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

31 Ranked Colleges
98 Degrees Awarded
$36,000 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 98 astronomy graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in astronomy.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

Top 31 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy

1
Wesleyan U crest
Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wesleyan University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middletown, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Wesleyan University Astronomy Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Hawaii at Manoa. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major. Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at UH Manoa

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 31 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 8 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Astronomy at Northwestern University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Astronomy Report

5

Out of the 31 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Maryland - College Park landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 8 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Astronomy at University of Maryland - College Park

6

With a ranking of #6, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 2 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Astronomy at NMSU Main Campus

7
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 6 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Astronomy at SDSU

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #8. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about Astronomy at Ohio State University - Main Campus

9

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. RPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Troy, New York. It awarded 1 masters’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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

10
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 more about Astronomy at UChicago

11
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #11, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Astronomy Report

12
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 3 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 more about Astronomy at Cornell

13
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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

14
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #14, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Astronomy at University of Arizona

15
UMass Amherst crest
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #15, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. UMass Amherst is a large public school situated in Amherst, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Full UMass Amherst Astronomy Report

16

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy at Columbia

17

Case Western Reserve University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Case Western

18

With a ranking of #18, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 4 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Astronomy Report

20

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 3 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy at U-M

21

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Astronomy Report

22

With a ranking of #22, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 3 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy at Texas A&M College Station

23
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #23. Boston U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Astronomy at Boston University

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

25
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Florida Astronomy Report

25

University of California - Berkeley came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy at UC Berkeley

25
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 0 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Astronomy at Harvard

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 4 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy at UW - Madison

25
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 10 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 Iowa Astronomy Report

25

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 0 masters’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCLA Astronomy Report

25
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Flagstaff, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomical sciences degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy at Northern Arizona University

Notes and References

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