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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $75-$110k)

59 Ranked Colleges
874 Degrees Awarded
$18,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $75-$110k

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 59 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the astronomy and astrophysics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $75-$110k)

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #1 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k list, Columbia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Columbia.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 95%.

Full Columbia Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#2

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $14,238 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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.

Full Dartmouth Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#3

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k list, Princeton has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,989 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Princeton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Princeton

#4

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $12,788 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Caltech

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k list, U-M has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $18,039 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#6

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

University of Chicago landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $17,929 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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%.

Full UChicago Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#7

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #7, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 21 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,685 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Florida.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low 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%.

Full UF Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#8

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k 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.

It costs about $14,653 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Williams.

The low 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%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Williams College

#9

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Harvard University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Harvard University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 18 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Harvard University is $15,553 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Harvard University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 40 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $21,860 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UW - Madison

#11

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

With a ranking of #11, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,958 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wyoming.

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%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UW

#12

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $19,942 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#13

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#20 in overall quality

University of Georgia ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k list, UGA has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Georgia is $17,105 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UGA

#14

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#10 in overall quality

Cornell University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cornell University 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. It costs about $23,128 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cornell University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Full Cornell Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#15

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $19,590 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k 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%. 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 - Los Angeles

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $15,362 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at BYU

#17

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#24 in overall quality

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 26 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $20,200 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Arizona

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,110 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#13 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 34 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

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

With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 33 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $20,454 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin

#21

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#17 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

University of Virginia also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia - Main Campus is $21,646 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. 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

#22

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $21,401 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Full UC Berkeley Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

#23

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#15 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 28 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $22,710 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMCP.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Maryland - College Park

#24

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wellesley College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $22,275 for bachelor’s degree astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wellesley.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Wellesley

#23 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Astronomy Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $21,364 for Bachelor’s Degree Astronomy students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio State

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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