2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
13
Ranked Colleges
1,822
Degrees Awarded
$13,700
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree in optometry. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent optometry programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the optometry program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Optometry Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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.
Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 84 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #4 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Indiana University - Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our optometry students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
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
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 65 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best Optometry Schools” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 94%.
Read more about Optometry at Ohio State University - Main Campus
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 105 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
UH also made our “Best Optometry Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $10,533 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Optometry at UH
Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Ferris is a fairly large school located in Big Rapids, Michigan that handed out 37 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Ferris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ferris is $6,577 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Optometry at Ferris
University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is a public institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UMSL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - St Louis is $9,991 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 UMSL Optometry Report
Northeastern State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and it awarded 28 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
NSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NSU is $8,086 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at Northeastern State University
University of Alabama at Birmingham ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UAB is a large school located in Birmingham, Alabama that handed out 50 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
UAB also made our “Best Optometry Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $13,443 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UAB.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Optometry at UAB
With a ranking of #9, Pacific University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pacific University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Forest Grove, Oregon. It awarded 88 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Pacific also made our “Best Optometry Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Pacific University is $21,387 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Optometry at Pacific University
Nova Southeastern University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 107 diplomas to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
NUS Florida not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Nova Southeastern University is $21,326 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at Nova Southeastern University
With a ranking of #11, University of the Incarnate Word did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 64 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
UIW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of the Incarnate Word is $21,298 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of the Incarnate Word Optometry Report
University of Pikeville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UPIKE is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pikeville, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UPIKE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. It costs about $11,096 for Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UPIKE.
Full UPIKE Optometry Report
With a ranking of #13, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Optometry Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s optometry degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
MCPHS University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Optometry Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is $33,365 for optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Optometry at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
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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
- *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.
