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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major

66 Ranked Colleges
559 Degrees Awarded
$34,200 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Astronomy is the 479th most popular major in the country with 765 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 559 astronomy graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major” ranking, we looked at 66 colleges that offer a degree in astronomy. That schools that top this list have a program in astronomy in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree astronomical sciences students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy

1
Lycoming crest
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lycoming College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major. Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lycoming Astronomy Report

2
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vassar College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Poughkeepsie, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Astronomy at Vassar

3
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wesleyan University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Middletown, Connecticut, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Astronomy at Wesleyan U

4
Amherst crest
Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Amherst College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Amherst Astronomy Report

5

Out of the 66 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Boulder landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 60 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy at University of Colorado Boulder

6
Mt. Holyoke crest
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts

Mount Holyoke College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Mount Holyoke College is a small school located in South Hadley, Massachusetts that handed out 4 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Mount Holyoke College Astronomy Report

7
Whitman crest
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Whitman College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Walla Walla, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Astronomy at Whitman

8
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Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, Indiana

Valparaiso University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Valpo is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Valparaiso, Indiana. It awarded 5 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at Valparaiso University

9
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Hampshire College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Hampshire College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Hampshire is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 1 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Hampshire College Astronomy Report

10

University of Hawaii at Hilo came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. UH Hilo is a small public school situated in Hilo, Hawaii. It awarded 3 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Astronomy at UH Hilo

11
SUNY New Paltz crest
SUNY New Paltz
New Paltz, New York

With a ranking of #11, SUNY New Paltz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. This medium-sized school is located in New Paltz, New York, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy at SUNY New Paltz

12
Bennington crest
Bennington College
Bennington, Vermont

With a ranking of #12, Bennington College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Located in Bennington, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Astronomy at Bennington College

13
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at UChicago

14

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #14. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 43 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Astronomy at UW Seattle

15
Stonehill crest
Stonehill College
Easton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, Stonehill College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Stonehill College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy at Stonehill College

16
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Haverford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Haverford Astronomy Report

17

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at University of Maryland - College Park

18
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #18. Villanova University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Astronomy at Villanova

19
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #19, Smith College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Northampton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Astronomy at Smith

20
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at University of Virginia - Main Campus

21
Benedictine College crest
Benedictine College
Atchison, Kansas

Benedictine College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Benedictine College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atchison, Kansas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at Benedictine College

22
VSU crest
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, Georgia

Valdosta State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #22. VSU is a fairly large school located in Valdosta, Georgia that handed out 5 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Astronomy at VSU

23
Union College crest
Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

With a ranking of #23, Union College New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Located in Schenectady, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy at Union College

24

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Astronomy Report

25
UMass Amherst crest
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #25, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. UMass Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 17 bachelors’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Astronomy at UMass Amherst

Notes and References

References

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