Optician training in Minnesota

1 optician and eye care program with costs, results and funding that can make it free

One school offers this eye care program, and Minnesota has approved it for workforce funding. It shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Opticians fit customers for eyeglasses and contact lenses and help them choose frames and lenses. Most need a high school diploma and learn on the job, while some start with an associate degree or certificate in ophthalmic dispensing. Some states require a license, which usually takes an approved program or an apprenticeship and passed exams, and employers may want certification in eyeglass and contact lens dispensing.¹

In Minnesota, the one program asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

See the program

How much does optician training cost in Minnesota?

$9,925

is what this program costs if you pay yourself

This program

Finished the program: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Working 6 months later: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Earned a year, estimated: Not reported; The program doesn't report it
Length: 120 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Minnesota may also offer optician training. How these figures are made

Is there free optician training in Minnesota?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for the program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.²³⁴For a degree, the job center first looks at grants such as a federal Pell Grant; WIOA pays toward what they don't cover.⁴
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁵ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁴
Or pay yourself. The one program with a price costs $9,925.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

The one optician and eye care program in Minnesota approved for WIOA funding

1 program

Ophthalmic technician (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Ophthalmic Medical Technician
Alexandria Technical and Community College
Alexandria
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Alexandria Technical and Community College, AlexandriaOphthalmic technician (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimatedNot reported
Price if you pay yourself$9,925
Program website, Ophthalmic Medical Technician at Alexandria Technical and Community College
More details about Ophthalmic Medical Technician at Alexandria Technical and Community College
Finished
Not reported
Working at 6 months
Not reported
Earned in a quarter
Not reported
Length
120 weeks, 50 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
Not reported
Earned a year, estimated
Not reported
Price if you pay yourself
$9,925
Program website, Ophthalmic Medical Technician at Alexandria Technical and Community College

How to pay for optician training in Minnesota

WIOA funding can pay for optician training in Minnesota

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for optician training

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁶⁷

GI Bill for optician training

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁸

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Other training in Minnesota

How optician training compares with the rest of allied health: Allied health programs in Minnesota

Where the Minnesota eye care program numbers come from

Which Minnesota eye care programs are on this list?

These are the eye care programs Minnesota approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁹ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Minnesota offers.

How the prices and results of Minnesota eye care programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about optician training in Minnesota

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