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2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

12 Ranked Colleges
249 Degrees Awarded
$28,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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.

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Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 30 ’s astronomy 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 estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 41 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Ohio State.

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

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

3
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

4

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,321 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UIUC.

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

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 25 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. 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 U-M

6
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 22 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Michigan State University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

7

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 10 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC

8

With a ranking of #8, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Tech also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Institute of Technology is $23,772 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Illinois Institute of Technology

9
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northwestern.

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. 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%. 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 Northwestern University

10
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #10. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Wayne State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State University is $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Wayne State

11
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

With a ranking of #11, Valparaiso University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Valpo is a small school located in Valparaiso, Indiana that handed out 5 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k list, Valpo has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Valpo is $22,899 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Valpo Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

12
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $28,517 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make more than $110k.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UChicago

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