2027 Best Value Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region

[Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician](/majors/health-care-professions/ophthalmic-optometric-support-services/opticianry-ophthalmic-dispensing-optician/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician students.
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2027 Best Value Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Opticianry/Ophthalmic Dispensing Optician Schools
For return on investment in opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician, no school beat Essex County College this year. Set in the city of Newark, Essex County College is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $5,415, compared with $9,523 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $12,472 to complete the opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician program here. Soon after graduation, opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician degree recipients from Essex County College generally make around $37,740. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Cuny New York City College Of Technology is a great value for students pursuing a degree in opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the city of Brooklyn, Cuny New York City College Of Technology is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $7,332, while out-of-state students pay about $15,282. Opticianry/ophthalmic Dispensing Optician graduates carry a median of $11,492 in student loans. Early-career opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician graduates make about $29,187. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 80%.
Raritan Valley Community College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the rural area of Branchburg, Raritan Valley Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $5,664 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,584. Typical student debt for opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician graduates is $9,668. Early-career opticianry/ophthalmic dispensing optician graduates make about $47,248. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.