2026 Best Astronomy Schools in the Southwest Region

Astronomy is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 19 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best astronomy schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Astronomy Schools in the Southwest Region

Best Schools for Astronomy in the Southwest Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall astronomy education in the Southwest Region.

Top Schools in Astronomy

1

University Of Arizona
Tucson, AZ

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

35 Astronomy Degrees Awarded

$50,834 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is University Of Arizona, our #1 school for astronomy. University Of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson. The six-year graduation rate is 68%. There were roughly 35 astronomy students who graduated with this degree at University Of Arizona in the most recent data year. Graduates of the astronomy program make about $50,834 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,406 to complete this degree. Read more about the astronomy program at University Of Arizona

2

The University Of Texas At Austin
Austin, TX

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

43 Astronomy Degrees Awarded

$29,404 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes The University Of Texas At Austin one of the top schools for astronomy. This very large public university is located in the city of Austin. The six-year graduation rate is 89%. The University Of Texas At Austin awarded about 43 astronomy degrees in the most recent data year. Astronomy graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $29,404 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $25,250 to complete this degree. See the full astronomy program report for The University Of Texas At Austin

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 19 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.