2022 Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Optometry is the 193rd most popular major in the country with 1,666 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, optometry graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $83,824 and had an average of $167,326 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 234 optometry graduates with average earnings and debt of $88,067 and $172,300 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 3 colleges that offer 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

#2 in overall quality

$10,203 Average Net Price

$46,964 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Houston is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 95 ’s optometry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region optometry students whose families make $0-$30k list, UH has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $10,203 for southwest region optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Optometry at UH

#2

Northeastern State University

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

#4 in overall quality

$7,614 Average Net Price

$39,093 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northeastern State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. NSU is a public institution located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern State University is $7,614 for southwest region optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Optometry at Northeastern State University

#3

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, Texas

#3 in overall quality

$21,597 Average Net Price

$49,167 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of the Incarnate Word. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 59 ’s optometry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region optometry students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIW has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Optometry Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIW is $21,597 for Southwest Region Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of the Incarnate Word Optometry Report

• Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k)

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

Footnotes

• *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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