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2024 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master's Degree Schools in California

5 Colleges in California
39 Master's Degrees
You'll be studying one of the lesser sought-after majors if you pursue a Master's Degree in astronomy & astrophysics. It is ranked #213 out of 343 major degree programs in terms of popularity. This may make is a little harder to find a school that is a good fit for you.

College Factual reviewed 5 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for master's degree seekers in the field of astronomy & astrophysics. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 39 master's degrees in astronomy & astrophysics during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Astronomy & Astrophysics School for Your Master's Degree

Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of astronomy & astrophysics for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.

A Great Overall School

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Early-Career Earnings

One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of master's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their master's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

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

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Astronomy Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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

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

Top California Schools for a Master's in Astronomy

1
16 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a master's degree in astronomy & astrophysics needs to check out California Institute of Technology. Located in the city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a master’s in astronomy & astrophysics from California Institute of Technology

2
11 Annual Graduates

University of California - Berkeley is a great decision for students pursuing a master's degree in astronomy & astrophysics. 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 astronomy & astrophysics from University of California - Berkeley

3
1 Annual Graduates

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in astronomy & astrophysics needs to look into University of California - Los Angeles. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in astronomy & astrophysics from University of California - Los Angeles

4
6 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat San Diego State University if you want to pursue a master's degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in astronomy & astrophysics from San Diego State University

5
5 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in astronomy & astrophysics from University of California - Santa Cruz

Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

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

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 183 3
Nevada 105 1
Hawaii 85 4

View All Rankings >

Astronomy & Astrophysics is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Astronomy Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Astrophysics 22
Astronomy 11
Planetary Astronomy & Science 5
Other Astronomy & Astrophysics 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Physics 253
Chemistry 248
Geological & Earth Sciences 214
Materials Sciences 49
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 31
General Physical Sciences 13

Notes and References

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