2024 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master's Degree Schools in New York

Astronomy & Astrophysicsmaster's programs are on the lower end of the spectrum in terms of popularity. In fact, the major degree program ranks #213 out of the 343 majors we look at each year. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

In 2024, College Factual analyzed 2 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Master's Degree Schools in New York ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13 master's degrees in astronomy & astrophysics during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

• Best Master’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 master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

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

• Major Focus - How many resources a school devotes to astronomy & astrophysics students as compared to other majors.
• Major Demand - The number of astronomy & astrophysics students who choose to seek a master's degree at the school.
• 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.
• Student Debt - How much debt astronomy & astrophysics students go into to obtain their master'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 full 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

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 New York list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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

Below you'll see a list of the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in astronomy & astrophysics.

Top New York Schools for a Master's in Astronomy

1

Cornell University
Ithaca, NY

3 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat Cornell University if you wish to pursue a master's degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in astronomy & astrophysics from Cornell University

2

Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY

5 Annual Graduates

It is hard to beat Rochester Institute of Technology if you wish to pursue a master's degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Located in the suburb of Rochester, RIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in astronomy & astrophysics from Rochester Institute of Technology

Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region

Explore all the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Area or other specific states within that region.

State	Colleges	Degrees Awarded
Pennsylvania	248	13
Maryland	193	8
New Jersey	188	21

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Rankings in Majors Related to Astronomy

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

Astronomy Concentrations

Major	Annual Graduates
Astronomy	8
Astrophysics	5

Majors Similar to Astronomy

Related Major	Annual Graduates
Physics	230
Chemistry	191
Geological & Earth Sciences	114
Materials Sciences	79
General Physical Sciences	9
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	8
Other Physical Science	3

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.