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2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

12 Ranked Colleges
249 Degrees Awarded
$8,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 249 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $19,258 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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 Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $245 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Northwestern University

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 28 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,500 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Chicago

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 30 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $3,981 for Great Lakes Region 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.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, U-M has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for Great Lakes Region 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

6

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $5,752 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $7,068 for Great Lakes Region 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #8, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

9

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $18,515 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Illinois Tech

10

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 10 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $15,061 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

11
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Valparaiso, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Valpo also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $19,548 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Valparaiso University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Valparaiso University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

12
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 5 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Wayne State also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $11,060 for great lakes region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Wayne State

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