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2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

12 Ranked Colleges
249 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

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 the Great Lakes region, there were 249 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $19,258 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Great Lakes 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,849 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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. 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 Northwestern Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $8,375 for Great Lakes Region 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 25 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,481 for great lakes region 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 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $10,364 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UIUC

6

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,273 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

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

7
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington also took the #8 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,369 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full IU Bloomington Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Michigan State University is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $20,557 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Michigan State University

9

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $20,867 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

10

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $22,339 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

11
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #11, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k list, Wayne State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $13,612 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Wayne State University

12
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

With a ranking of #12, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Valpo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Valparaiso, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Valpo, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Valparaiso University is $21,256 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Valpo

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