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2023 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

12 Ranked Colleges
249 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 1,375 people earned their degree in astronomy and astrophysics, making the major the 219th most popular in the United States. 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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the astronomy and astrophysics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region astronomy students with aid.

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 UIUC Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students with aid.

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 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

4

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

U-M also made our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $14,878 for great lakes region astronomy students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 41 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students with aid 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

6
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $23,279 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students with aid.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%. The undergrad 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 Northwestern

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 22 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region astronomy students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Michigan State University

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 10 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students with aid list, UC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region astronomy students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC

9
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region astronomy students with aid list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $28,517 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full University of Chicago Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

10
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Wayne State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,962 for great lakes region astronomy students with aid per year to attend Wayne State University.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Wayne State University

11

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,772 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students with aid per year to attend Illinois Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Illinois Tech

12
Valpo crest
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Astronomy Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Valpo is a small school located in Valparaiso, Indiana that handed out 5 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Valpo also took the #11 spot in our “Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,899 for Great Lakes Region Astronomy students with aid per year to attend Valparaiso University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Valparaiso University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

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