2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $30-$48k)
36
Ranked Colleges
765
Degrees Awarded
$9,000
Avg Net Price*
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 Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 765 people earned their degree in astronomy, making the major the 479th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality astronomy 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 program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $30-$48k)
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 $30-$48k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students 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 Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Read full report on Astronomy at Northwestern University
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $4,777 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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.
Read full report on Astronomy at UChicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also took the #16 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 UF Astronomy Report
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #4 spot on the list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 12 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $5,133 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Full Cornell Astronomy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full U-M Astronomy Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 51 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $6,399 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Full UW Seattle Astronomy Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 27 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,036 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 more about Astronomy at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 4 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Astronomy at UW - Madison
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 13 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $7,061 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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%.
Full IU Bloomington Astronomy Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. 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. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,581 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Full Ohio State Astronomy Report
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 45 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,567 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 95%.
Read more about Astronomy at UMCP
University of Arizona came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona also took the #10 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,160 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arizona.
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
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Virginia is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia is $10,063 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. 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 Virginia
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UT Austin also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $14,977 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Austin.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full The University of Texas at Austin Astronomy Report
With a ranking of #15, Smith College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Smith is located in Northampton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Smith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $9,672 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Smith.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Smith College Astronomy Report
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 60 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend CU - Boulder is $13,901 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Colorado Boulder
Boston University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston University is $11,782 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 more about Astronomy at Boston U
With a ranking of #18, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 15 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $9,274 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full San Diego State University Astronomy Report
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $12,049 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Astronomy at UC Santa Cruz
University of Georgia landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Georgia is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 8 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,688 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Georgia.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.
Read more about Astronomy at UGA
Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $10,333 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy at Brigham Young University - Provo
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station also took the #18 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $12,949 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Massachusetts Amherst ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMass Amherst is a large school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 20 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UMass Amherst also took the #15 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst is $13,203 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 3 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,602 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.
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
Northern Arizona University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend NAU is $11,320 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at Northern Arizona University
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