2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in California
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Ranked Colleges
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Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.
Across California, there were 252 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $19,734 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 5 colleges that offer a degree 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.
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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Astronomy Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 5 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in California
Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 28 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,755 for California Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Caltech.
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%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Caltech
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,423 for california astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC Berkeley
Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,644 for California Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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 University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Cruz. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,567 for California Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 85%.
Full UC Santa Cruz Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 15 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for california astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at SDSU
