By 1928, the New York Stare saw the benefit of Columbia's program and passed a bill allowing only graduates of a university-affiliated school of optometry to qualify for the state board exam.

OCNY served as an eye care clinic and continuing optometric education center after the optometry program at Columbia closed.

[5] After over a decade of lobbying by OCNY, Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed a bill on April 14, 1971, that officially established the State University of New York College of Optometry.

The building is where music composer George Gershwin debuted one of his most famous works, Rhapsody in Blue, on February 12, 1924.

[11] SUNY Optometry commemorated the 100th anniversary of Rhapsody in Blue with a special performance of the work on February 12, 2024.

[12] In 2024, the Optometric Center of New York (OCNY) was renamed The SUNY College of Optometry Foundation to better align with the organization's mission of support eye care, vision research, and optometric education though the work of SUNY Optometry and the University Eye Center.

[15] An MBA in business management or healthcare leadership is available through a joint program with SUNY Empire State University.

Current research at the college includes molecular and cellular biology, genetics, ocular structure and function, visual neuroscience, eye movements, neural plasticity, visual psychophysics, eye development, neuroprotection, accommodation and refractive error, and models of ocular pathology.