2023 Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
3
Ranked Colleges
346
Degrees Awarded
$15,300
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
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.
Across the Southeast region, there were 346 optometry graduates with average earnings and debt of $94,909 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Optometry (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Alabama at Birmingham. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UAB is located in Birmingham, Alabama and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
UAB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Alabama at Birmingham is $13,443 for southeast 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%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Optometry at University of Alabama at Birmingham
Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Nova Southeastern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 107 degrees to qualified ’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NUS Florida, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NUS Florida is $21,326 for Southeast Region Optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 NUS Florida
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pikeville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UPIKE is a small school located in Pikeville, Kentucky that handed out 55 ’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
UPIKE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Optometry Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UPIKE is $11,096 for southeast region optometry students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full UPIKE Optometry 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).
- 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.
