by our College Data Analytics Team
[Astronomy And Astrophysics](/majors/physical-sciences/astronomy-and-astrophysics/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their astronomy and astrophysics graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 6 schools to find where astronomy and astrophysics graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send astronomy and astrophysics graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of California Berkeley earned the #1 spot for highest-paid astronomy and astrophysics graduates in the United States. University Of California Berkeley is a public school located in the city of Berkeley. Students who complete the astronomy and astrophysics program here go on to a median salary of roughly $54,746.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Colorado Boulder one of the highest-paying schools for astronomy and astrophysics. Located in the city of Boulder, University Of Colorado Boulder is a public institution. Astronomy And Astrophysics graduates of University Of Colorado Boulder earn a median of about $62,122 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Wisconsin Madison earned it the #3 place for astronomy and astrophysics. University Of Wisconsin Madison is a public school located in the city of Madison. Early-career astronomy and astrophysics graduates from University Of Wisconsin Madison make a median of around $45,783 per year.
University Of California Santa Cruz produces some of the highest-paid graduates in astronomy and astrophysics, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of California Santa Cruz is a public school located in the city of Santa Cruz. Astronomy And Astrophysics graduates of University Of California Santa Cruz earn a median of about $35,171 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #5 makes Michigan State University one of the highest-paying schools for astronomy and astrophysics. Michigan State University is a public school located in the city of East Lansing. Astronomy And Astrophysics graduates of Michigan State University earn a median of about $33,373 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #6 position for astronomy and astrophysics graduate earnings this year. The University Of Texas At Austin is a public school located in the city of Austin. After graduating, astronomy and astrophysics degree recipients from The University Of Texas At Austin typically earn about $29,404 annually.
Explore the highest-paying astronomy and astrophysics schools at other degree levels:
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.