2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate
18
Ranked Colleges
1,803
Degrees Awarded
$88,635
Avg Salary
Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in optometry. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great optometry programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the optometry program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate” list to help you make the college decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
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. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 65 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, Ohio State supports 61,369 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are 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 qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 84 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington also took the #4 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Of the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Veteran Student Life Report
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 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
UH also made our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7.Of the 47,090 students enrolled at UH, 1,382 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 730 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,264. 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.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Alabama at Birmingham. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate. Located in Birmingham, Alabama, this large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified doctorate’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
UAB also took the #14 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 22,563 students enrolled at University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1,194 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. On top of their other funding sources, 15 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 University of Alabama at Birmingham]](/colleges/university-of-alabama-at-birmingham/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of the Incarnate Word. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s optometry degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.
UIW also made our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13.Our most recent data shows that 1,174 of the 7,917 students enrolled at UIW were GI Bill® students, of which 761 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,131. In addition to receiving other benefits, 87 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 More…
University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. UMSL is a fairly large public school situated in Saint Louis, Missouri. It awarded 47 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
UMSL not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.Of the 13,874 students enrolled at UMSL, 314 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. During this same period, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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…
With a ranking of #7, Nova Southeastern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. NUS Florida is a large school located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that handed out 107 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
NUS Florida also made our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15.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. During this same period, 70 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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%.
Full NUS Florida Veteran Student Life Report
Ferris State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #8. Ferris is located in Big Rapids, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
Ferris also took the #16 spot in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 11,165 students enrolled at Ferris, 377 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 189 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,426. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ferris offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #9, University of Pikeville did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. University of Pikeville is located in Pikeville, Kentucky and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
UPIKE also made our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #21.According to our most recent data, University of Pikeville supports 2,240 students, and 30 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 14 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $11,297. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Read More…
Northeastern State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, this medium-sized public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified doctorate’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
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.According to our most recent data, NSU supports 7,349 students, and 304 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 118 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,801. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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%.
Full NSU Veteran Student Life Report
Salus University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #11. Salus University is a small school located in Elkins Park, Pennsylvania that handed out 166 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
Salus University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.According to our most recent data, Salus University supports 1,280 students, and 9 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $11,267. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for 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%. 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 Salus University Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #12, SUNY College of Optometry did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. SUNY College of Optometry is a small public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 90 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Optometry did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 2 of the 402 students enrolled at SUNY College of Optometry were GI Bill® students, of which 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $15,179. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 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…
Pacific University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #13. Pacific is located in Forest Grove, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
Pacific also made our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6.Among the 3,808 students enrolled at Pacific, 155 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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 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%. 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.
Full Pacific Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #14, Midwestern University - Downers Grove did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. Downers Grove, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s optometry degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
Midwestern University - Downers Grove also took 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,360. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 Midwestern University - Downers Grove]](/colleges/midwestern-university-downers-grove/student-life/veterans/)
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate ranking. MCPHS University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 doctorate’s optometry degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree vets studying optometry list, MCPHS University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.Among the 7,501 students enrolled at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, 16 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $26,279. On top of their other funding sources, 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. Located in Pomona, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 75 degrees to qualified doctorate’s optometry students in 2020-2021.
Western University of Health Sciences did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” list.Our most recent data shows that 46 of the 3,813 students enrolled at Western University of Health Sciences were GI Bill® students, of which 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. On top of their other funding sources, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 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 Western University of Health Sciences Veteran Student Life Report
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.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree vets studying optometry list, Midwestern University - Glendale has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.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 Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,794. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 veteran student life at Midwestern University - Glendale]](/colleges/midwestern-university-glendale/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #18, Marshall B Ketchum University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Optometry for a Doctorate list. Marshall B Ketchum University is a small school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 98 doctorate’s optometry degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree vets studying optometry list, MBKU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Optometry Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking.According to our most recent data, MBKU 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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