2023 Most Popular Colleges for Astronomy
107
Ranked Colleges
765
Degrees Awarded
$35,800
Avg Cost*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 765 people earned their degree in astronomy, making the major the 479th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major” ranking analyzed 107 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy. To top this list, a school must have a successful astronomy program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The astronomical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major”.
Top 26 Most Popular Colleges for Astronomy
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 60 ’s astronomical sciences 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. 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 at CU - Boulder
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 51 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 93%.
Read more about Astronomy at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major. University of Maryland - College Park is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 45 ’s astronomical sciences 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy at UMCP
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 40 ’s astronomical sciences degrees 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 3.6% 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 full report on Astronomy at Ohio State
Out of the 107 schools in the Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified ’s astronomical sciences 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at UT Austin
University of Arizona landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 32 ’s astronomical sciences 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 at University of Arizona
University of Chicago landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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. 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%.
Read full report on Astronomy at University of Chicago
University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #7. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy at University of Florida
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s astronomical sciences 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%.
Full UIUC Astronomy Report
With a ranking of #10, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 25 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read full report on Astronomy at U-M
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Full University of Virginia Astronomy Report
University of Massachusetts Amherst ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 ’s 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 at University of Massachusetts Amherst
Boston University ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 18 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Astronomy at Boston University
With a ranking of #14, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full San Diego State University Astronomy Report
Monterey Peninsula College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. Located in Monterey, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Astronomy at Monterey Peninsula College
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 18 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Astronomy at Columbia
University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomical sciences degrees to 13 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 full report on Astronomy at University of Hawaii at Manoa
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #17. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 13 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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 91%.
Read more about Astronomy at Indiana University - Bloomington
Cornell University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences 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 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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 Cornell Astronomy Report
Stony Brook University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. Stony Brook University is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s astronomical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Read full report on Astronomy at Stony Brook University
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 11 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Astronomy at UC Santa Cruz
With a ranking of #22, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. Iowa is a large public school situated in Iowa City, Iowa. It awarded 10 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy at Iowa
With a ranking of #22, Villanova University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It awarded 10 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy at Villanova
With a ranking of #24, Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middletown, Connecticut. It awarded 9 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy at Wesleyan University
With a ranking of #24, SUNY New Paltz did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astronomical Sciences Major list. SUNY New Paltz is a medium-sized school located in New Paltz, New York that handed out 9 ’s astronomical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 87%.
Full SUNY New Paltz Astronomy Report
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