2024 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California
5
Colleges in California
252
Astronomy Degrees Awarded
When it comes to popularity,
astronomy & astrophysics sits in the middle of the road, ranking #219 out of 395 majors in the country. So, it might take a little more work to find colleges and universities that offer the degree program.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for astronomy & astrophysics students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 252 degrees in astronomy & astrophysics to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Astronomy & Astrophysics School
The astronomy program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Astronomy & Astrophysics rankings. For our Best Overall Astronomy & Astrophysics School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Astronomy & Astrophysics Rankings by Degree Level
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 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for Astronomy & Astrophysics in California
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the astronomy degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top California Schools in Astronomy
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
2nd
Most Popular In CA
65
Astronomy Degrees Awarded
Every student who is interested in astronomy & astrophysics needs to look into University of California - Berkeley. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #18 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were about 65 astronomy & astrophysics students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in astronomy & astrophysics from University of California - Berkeley
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In CA
43
Astronomy Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a degree in astronomy & astrophysics. UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were roughly 43 astronomy & astrophysics students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in astronomy & astrophysics from University of California - Los Angeles
California Institute of Technology is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Located in the midsize city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population. This school ranks 6th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 28 astronomy & astrophysics students who graduated with this degree at Caltech in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in astronomy & astrophysics from California Institute of Technology
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In CA
76
Astronomy Degrees Awarded
It is difficult to beat University of California - Santa Cruz if you wish to pursue a degree in astronomy & astrophysics. Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 19th out of 168 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 76 astronomy & astrophysics students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in astronomy & astrophysics from University of California - Santa Cruz
Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 168 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 15 astronomy & astrophysics students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in astronomy & astrophysics from San Diego State University
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