2023 Most Focused Colleges for Optometry
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Ranked Colleges
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When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Optometry is the 302nd most popular major in the country with 1,746 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in optometry. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their optometry program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Optometry Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for optometry students.
Top 23 Most Focused Colleges for Optometry
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois College of Optometry. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. Illinois College of Optometry is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 139 ’s optometry degrees in 2021-2022.
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.
Read full report on Optometry at Illinois College of Optometry
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Inter American University of Puerto Rico - School of Optometry. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major. Inter American University of Puerto Rico - School of Optometry is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - School of Optometry
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern College of Optometry. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major. Southern College of Optometry is a small school located in Memphis, Tennessee that handed out 124 ’s optometry degrees in 2021-2022.
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 Southern College of Optometry
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend New England College of Optometry. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major. New England College of Optometry is a small school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 118 ’s optometry degrees in 2021-2022.
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 more about Optometry at New England College of Optometry
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY College of Optometry. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. New York, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 96 students in 2021-2022.
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 SUNY College of Optometry Optometry Report
With a ranking of #6, Marshall B Ketchum University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. Marshall B Ketchum University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 104 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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 more about Optometry at Marshall B Ketchum University
Salus University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. Salus University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 147 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.
Full Salus University Optometry Report
University of Pikeville ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. Pikeville, Kentucky is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 79 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 UPIKE
Western University of Health Sciences landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. Western University of Health Sciences is a small school located in Pomona, California that handed out 75 ’s optometry degrees in 2021-2022.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at Western University of Health Sciences
With a ranking of #10, Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. Located in Forest Grove, Oregon, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 85 degrees to qualified ’s optometry students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Pacific University Optometry Report
With a ranking of #11, Midwestern University - Downers Grove did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. Midwestern University - Downers Grove is a private not-for-profit institution located in Downers Grove, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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 Midwestern University - Downers Grove Optometry Report
Midwestern University - Glendale ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. Glendale, Arizona is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 52 students in 2021-2022.
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 Optometry at Midwestern University - Glendale
University of the Incarnate Word landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. University of the Incarnate Word is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full UIW Optometry Report
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. MCPHS University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full MCPHS University Optometry Report
Nova Southeastern University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. NUS Florida is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 95 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at NUS Florida
University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking, coming in at #16. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 37 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at University of Missouri - St Louis
Northeastern State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. NSU is a medium-sized public school situated in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. It awarded 28 ’s optometry degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full NSU Optometry Report
Ferris State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. Located in Big Rapids, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 35 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Ferris
University of Houston came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 92 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Optometry at UH
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. UAB is a public institution located in Birmingham, Alabama. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at University of Alabama at Birmingham
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 70 ’s optometry degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of California - Berkeley landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 University of California - Berkeley
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Optometry Major ranking, coming in at #23. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 68 ’s optometry degrees to qualified 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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Ohio State
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.
