by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region” 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 186 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy and astrophysics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their astronomy and astrophysics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Valparaiso University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region. Valpo is a small school located in Valparaiso, Indiana that handed out 5 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Chicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio Wesleyan University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region. This small school is located in Delaware, Ohio, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Ohio Wesleyan University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Illinois Institute of Technology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Youngstown State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 4 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Youngstown State University
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 26 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 21 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Butler University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Butler University is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Butler University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Michigan State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 15 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Michigan State University
Central Michigan University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Central Michigan
With a ranking of #13, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s astronomy degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Case Western Reserve University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
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 undergrad 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Case Western
Wayne State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State is a large public school situated in Detroit, Michigan. It awarded 5 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Wayne State University
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
University of Toledo ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Toledo, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Toledo
Ball State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 2 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
DePaul University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Ohio University - Southern Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio University - Southern Campus is a small school located in Ironton, Ohio that handed out 0 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio University - Lancaster Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OHIO Lancaster is located in Lancaster, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio University - Lancaster Campus
Ohio University - Eastern Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OHIO Eastern is a public institution located in Saint Clairsville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio University - Chillicothe Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Chillicothe, Ohio, this small public school handed out 0 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
Full Ohio University - Chillicothe Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Ohio University - Zanesville Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. OHIO Zanesville is a small public school situated in Zanesville, Ohio. It awarded 0 bachelors’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio University - Zanesville Campus
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