2023 Best Optometry Colleges for Veterans
18
Ranked Colleges
1,822
Degrees Awarded
$30,600
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 1,822 people earned their degree in optometry, making the major the 302nd most popular in the United States.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in optometry. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great optometry programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the optometry program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry”.
Top 18 Best Optometry Colleges for Veterans
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Ohio State supports 61,369 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ohio State offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 84 students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. IU Bloomington offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at IU Bloomington]](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 105 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,382 of the 47,090 students enrolled at UH were GI Bill® students, of which 730 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,264. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Houston]](/colleges/university-of-houston/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #4 spot on the list. UAB is a public institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UAB also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 22,563 students enrolled at University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1,194 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 508 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,983. To help with additional expenses, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of the Incarnate Word. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. UIW 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.
In addition to being on our vets studying optometry list, UIW has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UIW supports 7,917 students, and 1,174 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 761 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,131. On top of their other funding sources, 87 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry ranking. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
UMSL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of Missouri - St Louis supports 13,874 students, and 314 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 228 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,355. In addition to receiving other benefits, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Missouri - St Louis Veteran Student Life Report
Nova Southeastern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry ranking, coming in at #7. Nova Southeastern University is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 107 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
NUS Florida not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 522 of the 20,888 students enrolled at NUS Florida were GI Bill® students, of which 335 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,213. To help with additional expenses, 70 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Nova Southeastern University]](/colleges/nova-southeastern-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #8, Ferris State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 37 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our vets studying optometry list, Ferris has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Ferris supports 11,165 students, and 377 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 189 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,426. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ferris does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Ferris]](/colleges/ferris-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
University of Pikeville did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry ranking, coming in at #9. Pikeville, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
UPIKE also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,240 students enrolled at University of Pikeville, 30 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,297. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Northeastern State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry ranking. Located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NSU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 304 of the 7,349 students enrolled at NSU were GI Bill® students, of which 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,801. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Northeastern State University]](/colleges/northeastern-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #11, Salus University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. Located in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 166 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
Salus University also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Salus University supports 1,280 students, and 9 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,267. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Salus University Veteran Student Life Report
SUNY College of Optometry did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry ranking, coming in at #12. SUNY Optometry is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 90 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our vets studying optometry list, SUNY Optometry has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 402 students enrolled at SUNY College of Optometry, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $15,179. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at SUNY Optometry]](/colleges/suny-college-of-optometry/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #13, Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. Pacific is located in Forest Grove, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our vets studying optometry list, Pacific has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Pacific supports 3,808 students, and 155 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 82 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,055. In addition to receiving other benefits, 45 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Pacific University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #14, Midwestern University - Downers Grove did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. Located in Downers Grove, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Midwestern University - Downers Grove, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 2,980 students enrolled at Midwestern University - Downers Grove, 17 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,360. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Midwestern University - Downers Grove]](/colleges/midwestern-university-downers-grove/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #15, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. MCPHS University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
MCPHS University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 7,501 students enrolled at MCPHS University, 16 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $26,279. During this same period, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #16, Western University of Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. Pomona, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.
Western University of Health Sciences not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 3,813 students enrolled at Western University of Health Sciences, 46 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 26 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,467. To help with additional expenses, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Western University of Health Sciences Veteran Student Life Report
Midwestern University - Glendale came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry ranking. Midwestern University - Glendale is a private not-for-profit institution located in Glendale, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Midwestern University - Glendale also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Midwestern University - Glendale supports 3,927 students, and 67 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 47 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,794. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Midwestern University - Glendale Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #18, Marshall B Ketchum University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry list. This small school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 98 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
MBKU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 738 students enrolled at Marshall B Ketchum University, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $22,108. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Marshall B Ketchum University Veteran Student Life Report
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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.
college factual
