2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Optometry in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Optometry Schools for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,666 people earned their degree in optometry, making the major the 193rd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, optometry graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $83,824 and had an average of $167,326 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 293 optometry graduates with average earnings and debt of $76,967 and $163,527 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 293 optometry graduates with average earnings and debt of $71,978 and $116,300 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Optometry Schools for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree in optometry. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality optometry programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Optometry Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Optometry Schools for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. 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 for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Optometry Schools for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 3 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Optometry in the Southeast Region (With Aid)

#1

University of Pikeville

Pikeville, Kentucky

#3 in overall quality

$8,100 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pikeville. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Optometry Schools for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Pikeville is a small school located in Pikeville, Kentucky that handed out 36 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPIKE, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPIKE are $8,100, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Optometry at University of Pikeville

#2

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Birmingham, Alabama

#1 in overall quality

$19,188 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Optometry Schools for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Alabama at Birmingham landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Birmingham, Alabama, and it awarded 41 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2019-2020.

UAB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UAB are $19,188, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Optometry at University of Alabama at Birmingham

#3

Nova Southeastern University

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

#2 in overall quality

$22,242 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

$99,069 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Optometry Schools for a Doctorate in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Nova Southeastern University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and it awarded 87 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region doctor’s degree optometry students with aid list, NUS Florida has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Nova Southeastern University are $22,242, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Optometry at Nova Southeastern University

• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Optometry (With Aid)

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

Footnotes

• *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.

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