2026 Best Value Optics/Optical Sciences Schools in North Carolina

[Optics/Optical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/physics/optics-optical-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 1 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 North Carolina
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in optics/optical sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Optics/Optical Sciences Schools
For return on investment in optics/optical sciences, no school beat University Of North Carolina At Charlotte this year. Located in the city of Charlotte, University Of North Carolina At Charlotte is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,239, compared with $22,492 for out-of-state students. Optics/optical Sciences graduates carry a median of $28,750 in student loans. Early-career optics/optical sciences graduates make about $70,150. That is a strong return on a $28,750 median debt. University Of North Carolina At Charlotte admits about 80% of applicants.
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 · 1 school 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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