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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $30-$48k)

59 Ranked Colleges
874 Degrees Awarded
$7,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

Astronomy & Astrophysics is the 222nd most popular major in the country with 1,268 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 874 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 59 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy and astrophysics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent astronomy and astrophysics programs, but they also cost less that 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 18 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $1,010 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $4,287 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 Columbia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $6,860 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Chicago

#5

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Princeton University is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Princeton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $2,044 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Princeton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Princeton Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#6

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#10 in overall quality

Cornell University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $7,518 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Cornell

#9 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 13 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at U-M

#8

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#3 in overall quality

Dartmouth College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dartmouth is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,830 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Dartmouth

#9

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 21 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,069 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Florida Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 34 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#11

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 13 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,418 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UMN Twin Cities Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#12

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Williams College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $2,223 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Williams College

#13

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#4 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $3,756 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at California Institute of Technology

#14

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Wellesley College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wellesley College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wellesley, Massachusetts. It awarded 2 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wellesley has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wellesley is $4,519 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Wellesley College

#15

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW is $9,200 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wyoming Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#16

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCLA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,254 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles

#23 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 27 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#18

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $6,192 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at IU Bloomington

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 38 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#20

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $11,696 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 97%.

Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#21

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #21 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Berkeley

#22

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 2 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon is $13,782 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Carnegie Mellon University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#23

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 12 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,256 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Boston University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#24

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#15 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

UMCP also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,128 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Maryland - College Park.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Maryland - College Park

#25

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#20 in overall quality

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 10 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,241 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 94%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Georgia

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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