2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $0-$30k)
36
Ranked Colleges
765
Degrees Awarded
$7,800
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Astronomy is the 479th most popular major in the country with 765 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
This year’s “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent astronomy programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the astronomy program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $0-$30k)
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 Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full Northwestern University Astronomy 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 Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read full report on Astronomy at UChicago
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 28 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Florida
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 25 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 27 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also took the #6 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on Astronomy at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
With a ranking of #6, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 12 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cornell has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,244 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell University.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astronomy at Cornell University
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 4 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Astronomy at UW - Madison
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 45 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Maryland - College Park Astronomy Report
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 13 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $5,752 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
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 Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 51 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about Astronomy at UW Seattle
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $7,068 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.
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 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 more about Astronomy at Ohio State
With a ranking of #12, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $12,476 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 97%.
Full University of Virginia Astronomy Report
With a ranking of #13, Smith College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
Smith also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $9,215 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Smith College.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at Smith
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $8,987 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy at University of Arizona
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $13,753 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
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 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%.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Astronomy Report
With a ranking of #16, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school handed out 60 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend CU - Boulder is $13,141 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 CU - Boulder Astronomy Report
San Diego State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 15 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy at San Diego State University
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $8,303 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Georgia
Boston University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 18 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $12,982 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston U.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 more about Astronomy at Boston University
With a ranking of #20, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $11,220 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Texas A&M College Station Astronomy Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Astronomy Report
With a ranking of #22, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. BYU 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.
BYU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,445 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend BYU.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Astronomy Report
University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMass Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 20 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,033 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UMass Amherst Astronomy Report
University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 3 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $8,991 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Nevada - Las Vegas
With a ranking of #25, Stony Brook University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Stony Brook is a public institution located in Stony Brook, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Stony Brook University is $11,863 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astronomy at Stony Brook University
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