2023 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics in the Far Western US Region
4
Ranked Colleges
195
Degrees Awarded
$18,900
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 460 people earned their degree in astrophysics, making the major the 598th most popular in the United States.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 195 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 4 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astrophysics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality astrophysics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the astrophysics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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” 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. 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
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Astrophysics in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region 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 the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for Far Western US Region Astrophysical Sciences students per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at UC Berkeley
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for Far Western US Region Astrophysical Sciences students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astrophysical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 65 students 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 University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for Far Western US Region Astrophysical Sciences students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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 the Far Western US Region. 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 the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $26,542 for Far Western US Region Astrophysical Sciences students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at Caltech
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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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