by our College Data Analytics Team
[Optometry](/majors/health-care-professions/optometry/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the early-career earnings of their optometry graduates.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send optometry graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Our analysis ranked Northeastern State University the top school for optometry graduate earnings in the Southwest Region. Located in the town of Tahlequah, Northeastern State University is a public institution. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $128,096.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Houston earned it the #2 place for optometry. Set in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a public institution. Early-career optometry graduates from University Of Houston make a median of around $110,688 per year.
A rank of #3 makes University Of The Incarnate Word one of the highest-paying schools for optometry. University Of The Incarnate Word is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of San Antonio. After graduating, optometry degree recipients from University Of The Incarnate Word typically earn about $117,970 annually.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries optometry graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 3 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.