2023 Most Focused Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Plains States Region
8
Ranked Colleges
44
Degrees Awarded
$31,300
Avg Cost*
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region” 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 Plains States region, there were 44 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $27,000 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 8 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. That schools that top this list have a program in astronomy and astrophysics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region astronomy students.
Top 8 Most Focused Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Plains States Region
Out of the 8 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Benedictine College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Atchison, Kansas, and it awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Benedictine College Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Out of the 8 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at KU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region. Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad 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%. 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 more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Iowa
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region list. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Iowa State
Concordia College at Moorhead landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Concordia College at Moorhead is a private not-for-profit institution located in Moorhead, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Concordia College at Moorhead Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #6, Dodge City Community College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Dodge City, Kansas, and it awarded 0 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Dodge City Community College Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Washington University in St Louis came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Plains States Region ranking. WUSTL is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 0 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 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 WUSTL Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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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