2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 1,268 people earned their degree in astronomy and astrophysics, making the major the 222nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, astronomy and astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $27,700 and had an average of $21,346 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 31 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 3 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,701 and $106,703 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 2 colleges that offer a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent astronomy and astrophysics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the astronomy and astrophysics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region doctor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 2 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

#1 in overall quality

$28,845 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#2

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$25,948 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Doctorate in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State are $25,948.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Iowa State

• Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (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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