2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 31 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 22 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 2 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy and astrophysics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality astronomy and astrophysics programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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 a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 2 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

#1 in overall quality

$12,556 Average Net Price

$44,942 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,556 for plains states region bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#2

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

#2 in overall quality

$17,132 Average Net Price

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,132 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Kansas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full University of Kansas Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k)

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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