College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region

9 Ranked Colleges
29 Degrees Awarded
$38,000 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 249 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $19,258 and $0 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 29 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,305 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their astronomy and astrophysics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Astronomy Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 9 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Great Lakes Region

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 9 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full UChicago Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 5 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Northwestern University

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 UIUC

4
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Out of the 9 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Michigan State

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Case Western Reserve University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Case Western Reserve University

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s astronomy degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UW - Madison

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor

8

With a ranking of #8, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 94%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

9
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at IU Bloomington

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options