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2026 Best Value Optometric Technician/Assistant Schools in the Southwest Region

[Optometric Technician/Assistant](/majors/health-care-professions/ophthalmic-optometric-support-services/optometric-technician-assistant/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value optometric technician/assistant schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Optometric Technician/Assistant Schools in the Southwest Region

2026 Best Value Optometric Technician/Assistant Schools in the Southwest Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in optometric technician/assistant, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Optometric Technician/Assistant Schools

1

San Jacinto Community College
Pasadena, TX

$2,490 In-State Tuition & Fees

$11,376 Avg Student Debt

$43,062 Median Earnings (10yr)

San Jacinto Community College tops our 2026 list of the best value optometric technician/assistant schools in the Southwest Region. Set in the city of Pasadena, San Jacinto Community College is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $2,490, with out-of-state students paying around $6,690. Typical student debt for optometric technician/assistant graduates is $11,376. Optometric Technician/assistant graduates of San Jacinto Community College earn a median of $38,107 early in their careers. Set against $11,376 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

2

Tyler Junior College
Tyler, TX

$2,424 In-State Tuition & Fees

$14,869 Avg Student Debt

$38,140 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Tyler Junior College earned it the #2 place for optometric technician/assistant. Located in the city of Tyler, Tyler Junior College is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $2,424, with out-of-state students paying around $4,536. Students borrow a median of $14,869 to complete the optometric technician/assistant program here. Soon after graduation, optometric technician/assistant degree recipients from Tyler Junior College generally make around $43,348. Set against $14,869 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.

View All Optometric Technician/Assistant Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.