The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) has announced accreditation actions affecting professional optometric degree programs following its June 2026 meeting in Phoenix. Along the actions, the ACOE initiated the withdrawal of accreditation for one program and placed another on Accredited with Conditions status.
A complete list of accreditation actions and decisions from the ACOE’s June 2026 meeting is available on the Council’s website.
Accreditation Actions
The ACOE has initiated action to withdraw accreditation from the Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry professional optometric degree program. The University was notified of the decision July 17. According to the Council, the action was taken because the program remained out of compliance with Standard 2.7 of the 2025 Professional Optometric Degree Program Standards after a May 15, 2026, compliance deadline.
The decision will become final after 30 days unless the university submits a written petition or appeal. If the withdrawal becomes final, the ACOE may allow the program to remain in accredited status through a teach-out period to enable current students to complete their education or transfer to another program. That period would extend no later than July 1, 2030.
The ACOE also granted Accredited with Conditions status to the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions College of Optometric Medicine professional optometric degree program. According to the council, this status indicates a program has major deficiencies in accreditation standards that place its accreditation at risk. The program must report its progress toward compliance with Standards I, II, III, V, and VIII and undergo an interim site visit to assess compliance in spring 2030.
Ensuring Educational Standards
The ACOE, which accredits professional optometric degree, residency, and technician programs in the United States and Canada, says these decisions reflect its ongoing process of evaluating programs against accreditation standards designed to ensure educational quality and continuous improvement. Its standards are intended to ensure programs maintain qualified faculty, appropriate facilities, mission-aligned curricula, research and scholarly activity, fair admissions processes, and sufficient clinical training to prepare students for independent optometric practice.
According to the council, the accreditation process for a new professional optometric degree program typically spans more than six years and requires programs to meet specific standards at each stage before advancing.