2022 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 723 people earned their degree in astronomy, making the major the 498th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 50 astronomy graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 3 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great astronomy programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the astronomy program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Astronomy Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$1,866 Average Net Price

$68,272 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 4 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Astronomy Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for illinois astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern Astronomy Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$2,712 Average Net Price

$61,293 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Astronomy Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for Illinois Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Astronomy at UChicago

#3

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$5,477 Average Net Price

$49,122 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 38 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Astronomy at UIUC

• Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $0-$30k)

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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