---
title: Is an Optometry degree worth the debt?
cip: 5117
source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard — Field of Study (2026-06-10 release)
sourceId: src:doe:college-scorecard:field-of-study:2026-06-10
---

# Is an Optometry degree worth the debt?

Leading with the **Professional**, across **15** colleges (15 of 15 programs report earnings):

- **Median pay, 1 year after completion:** $90,266 ($95,549 at 2 years)
- **Median federal debt:** $168,931 (federal loans only)
- **Debt-to-earnings:** 1.96× a first year's pay
- **Across-college spread (middle 50%):** $77,876–$91,970 — the program you choose moves the number this much.


**How to read this:** these are MEDIANS across college programs, measured **1–2 years after completion** (early career, graduates only) — NOT lifetime earnings, and NOT comparable to a college's 10-years-after-entry figure. They cover **federally-aided completers at programs large enough to report**; small programs are suppressed. A field median is not a prediction of your outcome, not causal (who enters a field differs by field), and **not a "best majors" ranking** — earnings are one dimension of worth. Verify by field at the official College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/).

## By degree level

| Level | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt | Debt/pay | Colleges | Programs reporting |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Doctoral | $96,776 | $205,772 | 2.29× | 4 | 4/4 |
| Professional | $90,266 | $168,931 | 1.96× | 15 | 15/15 |

## Where an Professional in this field reports the highest early-career pay

Reflects who enrolls and where, not causal program quality.

| College | Pay (1yr) | Federal debt |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico-School of Optometry (PR) | $95,897 | $187,840 |
| Indiana University-Bloomington (IN) | $95,538 | $177,626 |
| Ferris State University (MI) | $93,610 | $144,874 |
| University of the Incarnate Word (TX) | $92,013 | $238,257 |
| Northeastern State University (OK) | $91,928 | $158,826 |
| University of Houston (TX) | $91,785 | $164,167 |
| University of Alabama at Birmingham (AL) | $91,176 | $164,956 |
| Illinois College of Optometry (IL) | $90,266 | $240,830 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus (OH) | $89,790 | $175,334 |
| University of Missouri-St Louis (MO) | $88,537 | $167,750 |
| SUNY College of Optometry (NY) | $81,001 | $168,078 |
| University of California-Berkeley (CA) | $74,750 | $151,667 |
| Marshall B Ketchum University (CA) | $72,885 | $168,931 |
| Western University of Health Sciences (CA) | $71,526 | $250,965 |
| Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MA) | $68,650 | $225,520 |

RECORDED College Scorecard figures + one DERIVED ratio (debt-to-earnings). Informs and compares; not advice on what to major in. Each college's full record: `/education/<slug>`.

Structured data: `/education/fields/optometry.jsonld` · `/education/fields/optometry.json`