2023 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
4
Ranked Colleges
195
Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.
Astrophysics is the 598th most popular major in the country with 460 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 195 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 4 colleges that offer a degree in astrophysics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality astrophysics programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region astrophysical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Caltech also made our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $9,755 for Far Western US Region Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Caltech.
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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astrophysics at Caltech
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,423 for Far Western US Region Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Berkeley Astrophysics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 32 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for Far Western US Region Astrophysical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Astrophysics Report
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #4 spot on the list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 65 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,567 for far western us region astrophysical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz
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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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