Astrophysics Degree in Arlington, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Astrophysics degree analysis for Arlington, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$79K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$117K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.2 yrs
in Arlington
Cost of Living
93.5
index (100 = avg)
Astrophysics in Arlington, TX Overview
Arlington, Texas (pop. 394,266) has 14 colleges offering Astrophysics programs. The local cost of living index of 93.5 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $795/month. Astrophysics enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Cosmology and Spectroscopy. The adjusted starting salary in Arlington is approximately $79,475.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
14
Public Tuition
$10,900/yr
Private Tuition
$36,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,627/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,822/yr
Unemployment
3.3%
Graduation Rate
51%
Astrophysics Salary in Arlington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Arlington's cost of living index of 93.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Astrophysics salary: $85,000 starting, $125,000 mid-career, $175,000 senior level.Arlington adjustment factor: 0.94x based on the local cost of living index.
Astrophysics ROI Calculator for Arlington
Estimate your return on investment for a Astrophysics degree using local Arlington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,900 | Private avg: $36,000
Arlington avg aid: $14,822/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$102,108
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$46,750
vs HS diploma in Arlington
ROI Payback Period
2.2 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Arlington
$1,300,392
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,402,500) minus total education cost ($102,108)
Student Loan Payoff for Astrophysics in Arlington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Arlington for Astrophysics
Arlington State University
public
$11,254/yr
$45,016 total
University of Arlington
public
$12,320/yr
$49,280 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Arlington Community College
$5,331/yr
Texas Technical College - Arlington
$5,252/yr
Top Employers for Astrophysics in Arlington
Arlington offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Astrophysics graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Arlington Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Astrophysics Job Titles
Astrophysics in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$98K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$102K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$88K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$91K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$86K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$79K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$70K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$72K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Arlington
Prompt Engineering
$47K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$89K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$79K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$82K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$77K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics Degree in Arlington — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Astrophysics ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Arlington.