Astrophysics Degree in St. Louis, MO — Salary & ROI 2026
Astrophysics degree analysis for St. Louis, MO. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$82K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$121K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
1.7 yrs
in St. Louis
Cost of Living
97
index (100 = avg)
Astrophysics in St. Louis, MO Overview
St. Louis is one of Missouri's top college towns, with 23 institutions and a student population of 23,342. Public tuition averages $12,343/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 St. Louis is approximately $82,450.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
23
Public Tuition
$12,343/yr
Private Tuition
$55,255/yr
Room & Board
$8,721/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$9,996/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
48%
Astrophysics Salary in St. Louis (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for St. Louis's cost of living index of 97 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Astrophysics salary: $85,000 starting, $125,000 mid-career, $175,000 senior level.St. Louis adjustment factor: 0.97x based on the local cost of living index.
Astrophysics ROI Calculator for St. Louis
Estimate your return on investment for a Astrophysics degree using local St. Louis tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $12,343 | Private avg: $55,255
St. Louis avg aid: $9,996/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$84,256
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$48,500
vs HS diploma in St. Louis
ROI Payback Period
1.7 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in St. Louis
$1,370,744
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,455,000) minus total education cost ($84,256)
Student Loan Payoff for Astrophysics in St. Louis
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in St. Louis for Astrophysics
Washington University in St. Louis
private
$60,590/yr
$242,360 total
Saint Louis University
private
$49,920/yr
$199,680 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
St. Louis Community College
$3,600/yr
Top Employers for Astrophysics in St. Louis
St. Louis offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Astrophysics graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key St. Louis Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Astrophysics Job Titles
Astrophysics in Nearby Missouri Cities
Kansas City, MO
$80K starting · COL 94
44 colleges
Springfield, MO
$68K starting · COL 80
5 colleges
Columbia, MO
$71K starting · COL 84
10 colleges
Independence, MO
$73K starting · COL 85.8
5 colleges
Lee's Summit, MO
$81K starting · COL 95.5
4 colleges
OFallon, MO
$74K starting · COL 87.3
4 colleges
St. Joseph, MO
$77K starting · COL 90.4
3 colleges
St. Charles, MO
$71K starting · COL 83.4
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in St. Louis
Prompt Engineering
$49K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$92K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$82K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$85K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$80K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$49K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$78K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$49K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics Degree in St. Louis — 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 St. Louis.