2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $30-$48k)
49
Ranked Colleges
1,375
Degrees Awarded
$8,400
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Astronomy & Astrophysics is the 219th most popular major in the country with 1,375 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, astronomy and astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,221 and had an average of $24,484 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 49 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools
The astronomy 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 Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $917 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Northwestern Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
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 Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 28 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $4,777 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UChicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $5,480 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Williams
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 28 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $12,190 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full Caltech Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Berkeley Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Florida came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $2,857 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UF
Cornell University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $5,133 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Cornell
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.3% 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at U-M
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 51 students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $6,399 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UW Seattle Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,036 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also took the #25 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Astronomy & Astrophysics at IU Bloomington
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 23 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,609 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UMN Twin Cities Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 41 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,581 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.
UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $11,567 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Maryland - College Park
University of Arizona ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $10,160 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arizona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full University of Arizona Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also took the #14 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $10,063 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Virginia
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,977 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Wyoming landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 7 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW is $6,776 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UW
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 76 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #21 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $12,049 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz
Emory University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,976 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Emory University.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Emory
Smith College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 2 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Smith is $9,672 for astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Smith
University of Colorado Boulder landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CU - Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 73 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $13,901 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Colorado Boulder
Boston University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $11,782 for Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Full Boston U Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
