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2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences

16 Ranked Colleges
460 Degrees Awarded
$35,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 460 people earned their degree in astrophysics, making the major the 598th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in astrophysics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great astrophysics programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the astrophysics program at the school. 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 “Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences”.

Top 16 Best Astrophysics Colleges for Veterans

1

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 44,640 students enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Madison, 4 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Wisconsin - Madison offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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.

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2

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences that were part of this year’s ranking, Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. RIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

RIT also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 16,158 students enrolled at Rochester Institute of Technology, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,424. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 86%.

Full RIT Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences list. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,379 of the 37,437 students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder were GI Bill® students, of which 968 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,889. To help with additional expenses, 46 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 23 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 752 of the 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities were GI Bill® students, of which 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,020. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Veteran Student Life Report

5

Out of the 16 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, UCLA supports 44,589 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,071. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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6

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Arizona State University - Tempe supports 74,795 students, and 7,566 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 3,828 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,068. In addition to receiving other benefits, 672 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

7
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking. New Brunswick, New Jersey is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.

Rutgers New Brunswick also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 50,411 students enrolled at Rutgers New Brunswick, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,625. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Rutgers New Brunswick]](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick/student-life/veterans/)

8

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking, coming in at #8. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 6 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Oklahoma supports 27,772 students, and 12 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 10 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,720. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Oklahoma Veteran Student Life Report

9

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 40,826 students enrolled at UC, 909 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 498 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,806. On top of their other funding sources, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

10

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking, coming in at #10. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, UC Santa Cruz supports 19,161 students, and 273 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 114 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,631. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.

Read More…

11
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 1,987 students enrolled at Williams College, 16 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $26,154. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Williams Veteran Student Life Report

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 22 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 49,695 students enrolled at Michigan State University, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,686. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

13

Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 6,325 students enrolled at Illinois Institute of Technology, 83 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 52 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,905. During this same period, 14 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read More…

14

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking, coming in at #14. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 726 of the 25,714 students enrolled at Ohio University - Athens Campus were GI Bill® students, of which 324 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,725. During this same period, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at OHIO Athens]](/colleges/ohio-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

15

With a ranking of #15, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 17 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our vets studying astrophysical sciences list, Caltech has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 4 of the 2,240 students enrolled at Caltech were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $67,154. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read More…

16

Baylor University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly for Astrophysical Sciences ranking. Baylor University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Waco, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Baylor not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Baylor University supports 19,297 students, and 876 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 593 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $17,744. To help with additional expenses, 263 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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