2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $48-$75k)
36
Ranked Colleges
765
Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 36 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great astronomy programs and cost less that 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.
More Ways to Rank Astronomy Schools
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 $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy (Income $48-$75k)
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 $48-$75k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $5,849 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Astronomy at Northwestern
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $8,375 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Chicago
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $8,393 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW Seattle.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full UW Seattle Astronomy Report
Out of the 36 schools in the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #4 spot on the list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 12 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $9,785 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
Read more about Astronomy at Cornell University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 28 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $8,394 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Florida.
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 University of Florida Astronomy Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. Ann Arbor, Michigan 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.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $10,481 for Astronomical Sciences 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 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Astronomy Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 27 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $11,505 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astronomy at UIUC
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $13,273 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Astronomy at Ohio State
With a ranking of #9, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 34 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $16,134 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Read full report on Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 13 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $12,369 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Astronomy at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #14 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $10,364 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy at UW - Madison
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,019 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Full University of Virginia Astronomy Report
University of Arizona ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $13,644 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Astronomy at University of Arizona
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 45 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UMCP also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $17,360 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy at UMCP
Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, BYU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,676 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at BYU
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder also took the #7 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado Boulder is $18,204 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at CU - Boulder
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for Astronomical Sciences 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Astronomy Report
San Diego State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,698 for Astronomical Sciences 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 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%.
Read more about Astronomy at SDSU
University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. UNLV is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 3 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $11,929 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 University of Nevada - Las Vegas
University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts Amherst is $16,667 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Astronomy at UMass Amherst
Smith College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Smith is a small school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that handed out 2 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Smith not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Smith College is $16,427 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at Smith
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UGA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $15,037 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Georgia.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Astronomy at University of Georgia
Northern Arizona University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northern Arizona University is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 4 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend NAU is $14,142 for Astronomical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 NAU
Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. 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.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Boston U has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,458 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Boston University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Read more about Astronomy at Boston University
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 3 ’s astronomical sciences 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 $17,525 for astronomical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Astronomy at Texas A&M College Station
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