BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Astronomy and Astrophysics worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 11 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff
−$29,726 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
11.2 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−11%Estimated return after 10 years
$69,729Observed earnings · year 4
$16,821Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark would need to fall by $7,432 per year to reach it.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$67,285
$8,000Annual price+$35,285
$16,000Annual price+$3,285
$24,000Current college-wide context−$28,715
$32,000Annual price−$60,715
$40,000Annual price−$92,715
Outcomes at a glance
$69,729Typical earnings four years after completion
$61,538Average earnings five years after completion
$24,678Typical federal student debt
62thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
Not availableDegrees awarded in 2024–25
4College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 0 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Astronomy and Astrophysics
How much do Astronomy and Astrophysics bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $69,729 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $24,678. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Astronomy and Astrophysics?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $65,987 to $72,698 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Astronomy and Astrophysics?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$65,987National median$69,72975th percentile$72,698
4 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
University of California, Berkeley
$90,943 four years after completionBerkeley, CA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtUniversity of Colorado Boulder
$22,324 among completer borrowersBoulder, CO · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of California, Santa Cruz
40 reported awards in 2024–25Santa Cruz, CA · inspect the full program →Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
11 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 11 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1University of California, Berkeley$90,9432University of Colorado Boulder$72,6983Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$66,7594The University of Texas at Austin$65,9875University of Wisconsin-MadisonNot available6University of California, Santa CruzNot available7Ohio State University-Main CampusNot available8University of ArizonaNot available9Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottNot available10Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Natural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangeAstronomers$128,820 median wage2,120 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$78,010–$195,190 typical wage rangeAtmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$103,170 median wage9,900 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$59,700–$203,190 typical wage rangePhysicists$172,250 median wage20,430 jobs nationwide+7.2% projected growth through 2035 · 1,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$82,110–$274,110 typical wage rangePhysics Teachers, Postsecondary$100,310 median wage13,090 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 1,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$60,200–$177,850 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.