Optometry: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 51.17. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 35 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 6 | 0 | $118,085 | $133,744 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 25 | 1,752 | $107,584 | $131,525 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 2 | 8 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Doctoral degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwestern University-Downers Grove IL · Private, nonprofit · 145 graduates measured | $125,364 | $142,092 | Data unavailable |
| Pacific University OR · Private, nonprofit · 120 graduates measured | $125,292 | $136,799 | Data unavailable |
| Drexel University PA · Private, nonprofit · 269 graduates measured | $115,787 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Southern College of Optometry TN · Private, nonprofit · 213 graduates measured | $113,330 | $133,907 | Data unavailable |
| Nova Southeastern University FL · Private, nonprofit · 135 graduates measured | $111,380 | $130,197 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-School of Optometry PR · Private, nonprofit · 48 graduates measured | $121,026 | $128,116 | Data unavailable |
| Indiana University-Bloomington IN · Public · 130 graduates measured | $120,296 | $134,609 | Data unavailable |
| Illinois College of Optometry IL · Private, nonprofit · 199 graduates measured | $119,302 | $133,895 | Data unavailable |
| Ferris State University MI · Public · 59 graduates measured | $119,021 | $138,837 | Data unavailable |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham AL · Public · 71 graduates measured | $116,552 | $145,890 | Data unavailable |
| University of Pikeville KY · Private, nonprofit · 114 graduates measured | $115,287 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of the Incarnate Word TX · Private, nonprofit · 106 graduates measured | $111,925 | $133,498 | Data unavailable |
| University of Houston TX · Public · 148 graduates measured | $111,862 | $129,383 | Data unavailable |
| SUNY College of Optometry NY · Public · 133 graduates measured | $105,145 | $127,809 | Data unavailable |
| Northeastern State University OK · Public · 45 graduates measured | $104,441 | $119,476 | Data unavailable |
| University of Missouri-St Louis MO · Public · 70 graduates measured | $103,461 | $138,537 | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 116 graduates measured | $100,289 | $132,661 | Data unavailable |
| Marshall B Ketchum University CA · Private, nonprofit · 168 graduates measured | $97,456 | $124,937 | Data unavailable |
| Western University of Health Sciences CA · Private, nonprofit · 138 graduates measured | $93,719 | $125,916 | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 83 graduates measured | $92,704 | $130,333 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Optometry
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optometrists | $136,570 | +9.5% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 51.1701 Optometry