2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate
18
Ranked Colleges
1,803
Degrees Awarded
$30,600
Avg Cost*
When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 1,822 people earned their degree in optometry, making the major the 302nd most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in optometry. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality optometry programs as well as strong veteran support.
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.
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 “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree vets studying optometry.
Top 18 Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 65 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9.Of the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State University - Main Campus, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ohio State University - Main Campus does offer 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. IU Bloomington offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read More…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 105 degrees to qualified doctorate’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,264. On top of their other funding sources, 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 86%.
Full University of Houston Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Alabama at Birmingham. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. University of Alabama at Birmingham is a large school located in Birmingham, Alabama that handed out 50 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
UAB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 1,194 of the 22,563 students enrolled at University of Alabama at Birmingham were GI Bill® students, of which 508 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,983. In addition to receiving other benefits, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 UAB]](/colleges/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of the Incarnate Word landed the #5 spot on the list. University of the Incarnate Word is a medium-sized school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 64 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIW, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of the Incarnate Word 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. To help with additional expenses, 87 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of the Incarnate Word]](/colleges/university-of-the-incarnate-word/student-life/veterans/)
University of Missouri - St Louis ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMSL, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 314 of the 13,874 students enrolled at University of Missouri - St Louis were GI Bill® students, of which 228 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,355. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Missouri - St Louis 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%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Missouri - St Louis]](/colleges/university-of-missouri-st-louis/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #7, Nova Southeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it awarded 107 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
NUS Florida also took the #15 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 20,888 students enrolled at NUS Florida, 522 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 70 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. NUS Florida offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at NUS Florida]](/colleges/nova-southeastern-university/student-life/veterans/)
Ferris State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. Ferris State University is a fairly large public school situated in Big Rapids, Michigan. It awarded 37 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Ferris also made our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16.Our most recent data shows that 377 of the 11,165 students enrolled at Ferris State University were GI Bill® students, of which 189 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,426. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ferris State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
University of Pikeville came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. This small school is located in Pikeville, Kentucky, and it awarded 55 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPIKE, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 2,240 students enrolled at UPIKE, 30 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,297. 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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Pikeville]](/colleges/pikeville-college/student-life/veterans/)
Northeastern State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. Northeastern State University is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree vets studying optometry list, NSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 7,349 students enrolled at Northeastern State University, 304 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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 qualified for 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 More…
Salus University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. Salus University is a small school located in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania that handed out 166 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Salus University also took the #1 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 1,280 students enrolled at Salus University, 9 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,267. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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. 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 Salus University Veteran Student Life Report
SUNY College of Optometry landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. SUNY College of Optometry is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 90 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Optometry not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 402 students enrolled at SUNY Optometry were GI Bill® students, of which 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. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. 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 SUNY Optometry]](/colleges/suny-college-of-optometry/student-life/veterans/)
Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Forest Grove, Oregon, and it awarded 88 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Pacific also took the #6 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 155 of the 3,808 students enrolled at Pacific University were GI Bill® students, of which 82 were 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 received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Pacific University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
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%. 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.
Read More…
Midwestern University - Downers Grove came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. Midwestern University - Downers Grove is located in Downers Grove, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Midwestern University - Downers Grove, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 17 of the 2,980 students enrolled at Midwestern University - Downers Grove were GI Bill® students, of which 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. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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.
Full Midwestern University - Downers Grove Veteran Student Life Report
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 53 doctorate’s optometry degrees 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 Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences supports 7,501 students, and 16 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 7 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $26,279. During this same period, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…
Western University of Health Sciences landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. Western University of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 75 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western University of Health Sciences, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 3,813 students enrolled at Western University of Health Sciences, 46 are 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. During this same period, 15 students received scholarships 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%. 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…
Midwestern University - Glendale came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. Midwestern University - Glendale is a small school located in Glendale, Arizona that handed out 50 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Midwestern University - Glendale did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 3,927 students enrolled at Midwestern University - Glendale, 67 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 47 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,794. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Midwestern University - Glendale]](/colleges/midwestern-university-glendale/student-life/veterans/)
Marshall B Ketchum University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Fullerton, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 98 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
MBKU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Marshall B Ketchum University supports 738 students, and 11 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 6 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $22,108. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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.
Full MBKU Veteran Student Life Report
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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).
- 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.
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