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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $30-$48k)

20 Ranked Colleges
294 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Astrophysics is the 671st most popular major in the country with 383 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 294 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Astrophysics Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 20 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $30-$48k)

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astrophysical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also made our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $4,287 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Astrophysics Report

#2 in overall quality

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astrophysical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,860 for Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Read full report on Astrophysics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 12 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,044 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Princeton University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low 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 Astrophysics at Princeton University

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,418 for Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astrophysics at UMN Twin Cities

#5

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 4 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,223 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams College.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low 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 Astrophysics at Williams

#6

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#3 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,756 for Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Caltech.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Astrophysics at Caltech

#7

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wellesley is a small school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts that handed out 2 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley also made our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley College is $4,519 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Wellesley College Astrophysics Report

#8

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,254 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 50 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $9,130 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Astrophysics at UC Berkeley

#10

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Carnegie Mellon University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Carnegie Mellon has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,782 for Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Carnegie Mellon.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Astrophysics at Carnegie Mellon University

#11

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $11,793 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz

#12

Rutgers University - New Brunswick

New Brunswick, New Jersey
#10 in overall quality

Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 13 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Rutgers New Brunswick not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,779 for Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rutgers New Brunswick.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Astrophysics at Rutgers University - New Brunswick

#13

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#12 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $15,197 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about Astrophysics at Michigan State

#14

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii
#18 in overall quality

University of Hawaii at Manoa ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Hawaii at Manoa is located in Honolulu, Hawaii and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UH Manoa has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH Manoa is $12,540 for Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Astrophysics at University of Hawaii at Manoa

#16 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $18,106 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Astrophysics at UC

#17 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution located in Norman, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $17,285 for Bachelor’s Degree Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Astrophysics Report

#11 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,720 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Astrophysics at Illinois Tech

#18

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#20 in overall quality

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNM has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,458 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus.

Full UNM Astrophysics Report

#19 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large school located in Athens, Ohio that handed out 4 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $18,863 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

Read full report on Astrophysics at OHIO Athens

#20

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#15 in overall quality

Baylor University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Baylor University is a fairly large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 2 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $29,849 for bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Baylor.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full Baylor Astrophysics Report

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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