by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania” ranking.
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 Pennsylvania, there were 102 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,853 and $27,000 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania” ranking looked at 9 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astronomy and astrophysics. That schools that top this list have a program in astronomy and astrophysics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania astronomy students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lycoming College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania. Lycoming is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Swarthmore College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Haverford College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania. Haverford is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Haverford College
Out of the 9 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Franklin and Marshall College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Full Franklin and Marshall College Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Villanova University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania list. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 ’s astronomy degrees 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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #6. Carnegie Mellon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees 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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.
Full Carnegie Mellon University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #7, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania list. This medium-sized school is located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 ’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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Lehigh University
With a ranking of #8, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania list. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a public institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus
Bryn Mawr College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
