2024 Best Astronomy Doctor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

a doctor's degree in astronomy is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #181 out of 862 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. As a result, there are many college that offer the degree, making your choice of school a hard one.

College Factual reviewed 2 schools in the Far Western US Region to determine which ones were the best for doctor's degree seekers in the field of astronomy. Combined, these schools handed out 17 doctor's degrees in astronomy to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to astronomy students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other astronomy students want to attend this school to pursue a doctor's degree.
• Educational Resources - How many resources are allocated to students. These resources may include educational expenditures per student, number of students per instructor, and graduation rate among other things.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized astronomy related body.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for astronomy students working on their doctor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Astronomy Doctor's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Astronomy in the Far Western US Region

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a doctor's degree in astronomy.

Top Far Western US Region Schools for a Doctorate in Astronomical Sciences

1

University of California - Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

6 Annual Graduates

University of California - Santa Cruz is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a doctor's degree in astronomy. Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a large student population.More information about a doctorate in astronomy from University of California - Santa Cruz

2

University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

5 Annual Graduates

University of Washington - Seattle Campus is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a doctor's degree in astronomy. UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a doctorate in astronomy from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2

University of Nevada - Las Vegas
Las Vegas, NV

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

2 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Nevada - Las Vegas if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in astronomy. Located in the city of Las Vegas, UNLV is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in astronomy from University of Nevada - Las Vegas

Best Astronomy Colleges by State

Explore the best astronomy colleges for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
California	381	6
Washington	216	5
Nevada	111	2
Hawaii	65	4

View All Rankings >

Rankings in Majors Related to Astronomical Sciences

Astronomy is one of 3 different types of Astronomy & Astrophysics programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Astronomical Sciences

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Other Astronomy & Astrophysics	10
Astrophysics	9
Planetary Astronomy & Science	3

Notes and References

• The bars on the spread charts above show the distribution of the schools on this list +/- one standard deviation from the mean.
• 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 the rest 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.