Best degree programs for Optometrists, ranked by enrollment
1 college programs and 23 schools train Optometrists. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $136,570 median wage, 42,790 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
1 college programs at 23 schools train optometrists, graduating 1,681 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Optometry. The job pays a median of $136,570 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About optometrists
Diagnose, manage, and treat conditions and diseases of the human eye and visual system. Examine eyes and visual system, diagnose problems or impairments, prescribe corrective lenses, and provide treatment. May prescribe therapeutic drugs to treat specific eye conditions.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
1 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Optometrymain feeder CIP 51.1701 | 1,681 | 100.0% | 23 | — | — |
Top 23 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 132 | Optometry | 78% | $36,004 | 79% |
| 2 | Southern College of Optometry Memphis, TN Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 126 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 3 | New England College of Optometry Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 118 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 4 | SUNY College of Optometry New York, NY Public · 1 feeder programs | 102 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 5 | University of Houston Houston, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 99 | Optometry | 65% | — | 74% |
| 6 | Illinois College of Optometry Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 98 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 7 | Nova Southeastern University Fort Lauderdale, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 97 | Optometry | 63% | $31,672 | 73% |
| 8 | Marshall B Ketchum University Fullerton, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 90 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 9 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 1 feeder programs | 77 | Optometry | 80% | — | 78% |
| 10 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 76 | Optometry | 93% | — | 11% |
| 11 | Pacific University Forest Grove, OR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 73 | Optometry | 67% | $30,571 | 90% |
| 12 | University of the Incarnate Word San Antonio, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 66 | Optometry | 51% | $21,745 | 98% |
| 13 | Midwestern University - Glendale Glendale, AZ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 63 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 14 | Western University of Health Sciences Pomona, CA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 61 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 15 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs | 60 | Optometry | 88% | — | 61% |
| 16 | Midwestern University - Downers Grove Downers Grove, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 57 | Optometry | — | — | — |
| 17 | University of Alabama at Birmingham Birmingham, AL Public · 1 feeder programs | 56 | Optometry | 64% | — | 88% |
| 18 | University of Pikeville Pikeville, KY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 55 | Optometry | 42% | $13,886 | — |
| 19 | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 51 | Optometry | 62% | $35,358 | 85% |
| 20 | University of Missouri - St Louis Saint Louis, MO Public · 1 feeder programs | 43 | Optometry | 57% | — | 63% |
| 21 | Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 38 | Optometry | 47% | — | 91% |
| 22 | Northeastern State University Tahlequah, OK Public · 1 feeder programs | 28 | Optometry | 35% | — | 100% |
| 23 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico - School of Optometry Bayamon, PR Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 15 | Optometry | — | — | — |
What optometrists earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Californiamoderate | $136,300 | 6,890 | 1.37× | 3 | 227 |
| Massachusettslimited | $151,730 | 950 | 0.95× | 2 | 169 |
| Texaslimited | $126,000 | 4,110 | 1.06× | 2 | 165 |
| Illinoislimited | $145,620 | 1,540 | 0.92× | 2 | 155 |
| Pennsylvanialimited | $135,400 | 1,720 | 1.03× | 1 | 132 |
| Tennesseelimited | $134,170 | 660 | 0.73× | 1 | 126 |
| New Yorklimited | $161,140 | 2,390 | 0.90× | 1 | 102 |
| Floridalimited | $151,670 | 2,350 | 0.86× | 1 | 97 |
| Indianalimited | $135,500 | 1,040 | 1.18× | 1 | 77 |
| Oregonlimited | $132,020 | 560 | 1.04× | 1 | 73 |
| Arizonalimited | $122,250 | 1,080 | 1.21× | 1 | 63 |
| Ohiolimited | $134,850 | 1,300 | 0.85× | 1 | 60 |
| Alabamalimited | $145,090 | 460 | 0.78× | 1 | 56 |
| Kentuckylimited | $128,860 | 430 | 0.79× | 1 | 55 |
| Missourilimited | $133,810 | 630 | 0.78× | 1 | 43 |
| Michiganlimited | $135,650 | 1,410 | 1.16× | 1 | 38 |
| Oklahomalimited | $97,350 | 570 | 1.21× | 1 | 28 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Examine eyes, using observation, instruments, and pharmaceutical agents, to determine visual acuity and perception, focus, and coordination and to diagnose diseases and other abnormalities, such as glaucoma or color blindness.
- Analyze test results and develop a treatment plan.
- Prescribe, supply, fit and adjust eyeglasses, contact lenses, and other vision aids.
- Prescribe medications to treat eye diseases if state laws permit.
- Educate and counsel patients on contact lens care, visual hygiene, lighting arrangements, and safety factors.
- Remove foreign bodies from the eye.
- Provide patients undergoing eye surgeries, such as cataract and laser vision correction, with pre- and post-operative care.
- Consult with and refer patients to ophthalmologist or other health care practitioner if additional medical treatment is determined necessary.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.1
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Writing4.0
- Speaking4.0
- Science3.8
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Learning3.1
Knowledge areas
- Medicine and Dentistry4.8
- Biology4.5
- Customer and Personal Service4.4
- English Language3.9
- Mathematics3.6
- Education and Training3.6
Abilities
- Problem Sensitivity4.1
- Oral Expression4.1
- Near Vision4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
Core activities
- Assisting and Caring for Others4.8
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.8
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.8
- Documenting/Recording Information4.7
- Getting Information4.7
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public4.6
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Optometrist
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Optometrists1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 51.1701Optometry
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Optometrist?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Optometry, which awarded 1,681 degrees in 2024-25, 100.0% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Optometrist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 programs to this occupation. The largest are Optometry. Together they graduate about 1,681 people a year.
How much do optometrists earn?+
The median is $136,570 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $74,870 at the 10th percentile to $202,180 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for optometrists growing?+
BLS projects a +8.0% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, much faster than average, with roughly 2,400 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
23 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do optometrists work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Optometrist, Optometry Doctor (OD), Therapeutic Optometrist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 29-1041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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