000+

The hostel life of Chandigarh University is quite vibrant as the uiversity provides modern amenities with state-of-the-art infrastructure to its students. CU Chandigarh provides a transport facility, banking facility, the university library and several other facilities to its students which include:

• Academics: CU University Chandigarh has 14 academic blocks which consists of labs and classrooms with hi-tech equipment and resources.
• Hostel: Separate hostel facilities are available for both boys and girls. CU hostels provide several services to residents which include TV, Internet, a common room, a music room, indoor games, and a reading room. The hostels have gyms, a basketball court, and an attached mess for dining.
• Library: The university has a Central Library and 14 other libraries across other academic blocks. There are over 120,000 books, 860,000 e-books, and more than 26,000 journals in the library.
• Health Care: Chandigarh University has a highly qualified medical team to deal with any kind of medical emergency.

Yes, Siksha O Anusandhan provides scholarships to the deserving candidates. The scholarships is based on the academic performance of the students with a minimum CGPA of 8.0. Students must have 80% attendance in each semester. There is no adverse remark against the candidates.

Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research (DMIHER) offers scholarships, fee waivers, and freeships based on academic merit, financial need, and reserved categories.

• Merit-Based Scholarship: Students with 90% or above in 10th or 12th grade, or 75% or above in an undergraduate degree, can receive an INR 50,000 concession on their first-semester tuition fee.
• Dr. APJ Abdul Scholarship Scheme: Institutional freeship provided to eligible students meeting specific academic or criteria guidelines.
• Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Freeship & Rewards Scheme: Merit and reward-based financial assistance scheme.
• National Scholarship Portal (NSP): Eligible students can apply for central and state government scholarships via NSP.

AIIMS Jodhpur admission is done on the basis of entrance exams. The first step would be to visit the official website of AIIMS Jodhpur and check which exam is valid for their course. The next step would be to appear in the exam and take part in counselling. Then only candidate is eligible to take admission in AIIMS Jodhpur.

Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research has been rated 4.7 for faculty as per reviews by students. This represents that Institute has decent, qualified and experienced faculty members.

Maharishi Markandeshwar University Mullana admission is based on merit and entrance exams. The university accepts national and state-level entrance exams such as JEE Mains, NEET-UG, MAT, CMAT, GATE, and others. Aspiring candidates must qualify for the eligibility criteria set by the university for the desired course. MMU Mullana course admission begins through online mode.

Application fee for NEET-UG for admission in AIIMS Bhopal varies according to the category of the student. Details are given in the following table:

Category	Application Fee
General	INR 1,700
OBC	INR 1,600
SC /ST, Persons with Disability	INR 1,000
Outside India	INR 9,500

GMCH Chandigarh has a well-equipped campus with the required facilities to improve student's learning experience. It has 5 Hospital blocks, Central library, Seminar and lecture halls, Cafeteria, etc. The hospital is well facilitated with emergency areas for various specialties, ICU, operation theatres, private wards, canteen, etc. The Chandigarh Medical College offers hostel facilities and other facilities to the students.

Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research offers many scholarships such as Founder-Chancellor Merit-cum-Means Scholarship, Founder-Chancellor Cash Award, Hospital Ward Technician Course, Chancellor Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowships, Founder-Chancellor Fellowships for PhD. Candidates and Publication Support Grant. Students can avail of the scholarships only if they meet the eligibility criteria. After meeting the eligibility criteria, students are awarded the scholarship amount. Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research scholarship amount is awarded for a fixed period of time, that is, till the completion of the course. The eligibility criteria for SRIHER scholarships are given below:

Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria
Founder-Chancellor Merit-cum-Means Scholarship	Students should have passed the previous year/semester’s university exam on the first attempt and are pursuing 2nd year UG Paramedical programme
Founder-Chancellor Cash Award	Students who have obtained the highest marks in the 1st-year undergraduate programme university examination