2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
9
Ranked Colleges
284
Degrees Awarded
$13,200
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic 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 Middle Atlantic region, there were 284 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,362 and $27,000 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 9 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
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 9 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for middle atlantic region 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%. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Johns Hopkins Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region 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 took the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,244 for Middle Atlantic 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Cornell University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 45 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for Middle Atlantic Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Maryland - College Park
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stony Brook University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. SUNY Stony Brook is a large school located in Stony Brook, New York that handed out 12 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
SUNY Stony Brook also took the #7 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stony Brook University is $11,863 for Middle Atlantic Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Stony Brook University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a large public school situated in New Brunswick, New Jersey. It awarded 13 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Rutgers New Brunswick also took the #6 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $14,935 for Middle Atlantic Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rutgers New Brunswick.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Rutgers New Brunswick Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Union College New York did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Union College New York is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Schenectady, New York. It awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Union College, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $12,752 for middle atlantic region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Union College New York.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.
Full Union College New York Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $15,084 for middle atlantic region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Pitt.
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 93%.
Full Pitt Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
RIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rochester Institute of Technology is $28,322 for middle atlantic region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 86%.
Full RIT Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our middle atlantic region astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k list, RPI has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking. It costs about $22,878 for Middle Atlantic Region Astronomy students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend RPI.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 RPI
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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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