2024 Best Astrophysics Master's Degree Schools in California

When it comes to popularity, a master's degree in astrophysics sits in the middle of the road, ranking #608 out of 1172 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.

College Factual reviewed 2 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of astrophysics. Combined, these schools handed out 22 master's degrees in astrophysics to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Master’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 much a school focuses on astrophysics students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other astrophysics students want to attend this school to pursue a master'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 astrophysics related body.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

The astrophysical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Astrophysics Master's Degree Schools in California.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Astrophysics in California

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in astrophysics.

Top California Schools for a Master's in Astrophysical Sciences

1

California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

11 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in astrophysics has to take a look at California Institute of Technology. Located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in astrophysics from California Institute of Technology

2

University of California - Berkeley
Berkeley, CA

Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type

11 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in astrophysics needs to take a look at University of California - Berkeley. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in astrophysics from University of California - Berkeley

Best Astrophysics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Astrophysics Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded

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Astrophysics Related Rankings by Major

One of 3 majors within the Astronomy & Astrophysics area of study, Astrophysics has other similar majors worth exploring.

Most Popular Majors Related to Astrophysical Sciences

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Astronomy	11
Planetary Astronomy & Science	5
Other Astronomy & Astrophysics	1

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.