Astrophysics Degree in Irvine, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Astrophysics degree analysis for Irvine, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$93K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$136K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.4 yrs
in Irvine
Cost of Living
109
index (100 = avg)
Astrophysics in Irvine, CA Overview
Irvine is one of California's top college towns, with 24 institutions and a student population of 16,104. Public tuition averages $13,752/year here — near the national average for public universities. Astrophysics enrollment is stable nationwide, with steady demand for graduates skilled in Cosmology and Spectroscopy. The adjusted starting salary in Irvine is approximately $92,650.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
24
Public Tuition
$13,752/yr
Private Tuition
$33,606/yr
Room & Board
$19,564/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,909/yr
Unemployment
3.8%
Graduation Rate
46%
Astrophysics Salary in Irvine (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Irvine's cost of living index of 109 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Astrophysics salary: $85,000 starting, $125,000 mid-career, $175,000 senior level.Irvine adjustment factor: 1.09x based on the local cost of living index.
Astrophysics ROI Calculator for Irvine
Estimate your return on investment for a Astrophysics degree using local Irvine tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $13,752 | Private avg: $33,606
Irvine avg aid: $8,909/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$133,264
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$54,500
vs HS diploma in Irvine
ROI Payback Period
2.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Irvine
$1,501,736
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,635,000) minus total education cost ($133,264)
Student Loan Payoff for Astrophysics in Irvine
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Irvine for Astrophysics
University of California, Irvine
public
$13,752/yr
$55,008 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Irvine Valley College
$1,540/yr
Top Employers for Astrophysics in Irvine
Irvine offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Astrophysics graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Irvine Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Astrophysics Job Titles
Astrophysics in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$120K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$119K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$110K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$97K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$100K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$95K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$99K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$112K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Irvine
Prompt Engineering
$55K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$104K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$93K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$96K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$87K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$55K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics Degree in Irvine — 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 Irvine.