2023 Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k)
13
Ranked Colleges
1,822
Degrees Awarded
$13,700
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Optometry is the 302nd most popular major in the country with 1,822 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in optometry. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent optometry programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the optometry program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The optometry school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 84 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Indiana University - Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. It costs about $8,450 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Optometry at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 65 degrees to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our optometry students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Ohio State University - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UH is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 105 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
UH also made our “Best Optometry Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $10,533 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at University of Houston
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ferris State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Big Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our optometry students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ferris has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $6,577 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Optometry at Ferris State University
With a ranking of #6, University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Missouri - St Louis is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
UMSL also took the #19 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,991 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at University of Missouri - St Louis
With a ranking of #7, Northeastern State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 28 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
NSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. It costs about $8,086 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at Northeastern State University
With a ranking of #8, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UAB, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,443 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Full UAB Optometry Report
Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Forest Grove, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 88 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pacific, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,387 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pacific University.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at Pacific
Nova Southeastern University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 107 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
NUS Florida not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. It costs about $21,326 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Nova Southeastern University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Nova Southeastern University
University of the Incarnate Word did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of the Incarnate Word is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
UIW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIW is $21,298 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UIW Optometry Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Pikeville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pikeville, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
UPIKE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UPIKE is $11,096 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Optometry at UPIKE
With a ranking of #13, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MCPHS University, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is $33,365 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
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Notes and References
References
- 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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