2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
49
Ranked Colleges
1,375
Degrees Awarded
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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 1,375 people earned their degree in astronomy and astrophysics, making the major the 219th most popular in the United States. 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.
This year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 49 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy and astrophysics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great astronomy and astrophysics 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 and astrophysics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Astronomy & Astrophysics 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 Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $5,849 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Northwestern University 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 $48-$75k. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 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. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $8,375 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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.
Full UChicago Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Caltech has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $9,755 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Caltech
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #4 spot on the list. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Williams has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $5,576 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 Williams College Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 65 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Berkeley
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $8,393 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW Seattle.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #7, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 12 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $9,785 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Cornell Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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 also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $8,394 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UF Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UCLA
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 25 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,481 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $10,364 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $11,505 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,911 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,273 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
The University of Texas at Austin came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 34 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $16,134 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UT Austin
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 14 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,369 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $16,019 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 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%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Virginia
University of Wyoming came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UW is $9,394 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wyoming Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $13,644 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 Arizona Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 76 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 45 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $17,360 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UMCP Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,676 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, 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%.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. CU - Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k list, CU - Boulder has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $18,204 for Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at CU - Boulder
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 15 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $14,698 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at SDSU
University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 3 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $11,929 for astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UNLV
