University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO)

What University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) does

The University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO) is a public, state-supported optometry college within the University of Houston System, founded in 1952 and approaching its 75th anniversary in 2027. The institution delivers a four-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) professional degree, graduate research training (PhD, MS, and combined OD/MS) in physiological optics, post-graduate clinical residencies, and an annual Summer Research Program for predoctoral fellows. Clinical training and patient care are delivered through UH Health - Eye Care at the main Houston campus, the Cedar Springs Eye Clinic in Dallas, the Northside Eye Care Center inside a Fort Worth FQHC, and the Community Eye Clinic, collectively serving more than 50,000 patients annually.

Revenue is generated through four streams: tuition and program fees under University of Houston System pricing, clinical patient services billed through standard optometric and medical insurance, COPE-accredited continuing education delivered both in-person (CE in the Rockies) and synchronously online (FOCUS: Winter Live Webinar), and research grants primarily from NIH, Research to Prevent Blindness, and industry partners supporting faculty laboratories. Distribution is built around on-campus degree programs, multi-site clinical training, and a community-led recruitment motion including UHCOpen House, the HBCU Summit, and high-school partnerships such as South Texas ISD Medical Professions High School. Faculty-led research spans adaptive optics scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, optical coherence tomography, wavefront sensing, visual neuroscience, and computer-vision approaches for ocular disease detection, with 49 researchers presenting at the ARVO 2026 Annual Meeting.

Name

University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO)

Legal name

University of Houston College of Optometry

Website

https://opt.uh.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

University of Houston College of Optometry is a public optometry college within the University of Houston System, delivering OD, graduate, and residency programs, multi-site clinical eye care to 50,000+ patients annually, and NIH-funded vision science research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Optometric Education and Eye Care Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Schools of Optometry (EDAHAGAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB), Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN), Vision & Ophthalmic Diagnostic Centers (Optometry/OCT/Retinal Imaging) (HLAFAKAI)

Keywords

• Optometric education
• Vision science research
• Clinical eye care
• Optometry residency training
• Continuing optometric education

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Educational Programs: UHCO generates revenue through Doctor of Optometry degree programs, graduate programs (PhD, MS, combined OD/MS degrees), and clinical residency training programs. Tuition-based revenue supports operations and student education.
2. Patient Care Services: UHCO provides clinical eye care services through UH Health - Eye Care, serving more than 50,000 patients annually. Revenue from patient care supports clinical training and institutional operations.
3. Continuing Education: UHCO offers continuing education courses including CE in the Rockies (20-hour COPE accredited) and FOCUS: Winter Live Webinar (16-hour COPE accredited), generating revenue from practicing optometrists seeking professional development.
4. Research Grants and Funding: Faculty research is funded by NIH (National Institutes of Health), RPB (Research to Prevent Blindness), and other non-profit funding agencies and industry partners. Dr. Yoon's lab and Dr. O'Brien's lab are among those with sustained NIH funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UHCO delivers post-baccalaureate optometric education through a four-year Doctor of Optometry program with early clinical experience, graduate research degrees (PhD, MS, combined OD/MS), post-graduate clinical residency training, and an annual Summer Research Program. It also operates UH Health - Eye Care, providing comprehensive eye care to more than 50,000 patients annually, and offers COPE-accredited continuing education for practicing optometrists.

Product overview

University of Houston College of Optometry offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational programs and clinical services. The core offerings include a four-year Doctor of Optometry (OD) professional degree program with clinical experience beginning in year two; graduate programs (PhD, MS, combined OD/MS) in physiological optics for research-focused students; clinical residency training for post-graduate optometrists; and an annual Summer Research Program for predoctoral fellows. Additionally, UHCO operates UH Health Eye Care, providing patient services to over 50,000 patients annually, and offers continuing education courses for practicing optometrists through live conferences and online webinars.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Doctor of Optometry (OD) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 patients served annually through UH Health - Eye Care
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• UH HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026UH Health - Eye Care provides comprehensive eye care services at UHCO facilities, serving as the clinical training ground for optometry students and residents while providing care to over 50,000 patients annually.
• Cedar Springs Eye CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Community-based eye clinic operated by UHCO residents for specialized patient care, providing hands-on training opportunities for optometry residents.
• Northside Eye Care CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Partnership clinic of UHCO located inside a Federally Qualified Healthcare Center (FQHC) that serves under-privileged patients of Tarrant County community. Student externship site for UHCO with Dr. Mary Kate Walters serving as Clinic Director.
• Texas Optometric AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026Professional organization supporting optometry advocacy. Dr. Tommy Lucas encourages students and new practitioners to remain connected to organizations like TOA that strengthen the profession.
• UH System Board of RegentsflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026UHCO alum Dr. Tommy Lucas appointed to the University of Houston System Board of Regents by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, helping guide the future of the university system including UHCO.
• ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 June 2026International conference where UHCO students and faculty present research. 49 researchers delivered presentations at ARVO 2026 in Denver. ARVO provides professional development programs, travel and career grants for researchers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SUNY College of Optometry: Public-sector optometry college offering the OD degree, graduate programs, and an extensive urban eye care network (University Eye Center). Directly comparable as a publicly governed optometry school with integrated education, research, and high-volume clinical services.
• Salus University (Pennsylvania College of Optometry): Health sciences university with one of the country's oldest optometry programs (OD plus graduate degrees and residencies). Comparable in educational portfolio and clinical training structure to UHCO.
• New England College of Optometry: Private optometry college offering the OD program, graduate degrees, and residency training with affiliated clinical sites. Comparable in core educational mission and clinical training model, though private rather than public-governed like UHCO.
• Indiana University School of Optometry: Public university optometry school offering OD, MS, and PhD programs with substantial NIH-funded vision science research and on-site clinical operations. Highly comparable in educational scope, research depth, and clinical service model to UHCO.
• Illinois College of Optometry: Independent optometry school offering the OD program, residencies, and clinical services through the Illinois Eye Institute. Comparable to UHCO in educational scope and high-volume clinical operations, and a direct competitor for applicants.
• Southern College of Optometry: Private optometry college with OD program, graduate training, and the Eye Center clinical network serving tens of thousands of patients. Comparable in education-clinical integration and applicant competition with UHCO.
• The Ohio State University College of Optometry: Major public-university optometry school with OD, MS, and PhD programs, NIH-funded vision science research, and comprehensive clinical services. Comparable to UHCO in research emphasis, graduate training, and patient care footprint.
• University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry: One of the most prominent US optometry schools offering an OD program, graduate research training (PhD, MS), and clinical services through its on-campus eye center. Comparable to UHCO in mission (education + research + clinical care) and structure (public university-affiliated), and a direct competitor for faculty talent and student applicants.
• Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry: Private university optometry school offering OD, MS, PhD, and residency programs with on-site and community clinics. Comparable to UHCO in program mix and clinical training model.

Emerging players

• University of Pikeville - Kentucky College of Optometry: Newer optometry school focused on serving underserved rural and Appalachian communities through its OD program and clinical network. Comparable in OD education and community-clinic service model, and an emerging competitor for applicants and clinical footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UHOptometry
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uhoptometry/mycompany
• Instagraminstagram.com/uh_optometry/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 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 University of Houston College of Optometry (UHCO)