2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
49
Ranked Colleges
1,375
Degrees Awarded
$6,400
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Astronomy & Astrophysics is the 219th most popular major in the country with 1,375 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, astronomy and astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,221 and had an average of $24,484 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 49 colleges that offer a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great astronomy and 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 astronomy and astrophysics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $245 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Northwestern
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $2,500 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.
The low undergrad 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Chicago
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 5 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $1,451 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Williams College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 30 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 65 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Berkeley
California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 28 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $-539 for Astronomy 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.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Caltech
University of Florida landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 28 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $65 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Florida
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Cornell University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 12 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,244 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Cornell University
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 45 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Maryland - College Park
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 43 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,037 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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 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%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UCLA
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $5,752 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at IU Bloomington
With a ranking of #14, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UMN Twin Cities Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 51 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #15 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,194 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.
Ohio State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Virginia has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 22 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $6,927 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Michigan State University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #19, Smith College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Smith is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 2 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Smith College is $9,215 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Smith College
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 44 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $8,987 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Arizona
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 34 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Austin has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $13,753 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UT Austin
University of Wyoming landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wyoming is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 7 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $6,905 for Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Wyoming
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 76 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $11,038 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz
With a ranking of #24, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 73 students in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools” list. It costs about $13,141 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Colorado Boulder.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Colorado Boulder Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
San Diego State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $7,169 for astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SDSU.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Astronomy & Astrophysics at SDSU
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