2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy
36
Ranked Colleges
765
Degrees Awarded
$17,300
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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” ranking looked at 36 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The astronomical sciences 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 Astronomical Sciences Schools”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools
The colleges and universities below are the best for astronomical sciences students.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 5 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students list, BYU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,474 for Astronomical Sciences students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.
Read more about Astronomy at Brigham Young University - Provo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas A&M University - College Station. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 3 ’s astronomical sciences degrees 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 University - College Station is $18,919 for astronomical sciences students.
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 University - College Station
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomical sciences students list, UW - Madison has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for Astronomical Sciences students per year to attend UW - Madison.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full UW - Madison Astronomy Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UF also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $5,135 for astronomical sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Astronomy at UF
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Arizona University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend NAU is $14,308 for Astronomical Sciences students.
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%.
Full NAU Astronomy Report
University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 3 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $10,993 for astronomical sciences students per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.
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 full report on Astronomy at UNLV
San Diego State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $13,845 for Astronomical Sciences 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Astronomy at SDSU
With a ranking of #8, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $21,122 for astronomical sciences students per year to attend University of Oklahoma.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Oklahoma Astronomy Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #9. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 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. It costs about $14,321 for astronomical sciences students per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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 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 more about Astronomy at UIUC
University of Arizona came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 32 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $13,358 for astronomical sciences students.
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 full report on Astronomy at University of Arizona
University of Georgia ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,257 for Astronomical Sciences 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Georgia
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #12. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 34 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also took the #5 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,350 for Astronomical Sciences students.
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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UT Austin Astronomy Report
University of Iowa did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $19,401 for Astronomical Sciences students per year to attend Iowa.
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%. 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 more about Astronomy at Iowa
University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #14. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP also made our “Best Astronomy Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $18,048 for astronomical sciences students 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%. 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
With a ranking of #15, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 40 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,845 for astronomical sciences students per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.
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 more about Astronomy at Ohio State
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 11 ’s astronomical sciences degrees 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 UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for Astronomical Sciences 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Astronomy at UC Santa Cruz
Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #17. SUNY Stony Brook is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 12 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend SUNY Stony Brook is $16,119 for Astronomical Sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 90%.
Read more about Astronomy at Stony Brook University
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 13 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $14,619 for astronomical sciences students per year to attend IU Bloomington.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy at IU Bloomington
University of Kansas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 9 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $20,257 for Astronomical Sciences students per year to attend University of Kansas.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Kansas
University of Massachusetts Amherst came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking. 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 list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Astronomy Schools” ranking. It costs about $22,038 for astronomical sciences students per year to attend University of Massachusetts Amherst.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy at UMass Amherst
Cornell University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students 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 yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $37,042 for Astronomical Sciences students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 96%. 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%.
Full Cornell University Astronomy Report
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking, coming in at #22. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $14,765 for Astronomical Sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at Ball State
University of Colorado Boulder landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools ranking. CU - Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 60 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Astronomy Schools” list. It costs about $20,967 for astronomical sciences students per year to attend University of Colorado Boulder.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 University of Colorado Boulder
With a ranking of #24, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus 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. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $12,017 for astronomical sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
With a ranking of #25, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomical Sciences Schools list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,058 for Astronomical Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Pitt Astronomy Report
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