2024 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois

Astronomy & Astrophysics is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #95 most popular doctor's degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for astronomy & astrophysics students pursuing a doctor's degree. Combined, these schools handed out 14 doctor's degrees in astronomy & astrophysics to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

• Best Doctor’s Degree Schools List

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their doctor's degree from the school. After all, your doctor's degree won't mean much if it doesn't help you find a job that will help you earn a living.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

• Major Focus - How much a school focuses on astronomy & astrophysics students vs. other majors.
• Major Demand - How many other astronomy & astrophysics students want to attend this school to pursue a doctor's degree.
• Educational Resources - The amount of money and other resources allocated to students while they are pursuing their degree. These resources include such things as number of students per instructor and education expenditures per student.
• Student Debt - How much debt astronomy & astrophysics students go into to obtain their doctor's degree and how well they are able to pay back that debt.
• Accreditation - Whether a school is regionally accredited and/or accredited by a recognized astronomy & astrophysics related body.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for astronomy & astrophysics students working on their doctor's degree.

More Ways to Rank Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Doctor's Degree Schools in Illinois list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Doctorate Students to Study Astronomy & Astrophysics in Illinois

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for astronomy & astrophysics students seeking a a doctor's degree.

Top Illinois Schools for a Doctorate in Astronomy

1

Northwestern University
Evanston, IL

5 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Northwestern University if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Evanston.More information about a doctorate in astronomy & astrophysics from Northwestern University

2

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL

5 Annual Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great choice for individuals pursuing a doctor's degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a doctorate in astronomy & astrophysics from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2

University of Chicago
Chicago, IL

4 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat University of Chicago if you wish to pursue a doctor's degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a doctorate in astronomy & astrophysics from University of Chicago

Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Michigan	149	7
Ohio	144	3
Indiana	132	1
Wisconsin	108	4

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Astronomy & Astrophysics Related Rankings by Major

One of 8 majors within the Physical Sciences area of study, Astronomy & Astrophysics has other similar majors worth exploring.

Astronomy Focus Areas

Major	Annual Graduates
Astronomy	9
Other Astronomy & Astrophysics	5

Majors Similar to Astronomy

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Chemistry	167
Physics	81
Geological & Earth Sciences	25
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	5

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.