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

46 Ranked Colleges
343 Degrees Awarded
$32,200 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Astrophysical Sciences Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Astrophysics is the 598th most popular major in the country with 460 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 343 astrophysics 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 Astrophysical Sciences Major” ranking, we looked at 46 colleges that offer a degree in astrophysics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in astrophysics.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major”.

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 Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Astrophysics

1
Whitman crest
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Whitman College landed the #1 spot on the list. Whitman College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Walla Walla, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees 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.

Full Whitman Astrophysics Report

2
Agnes Scott crest
Agnes Scott College
Decatur, Georgia

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Agnes Scott College landed the #2 spot on the list. Agnes Scott is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Georgia. It awarded 5 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astrophysics at Agnes Scott College

3
Lycoming crest
Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Lycoming College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on Astrophysics at Lycoming College

4
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Astrophysics at Swarthmore College

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 65 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full UC Santa Cruz Astrophysics Report

6
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Haverford College is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 full report on Astrophysics at Haverford

7
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Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #7, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Wellesley is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Astrophysics at Wellesley

8
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astrophysics at Williams

9
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #9. Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hamilton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. 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.

Read more about Astrophysics at Colgate University

10
Franklin and Marshall crest
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Franklin and Marshall is a small school located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that handed out 4 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Franklin and Marshall College Astrophysics Report

11
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Princeton University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Princeton Astrophysics Report

12

California Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Astrophysics at California Institute of Technology

13

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Astrophysics at University of California - Berkeley

14
Barnard crest
Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s astrophysical 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Astrophysics at Barnard

15

Ohio Wesleyan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Delaware, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Ohio Wesleyan University Astrophysics Report

16

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 96%.

Full UCLA Astrophysics Report

17

Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 87%.

Read full report on Astrophysics at Illinois Institute of Technology

18
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #18. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 Astrophysics at Carnegie Mellon University

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s astrophysical 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Astrophysics Report

20
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #20, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Bethlehem, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Astrophysics at Lehigh

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Astrophysics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

22
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

Rice University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Rice University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, 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 97%.

Read more about Astrophysics at Rice University

23

With a ranking of #23, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Astrophysics at UNM

24
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Michigan State Astrophysics Report

25
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Rutgers New Brunswick is a large school located in New Brunswick, New Jersey that handed out 13 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Rutgers New Brunswick Astrophysics Report

Notes and References

References

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