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2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s

43 Ranked Colleges
187 Degrees Awarded
$36,100 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s” 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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 187 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,425 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. To top this list, a school must have a successful astronomy and astrophysics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s”.

1
Princeton crest
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified masters’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

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. 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%.

Full Princeton Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 16 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Caltech

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

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%. 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 UC Berkeley Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

4
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 10 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Arizona

4

Out of the 43 schools in the Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Boulder landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Colorado Boulder is a public institution located in Boulder, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full CU - Boulder Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

6
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Harvard University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’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 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Harvard

6
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Northwestern Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

8

University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 8 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Full UMCP Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

8

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 8 students 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

10
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 6 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at SDSU

11

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at IU Bloomington

11

Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Rochester, New York, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 RIT Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified masters’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 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%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

14

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UT Austin

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, this fairly large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomy students 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 more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Hawaii at Manoa

14

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

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 excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 3 students 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full U-M Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

17

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Massachusetts Amherst

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #17, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s 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

17
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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%.

Full University of Chicago Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

17
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

17
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Cornell

17

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW Seattle Astronomy & Astrophysics Report

17

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 3 masters’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Texas A&M University - College Station

25

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s astronomy degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

25

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astronomy Major for a Master’s ranking. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s astronomy students 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 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%.

Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at UMN Twin Cities

Notes and References

References

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