by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2021-2022, 436 people earned their degree in astrophysics, making the major the 598th most popular in the United States.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 33 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 33 astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,302 and $25,698 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania” ranking analyzed 6 colleges that offered a degree in astrophysics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in astrophysics.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree astrophysical sciences students.
Out of the 6 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Lycoming College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 6 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Swarthmore College landed the #2 spot on the list. Swarthmore College is a small school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 95%.
Out of the 6 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #3 spot on the list. Haverford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin and Marshall College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania list. Franklin and Marshall is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 full report on Astrophysics at Franklin and Marshall College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s astrophysical sciences students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
With a ranking of #6, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Astrophysical Sciences Major in Pennsylvania list. Lehigh is a medium-sized school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 3 bachelors’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies