by our College Data Analytics Team
[Optometry](/majors/health-care-professions/optometry/) programs reward a close look at where graduates go on to earn the most. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 18 schools to find where optometry graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
Where you study optometry affects what graduates go on to earn. That is why we built our Highest Paid Optometry Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its optometry graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Learn more about our methodology
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Optometry Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Read more about College Factual’s methodology
Below are the schools whose optometry graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Salus University, our #1 for optometry graduate salaries in the United States. Salus University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elkins Park. Early-career optometry graduates from Salus University make a median of around $131,456 per year.
New England College Of Optometry produces some of the highest-paid graduates in optometry, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the city of Boston, New England College Of Optometry is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career optometry graduates from New England College Of Optometry make a median of around $127,568 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Pikeville College earned it the #3 place for optometry. Located in the town of Pikeville, Pikeville College is a private not-for-profit institution. Optometry graduates of Pikeville College earn a median of about $120,196 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Indiana University Bloomington earned it the #4 place for optometry. Set in the city of Bloomington, Indiana University Bloomington is a public institution. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $128,199.
A rank of #5 makes Northeastern State University one of the highest-paying schools for optometry. Northeastern State University is a public school located in the town of Tahlequah. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $128,096.
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Ferris State University placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for optometry. Located in the town of Big Rapids, Ferris State University is a public institution. Early-career optometry graduates from Ferris State University make a median of around $114,922 per year.
Illinois College Of Optometry came in at #7 for optometry graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois College Of Optometry is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career optometry graduates from Illinois College Of Optometry make a median of around $118,651 per year.
Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying optometry schools. Massachusetts College Of Pharmacy And Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Boston. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $127,012.
Ohio State University Main Campus placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for optometry. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. Optometry graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of about $126,861 a year early in their careers.
University Of Missouri St Louis placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for optometry. Located in the suburb of Saint Louis, University Of Missouri St Louis is a public institution. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $123,036.
University Of Houston earned the #11 position for optometry graduate earnings this year. University Of Houston is a public school located in the city of Houston. Optometry graduates of University Of Houston earn a median of about $110,688 a year early in their careers.
University Of Alabama At Birmingham came in at #12 for optometry graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Birmingham, University Of Alabama At Birmingham is a public institution. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $120,051.
University Of The Incarnate Word earned the #13 position for optometry graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of San Antonio, University Of The Incarnate Word is a private not-for-profit institution. After graduating, optometry degree recipients from University Of The Incarnate Word typically earn about $117,970 annually.
Suny College Of Optometry came in at #14 for optometry graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of New York, Suny College Of Optometry is a public institution. Early-career optometry graduates from Suny College Of Optometry make a median of around $121,702 per year.
University Of California Berkeley landed the #15 spot for optometry salaries this year. University Of California Berkeley is a public school located in the city of Berkeley. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $117,797.
Inter American University Of Puerto Rico School Of Optometry earned the #16 position for optometry graduate earnings this year. Inter American University Of Puerto Rico School Of Optometry is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Bayamon. Students who complete the optometry program here go on to a median salary of roughly $93,806.
Western University Of Health Sciences placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for optometry. Set in the suburb of Pomona, Western University Of Health Sciences is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career optometry graduates from Western University Of Health Sciences make a median of around $111,013 per year.
Southern California College Of Optometry came in at #18 for optometry graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Southern California College Of Optometry is a private not-for-profit institution. Optometry graduates of Southern California College Of Optometry earn a median of about $105,772 a year early in their careers.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries optometry graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 18 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
