2023 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics in California (With Aid)
4
Ranked Colleges
175
Degrees Awarded
$18,900
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in astrophysics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality astrophysics programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Astrophysics Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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 in California For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for california astrophysical sciences students with aid.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics in California (With Aid)
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 61 diplomas to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for California Astrophysical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UC 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 UC Berkeley Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UCLA also took the #2 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for California Astrophysical Sciences students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Cruz. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 65 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for California Astrophysical Sciences students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad 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 more about Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Astrophysics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $26,542 for California Astrophysical Sciences students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full California Institute of Technology 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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