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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major

46 Ranked Colleges
170 Degrees Awarded
$36,000 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 1,375 people earned their degree in astronomy and astrophysics, making the major the 219th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, astronomy and astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,221 and had an average of $24,484 in loans still to pay off.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 170 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,260 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major” ranking looked at 46 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy and astrophysics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in astronomy and astrophysics.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics

1

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at California Institute of Technology

2
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Princeton Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

3
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 46 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #3 spot on the list. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Harvard Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

4
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 15 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Arizona

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Rochester Institute of Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major. Rochester Institute of Technology is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Rochester Institute of Technology

6
Hampton crest
Hampton University
Hampton, Virginia

Hampton University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Hampton, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s astronomy degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

Full Hampton Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 6 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

8

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. NMSU Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Full NMSU Main Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

9

University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 4 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Hawaii at Manoa

10
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cornell Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 10 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UCLA

12
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Chicago

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Northwestern University

14

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 6 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

15

Florida Institute of Technology came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Florida Tech is a medium-sized school located in Melbourne, Florida that handed out 1 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Florida Institute of Technology

16
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

17
Boston U crest
Boston University
Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #17, Boston University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Boston University

18
Vanderbilt crest
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee

With a ranking of #18, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Vanderbilt University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

19

Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Columbia University in the City of New York

20

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UC Berkeley

21

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 5 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UIUC

22

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 5 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

23
TCU crest
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

With a ranking of #23, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at TCU

24

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Colorado Boulder

25

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UNLV

Notes and References

References

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