College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2024 Best Optometry Schools

21 Colleges in the United States
1,746 Optometry Degrees Awarded
$88,635 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, optometry sits in the middle of the road, ranking #194 out of 395 majors in the country. So, you may have to do some digging around to find quality schools that offer the degree program. This list can help with that.

College Factual reviewed 21 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of optometry. Combined, these schools handed out 1,746 degrees in optometry to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Optometry School

Best Optometry Schools The optometry program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Optometry rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for optometry schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Optometry Rankings by Degree Level

Doctor's Degrees in Optometry

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Optometry Schools list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Optometry in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the optometry degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Schools in Optometry

1
Salus University crest
Salus University
Elkins Park, PA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
147 Optometry Degrees Awarded
$97,412 Median Starting Salary

Every student pursuing a degree in optometry has to take a look at Salus University. Located in the large suburb of Elkins Park, Salus University is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population.

There were roughly 147 optometry students who graduated with this degree at Salus University in the most recent year we have data available. Optometry degree recipients from Salus University receive an earnings boost of approximately $8,777 above the average income of optometry graduates.

More information about a degree in optometry from Salus University

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
139 Optometry Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in optometry has to check out Illinois College of Optometry. Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois College of Optometry is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

There were approximately 139 optometry students who graduated with this degree at Illinois College of Optometry in the most recent data year. After graduating, optometry degree recipients usually make about $90,266 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in optometry from Illinois College of Optometry

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
84 Optometry Degrees Awarded
1.2% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Berkeley is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in optometry. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.

There were roughly 84 optometry students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the optometry program state that they receive average early career wages of $74,750.

More information about a degree in optometry from University of California - Berkeley

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In AZ
52 Optometry Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat Midwestern University - Glendale if you want to pursue a degree in optometry. Midwestern University - Glendale is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Glendale.

There were roughly 52 optometry students who graduated with this degree at Midwestern University - Glendale in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in optometry from Midwestern University - Glendale

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
70 Optometry Degrees Awarded
$95,538 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of Bloomington, IU Bloomington is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were approximately 70 optometry students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available. Those optometry students who get their degree from Indiana University - Bloomington earn $6,903 more than the typical optometry graduate.

More information about a degree in optometry from Indiana University - Bloomington

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
43 Optometry Degrees Awarded
4.7% Growth in Graduates

Midwestern University - Downers Grove is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Downers Grove.

There were approximately 43 optometry students who graduated with this degree at Midwestern University - Downers Grove in the most recent data year. Optometry degree recipients from Midwestern University - Downers Grove get an earnings boost of around $13,926 above the typical earnings of optometry graduates.

More information about a degree in optometry from Midwestern University - Downers Grove

7
Pacific crest
Pacific University
Forest Grove, OR
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
85 Optometry Degrees Awarded
$89,820 Median Starting Salary

Pacific is a small private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Forest Grove. A Best Colleges rank of #194 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Pacific is a great university overall.

There were about 85 optometry students who graduated with this degree at Pacific in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, optometry degree recipients generally earn an average of $89,820 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in optometry from Pacific University

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Optometry Degrees Awarded
4.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #69 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 optometry students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the optometry program report average early career earnings of $89,790.

More information about a degree in optometry from Ohio State University - Main Campus

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
92 Optometry Degrees Awarded
$91,785 Median Starting Salary

UH is a fairly large public university located in the city of Houston. A Best Colleges rank of #211 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UH is a great university overall.

There were about 92 optometry students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the optometry major at University of Houston make $3,150 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in optometry from University of Houston

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
96 Optometry Degrees Awarded
6.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large city of New York, SUNY Optometry is a public college with a fairly small student population.

There were approximately 96 optometry students who graduated with this degree at SUNY Optometry in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the optometry program report average early career wages of $81,001.

More information about a degree in optometry from SUNY College of Optometry

Optometry by Region

View the Best Optometry Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

One of 34 majors within the Health Professions area of study, Optometry has other similar majors worth exploring.

Optometry Concentrations

MajorAnnual Graduates
Optometry1,746

View All Optometry Focus Areas >

Related MajorAnnual Graduates
Nursing319,502
Health & Medical Administrative Services88,600
Practical Nursing & Nursing Assistants85,339
Allied Health Professions83,905
Allied Health & Medical Assisting Services83,587
Public Health41,651
Health Sciences & Services36,762
Rehabilitation & Therapeutic Professions30,594
Mental & Social Health Services30,331
Medicine29,089

View All Optometry Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options