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2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

7 Ranked Colleges
86 Degrees Awarded
$17,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 1,268 people earned their degree in astronomy and astrophysics, making the major the 222nd most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, astronomy and astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $27,700 and had an average of $21,346 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southwest region, there were 141 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $25,179 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 86 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 7 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy and astrophysics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality astronomy and 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 astronomy and 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.

More Ways to Rank Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 7 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 7 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #2 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,562 for southwest region bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Arizona

Out of the 7 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #2 spot on the list. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 33 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $12,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin

#3

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Arizona University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $9,251 for southwest region bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Arizona University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $16,675 for southwest region bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#5

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 5 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNM, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus is $13,242 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UNM

#6

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Baylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor also took the #4 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor University is $26,726 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Baylor University

#3 in overall quality

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Embry-Riddle Prescott is a private not-for-profit institution located in Prescott, Arizona. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Embry-Riddle Prescott, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $31,082 for southwest region bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Embry-Riddle Prescott.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott

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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

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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