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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

5 Ranked Colleges
112 Degrees Awarded
$8,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 383 people earned their degree in astrophysics, making the major the 671st most popular in the United States.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 124 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 112 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 5 colleges that offer a degree in astrophysics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent astrophysics 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 astrophysics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Astrophysics Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 5 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Caltech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $5,456 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Caltech Astrophysics Report

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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.

Read full report on Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Berkeley Astrophysics Report

#4

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, this fairly large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astrophysical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UH Manoa also made our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UH Manoa is $10,986 for far western us region bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 Hawaii at Manoa Astrophysics Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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