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2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

34 Ranked Colleges
195 Degrees Awarded
$36,500 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master's For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Astronomy & Astrophysics is the 222nd most popular major in the country with 1,268 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 195 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 34 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the astronomy and astrophysics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 34 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northwestern University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#2

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton University are $56,470.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Princeton University

#3

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Harvard

#4

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k. MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

MIT also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #7. Average graduate tuition and fees at MIT are $56,719, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full MIT Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UW - Madison

#6

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#5 in overall quality

Cornell University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #5 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Cornell

#12 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#1 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 5 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Columbia University in the City of New York

#9

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#13 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

UMCP also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Maryland - College Park are $30,885.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Maryland - College Park

#10

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#16 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#18 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 2 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#12

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #8 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Arizona Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#14

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#10 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 4 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UCLA

#19 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our master’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#16

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 2 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. Average graduate tuition and fees at IU Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at IU Bloomington

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State are $37,056, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Michigan State University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#18

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658.

Full SDSU Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#19

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#17 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC Berkeley

#20

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

Boston University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Boston U is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 12 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston University are $57,666, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Boston U Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#21

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#14 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia are $32,394, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Virginia

#22

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#25 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M University - College Station are $22,743.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Texas A&M College Station

#23

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado
#15 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

CU - Boulder also took the #15 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at CU - Boulder are $32,980.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Colorado Boulder

Iowa State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State are $25,948, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Iowa State

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Tempe are $27,048.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Arizona State University - Tempe

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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