2026 Best Value Astrophysics Schools in the The Plains States Region
[Astrophysics](/majors/physical-sciences/astronomy-and-astrophysics/astrophysics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong astrophysics education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for astrophysics students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Astrophysics Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the astrophysics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Astrophysics Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Minnesota Twin Cities the best value for a degree in astrophysics in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,214, while out-of-state students pay about $38,362. Typical student debt for astrophysics graduates is $21,577. Astrophysics graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $56,395 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $21,577 median debt. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities admits about 80% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
