by our College Data Analytics Team
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” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Optometry is the 194th most popular major in the country with 1,822 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, optometry graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $88,635 and had an average of $0 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Optometry Schools” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in optometry. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great optometry programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the optometry program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Optometry Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for optometry students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ferris State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools list. Ferris State University is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
Ferris also took the #16 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ferris State University is $12,213 for optometry students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools list. University of Houston 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 took the #7 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $13,721 for Optometry students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Salus University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Optometry Schools. Salus University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. It awarded 166 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Salus University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western University of Health Sciences. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools list. Western University of Health Sciences is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 75 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our optometry students list, Western University of Health Sciences has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Optometry Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY College of Optometry landed the #5 spot on the list. SUNY College of 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.
SUNY Optometry not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Northeastern State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools ranking, coming in at #6. Northeastern State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 28 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,094 for optometry students per year to attend Northeastern State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Northeastern State University
With a ranking of #7, University of Alabama at Birmingham did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools list. University of Alabama at Birmingham is located in Birmingham, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
UAB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Alabama at Birmingham is $16,530 for Optometry students.
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 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Pikeville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Optometry Schools list. University of Pikeville is a small school located in Pikeville, Kentucky that handed out 55 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
UPIKE also made our “Best Optometry Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for UPIKE is $13,785 for Optometry students.
University of the Incarnate Word came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Optometry Schools ranking. UIW is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 64 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. It costs about $23,126 for optometry students per year to attend University of the Incarnate Word.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 University of the Incarnate Word
With a ranking of #10, Nova Southeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools list. Fort Lauderdale, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 107 students in 2020-2021.
NUS Florida did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Nova Southeastern University is $25,833 for Optometry students.
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%.
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 84 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington also took the #4 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for optometry students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 83 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $16,032 for optometry students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national 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
University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools ranking, coming in at #13. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 47 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our optometry students list, UMSL has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $12,232 for Optometry students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at University of Missouri - St Louis
Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Forest Grove, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 88 degrees to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
Pacific not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific is $32,045 for optometry students.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 53 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students 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. It costs about $37,807 for optometry students per year to attend MCPHS University.
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 full report on Optometry at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Marshall B Ketchum University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Optometry Schools list. MBKU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
MBKU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list.
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.
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Optometry Schools list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 65 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for optometry students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Midwestern University - Glendale did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools ranking, coming in at #18. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Midwestern University - Glendale, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking.
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.
With a ranking of #19, Midwestern University - Downers Grove did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools list. Midwestern University - Downers Grove is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Downers Grove, Illinois. It awarded 41 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Midwestern University - Downers Grove did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list.
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.
Read full report on Optometry at Midwestern University - Downers Grove
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
