2026 Best Value Optometry Schools in the Far Western Region
[Optometry](/majors/health-care-professions/optometry/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for optometry students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Optometry Schools in the Far Western Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the optometry degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Optometry Schools
University Of California Berkeley earned the #1 spot for value among optometry schools in the Far Western Region. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,377, while out-of-state students pay about $47,265. Optometry graduates carry a median of $14,238 in student loans. Early-career optometry graduates make about $88,760. Set against $14,238 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
Pacific University is a great value for students pursuing a degree in optometry, landing the #2 spot this year. Located in the suburb of Forest Grove, Pacific University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $56,374. Students borrow a median of $26,170 to complete the optometry program here. Soon after graduation, optometry degree recipients from Pacific University generally make around $107,293. Set against $26,170 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Pacific University admits about 90% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 2 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.
