2026 Best Value Optometric Technician/Assistant Associate’s Degree Schools
[Optometric Technician/Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/ophthalmic-optometric-support-services/optometric-technician-assistant/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 22 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for optometric technician/assistant students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Optometric Technician/Assistant Schools in the United States
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the optometric technician/assistant degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Optometric Technician/Assistant Schools
For return on investment in optometric technician/assistant, no school beat Durham Technical Community College this year. Set in the city of Durham, Durham Technical Community College is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $2,240 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $7,531. Typical student debt for optometric technician/assistant graduates is $20,408. Soon after graduation, optometric technician/assistant degree recipients from Durham Technical Community College generally make around $61,860. That is a strong return on a $20,408 median debt.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Hillsborough Community College earned it the #2 place for optometric technician/assistant. Hillsborough Community College is a very large public school located in the city of Tampa. Students from in state pay about $2,491 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $9,088. Students borrow a median of $19,464 to complete the optometric technician/assistant program here. Soon after graduation, optometric technician/assistant degree recipients from Hillsborough Community College generally make around $44,101. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Ponce came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value optometric technician/assistant schools. Located in the rural area of Mercedita, Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Ponce is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $5,780 in tuition and fees. Optometric Technician/assistant graduates carry a median of $7,869 in student loans. Optometric Technician/assistant graduates of Inter American University Of Puerto Rico Ponce earn a median of $17,850 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $7,869 median debt. The acceptance rate is 34%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Columbia Centro Universitario Caguas earned it the #4 place for optometric technician/assistant. Set in the city of Caguas, Columbia Centro Universitario Caguas is a mid-sized private for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,400. Optometric Technician/assistant graduates carry a median of $13,875 in student loans. Early-career optometric technician/assistant graduates make about $18,613. That is a strong return on a $13,875 median debt.
Other Optometric Technician/Assistant Degree Levels
Looking for a different degree level? Compare best-value Optometric Technician/Assistant rankings across degree levels:
View All Optometric Technician/Assistant Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 22 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.
