2023 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
4
Ranked Colleges
195
Degrees Awarded
$7,000
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Astrophysics is the 598th most popular major in the country with 460 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 195 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in astrophysics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality astrophysics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the astrophysics 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The astrophysical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 61 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for far western us region astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Astrophysics at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $-539 for far western us region astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astrophysics at Caltech
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 32 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for far western us region astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for far western us region astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Astrophysics Report
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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
- *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.
