2023 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in California
4
Ranked Colleges
175
Degrees Awarded
$7,000
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 Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 460 people earned their degree in astrophysics, making the major the 598th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 175 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in astrophysics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great astrophysics 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 astrophysics program at the school. 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 in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in California
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 61 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,450 for California Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of California - Berkeley Astrophysics Report
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 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 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech also made our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $-539 for california astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Astrophysics at Caltech
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for california astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 65 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california astrophysical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,038 for California Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz 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
- *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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