2026 Best Value Optics/Optical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Optics/Optical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/physics/optics-optical-sciences/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong optics/optical sciences education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for optics/optical sciences students.
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2026 Best Value Optics/Optical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in optics/optical sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Optics/Optical Sciences Schools
Ohio State University Main Campus tops our 2026 list of the best value optics/optical sciences schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Students borrow a median of $23,357 to complete the optics/optical sciences program here. Optics/optical Sciences graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $58,088 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,357 median debt. Ohio State University Main Campus admits about 61% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 5 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.
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