by our College Data Analytics Team
[Astronomy And Astrophysics](/majors/physical-sciences/astronomy-and-astrophysics/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The highest-paying schools turn a astronomy and astrophysics degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
College Factual analyzed 6 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the highest-paying astronomy and astrophysics schools.
What’s on this page:
Where you study astronomy and astrophysics affects what graduates go on to earn. That is why we developed our Highest Paid Astronomy And Astrophysics Graduates ranking. We rank each school on the early-career earnings of its astronomy and astrophysics graduates to surface the highest-paying programs.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Astronomy And Astrophysics Graduates list, to help you choose. Want schools in a particular part of the country? Narrow the list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
Below are the schools whose astronomy and astrophysics graduates go on to earn the most.
For graduate earnings in astronomy and astrophysics, no school beat University Of California Berkeley this year. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a public institution. After graduating, astronomy and astrophysics degree recipients from University Of California Berkeley typically earn about $54,746 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in astronomy and astrophysics will find them at University Of Colorado Boulder, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. Students who complete the astronomy and astrophysics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,122.
University Of Wisconsin Madison came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying astronomy and astrophysics schools. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public school located in the city of Madison. Astronomy And Astrophysics graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of about $45,783 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #4 makes University Of California Santa Cruz one of the highest-paying schools for astronomy and astrophysics. Set in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a public institution. After graduating, astronomy and astrophysics degree recipients from University Of California Santa Cruz typically earn about $35,171 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in astronomy and astrophysics will find them at Michigan State University, which ranked #5. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. Students who complete the astronomy and astrophysics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $33,373.
The University Of Texas At Austin ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying astronomy and astrophysics schools. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a public institution. Early-career astronomy and astrophysics graduates from The University Of Texas At Austin make a median of around $29,404 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their astronomy and astrophysics graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 6 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.