Illinois College of Optometry

What Illinois College of Optometry does

Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) is a private, nonprofit optometric institution founded in 1872 in Chicago, Illinois, offering a four-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree program. As one of the world's oldest optometric colleges—originating as the Chicago College of Ophthalmology and Otology and renamed ICO in 1972—the institution is accredited by both the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) and the Higher Learning Commission. ICO serves approximately 104-132 students per cohort, with students beginning clinical training in their first year at the on-site Illinois Eye Institute (IEI), a wholly-owned teaching clinic that handles over 85,000 patient visits annually. The Class of 2023 alone completed over 180,000 patient encounters during their training.

The institution operates an integrated educational and clinical platform with several distinct revenue streams: (1) tuition and fees for the four-year OD program, (2) clinical services delivered through the IEI, (3) quarterly continuing education events (in-person and online) for practicing optometrists, and (4) alumni donations that fund scholarships (the Class of 2024 received over $250,000 in awards). Supporting products include the ICO Library (powered by Primo/Ex Libris with VisionCite and PubMed access), the ICO Alumni Association and ICO Matters magazine, ICO Job Opportunities (a dedicated OD career platform), on-campus Residential Complex housing for up to 200 students, and pipeline programs such as Focus on Your Future and the White Coat Project. In 2023, ICO introduced CeDiploma and CeCertificate digital credentials via CeCredentialTrust.

ICO's customer base spans four segments: prospective optometry students (primary), IEI patients, alumni (a network exceeding 8,000 graduates including legacy cohorts from MCO, CCO, and NICO), and practicing optometrists consuming continuing education. The institution is governed by a Board of Trustees dominated by OD alumni and FAAO-credentialed optometrists, with Dr. Mark K. Colip (ICO Class of '92) serving as the sixth president since 2019. ICO is independent, with no parent company or venture capital ownership, and operates as a 501(c)-style educational nonprofit headquartered at 3241 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago.

Name

Illinois College of Optometry

Legal name

Illinois College of Optometry

Website

https://ico.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1872

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Illinois College of Optometry is a private, nonprofit Chicago-based institution founded in 1872 that offers a four-year Doctor of Optometry program with integrated clinical training at the Illinois Eye Institute, serving approximately 104-132 students per cohort alongside 85,000+ annual patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optometric Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Offices of Optometrists (62132), Offices of Optometrists (621320)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Optometry (EDAHAGAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB), Ophthalmic/Optometric Assisting (EDAOAJAK)

Keywords

• Optometric education
• Doctor of optometry
• Clinical optometry training
• Continuing education optometry
• Eye care clinic

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition and fees for the four-year Doctor of Optometry program
2. Clinical Services (Illinois Eye Institute): Patient care services at the Illinois Eye Institute, which handles over 85,000 patient visits annually
3. Continuing Education: Quarterly continuing education events (in-person and online) for practicing optometrists requiring compliance hours
4. Alumni Donations: Charitable contributions from alumni supporting scholarships and institutional programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Illinois College of Optometry delivers a four-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) professional degree program, combining didactic coursework with extensive clinical training that begins in year one at the on-site Illinois Eye Institute. The institution also provides patient eye care services through the Illinois Eye Institute (85,000+ patient visits annually), continuing education for practicing optometrists, alumni services, and on-campus student housing.

Product overview

Illinois College of Optometry (ICO) is a single-institution optometric college offering a four-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree as its core product. The institution operates as a unified platform with integrated components: the ICO OD Program provides the academic curriculum; the Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) serves as the primary teaching clinic where students gain clinical experience from year one; and the ICO Library provides specialized research and learning resources through a Primo-based catalog. ICO also delivers a suite of supporting services including Continuing Education for practicing optometrists, Digital Diplomas & Certificates (via CeCredentialTrust), the ICO Alumni Association with the ICO Matters magazine, ICO Job Opportunities for career placement, the Residential Complex for student housing, and outreach programs such as Focus on Your Future, the White Coat Project, the Practice Opportunities Symposium, and ceremonial events (White Coat Ceremony and Commencement). Together, these products form a complete educational ecosystem from prospective student recruitment through alumni engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illinois Eye Institute: The primary clinical facility operated by ICO providing patient eye care services with over 85,000 patient visits annually.

Products and services

• Doctor of Optometry (OD) Degree Program A four-year professional doctorate program in optometry at Illinois College of Optometry. The curriculum combines didactic coursework with extensive clinical training at the Illinois Eye Institute from year one, preparing graduates to become Doctors of Optometry.
• Illinois Eye Institute (IEI) Clinical Services The primary teaching clinic of ICO and a major eye care facility in Chicago, hosting over 85,000 patient visits annually. The clinic provides comprehensive optometric and ophthalmologic services to patients while providing clinical training for ICO students from year one.
• Continuing Education Program Quarterly continuing education events (both in-person and online) for practicing optometrists needing compliance hours. Includes certified and regular courses and an annual Glaucoma-focused symposium.
• Residential Complex (On-Campus Housing) On-campus housing for up to 200 students, located across the street from ICO. Offers suite-style accommodations (single and double bedrooms) on floors 1-3, and one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments on the fourth floor, with amenities including a rooftop terrace, pool table, and study lounges.
• Digital Diplomas & Certificates (CeDiploma/CeCertificate) Certified electronic credentials issued through the CeCredentialTrust platform. These verifiable PDF diplomas can be shared unlimitedly, validated online, and include a unique CeDiD identifier. Available to graduates from 2023 forward and purchasable by pre-2023 graduates.
• ICO Library A specialized library serving ICO optometry students, faculty, residents, clinicians, and alumni. Offers extensive collections of books, e-books, journals, e-journals, databases (VisionCite, PubMed), media, anatomical models, equipment, and laptops, accessible via a Primo-based catalog.
• ICO Alumni Association The alumni organization for ICO graduates, offering exclusive content, networking, career opportunities, the ICO Marketplace, social spaces, continuing education events, and the Alumni Council for governance and outreach.
• ICO Job Opportunities (Career Platform) A dedicated career platform exclusively for OD (Doctor of Optometry) opportunities, allowing students and alumni to search for positions and businesses to post job listings for optometrists.
• Focus on Your Future (FOYF) Pre-Optometry Program A week-long introduction program for undergraduates providing exposure to ICO and the optometry profession, including sample lectures, facility tours, networking, and admissions overview. Scheduled for July 13-17, 2026.
• White Coat Project Outreach Program An initiative aimed at inspiring college students to pursue careers in optometry and other health professions. Includes the Pre-Health Professions Crash Course and partners with organizations like Chicago Scholars to reach high-risk and underrepresented populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 85,000 patient visits annually at the Illinois Eye Institute
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Chicago ScholarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICO partners with Chicago Scholars for the White Coat Project, an initiative to inspire high school and undergraduate students to pursue careers in optometry and other health professions. Chicago Scholars provides access to students who are first-generation college students and/or underrepresented minorities from their yearly cohort of over 200 students.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Michigan College of Optometry (Ferris State University): Public optometry college at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, MI, offering a four-year OD program. Comparable in mission and program structure, smaller scale.
• The Ohio State University College of Optometry: Public optometry school in Columbus, OH, with a four-year OD program and on-site clinics. Comparable in academic scope, though embedded in a larger research university.
• New England College of Optometry: Private, nonprofit optometry school in Boston, MA, with a four-year OD program and urban clinical training facilities. Comparable to ICO in size, structure, urban location, and clinical training model.
• Southern College of Optometry: Private, nonprofit optometry school in Memphis, TN, offering a four-year OD program with an on-site teaching clinic (The Eye Center). Closest direct comparable to ICO in mission, structure, and standalone nonprofit model.
• State University of New York College of Optometry: Public optometry school in New York City offering a four-year OD program with the University Eye Center. Direct peer with similar urban location, clinical scale, and research mission.
• University of Houston College of Optometry: Public optometry school in Houston, TX, with the University Eye Institute. Comparable in OD curriculum, clinical training model, and patient volume, though embedded in a larger university.
• Pacific University College of Optometry: Private optometry program in Forest Grove, OR, part of Pacific University. Comparable in OD program structure, with on-site clinical training and alumni-driven mission.
• University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry: Public optometry school at UAB with a four-year OD program and on-site clinical services. Comparable OD program with embedded university research resources.
• Indiana University School of Optometry: Public optometry school in Bloomington, IN, offering a four-year OD program with the Atwater Eye Care Center. Direct comparable on program, clinical training, and accreditation model.
• Marshall B. Ketchum University (Southern California College of Optometry): Private, nonprofit health sciences university in Fullerton, CA, housing the Southern California College of Optometry. Comparable standalone private optometry college with clinical training facilities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ICOoptometry
• Facebookfacebook.com/400752138798
• Instagraminstagram.com/ico_optometry
• Xx.com/ICO_Optometry

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois College of Optometry