2027 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Southeast Region
[Astronomy](/majors/physical-sciences/astronomy-and-astrophysics/astronomy/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong astronomy education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for astronomy students.
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2027 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Southeast Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in astronomy, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Astronomy Schools
For return on investment in astronomy, no school beat University Of Florida this year. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $6,381, with out-of-state students paying around $28,659. Students borrow a median of $17,669 to complete the astronomy program here. Astronomy graduates of University Of Florida earn a median of $58,388 early in their careers. Set against $17,669 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Florida admits about 24% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Virginia Main Campus earned it the #2 place for astronomy. Set in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $23,118, while out-of-state students pay about $61,591. Astronomy graduates carry a median of $18,627 in student loans. Astronomy graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $69,126 early in their careers. Set against $18,627 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 17%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
