2027 Best Astronomy Schools in Illinois

Astronomy is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for astronomy students pursuing a degree.

What’s on this page:

• Best Astronomy Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for Astronomy in Illinois

If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the astronomy degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top Schools in Astronomy

1

University Of Chicago
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

24 Astronomy Degrees Awarded

$81,002 Median Starting Salary

University Of Chicago is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in astronomy. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Chicago awarded about 24 astronomy degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the astronomy program make about $81,002 in their early career. University Of Chicago graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans. See the full astronomy program report for University Of Chicago

2

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

30 Astronomy Degrees Awarded

$57,461 Median Starting Salary

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best astronomy schools. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. About 85% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 30 astronomy students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Astronomy graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $57,461 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in astronomy from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 2 schools evaluated.

• 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 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.