2023 Most Popular Colleges for Astrophysics
54
Ranked Colleges
460
Degrees Awarded
$33,400
Avg Cost*
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 “Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 460 people earned their degree in astrophysics, making the major the 598th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major” ranking looked at 54 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in astrophysics. To top this list, a school must have a successful astrophysics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Astrophysical Sciences Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for astrophysical sciences students.
Top 27 Most Popular Colleges for Astrophysics
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at UC Santa Cruz
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 61 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at University of California - Berkeley
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 39 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Astrophysics Report
Out of the 54 schools in the Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 32 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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.
Read full report on Astrophysics at UCLA
Out of the 54 schools in the Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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 95%.
Read more about Astrophysics at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #6, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 23 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astrophysics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Michigan State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at Michigan State
California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #8. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California Institute of Technology Astrophysics Report
Whitman College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Whitman College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Walla Walla, Washington. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. 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.
Full Whitman College Astrophysics Report
Rutgers University - New Brunswick did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #10. Rutgers New Brunswick is a large school located in New Brunswick, New Jersey that handed out 13 ’s astrophysical sciences 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 2.6% 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%.
Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Astrophysics Report
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. CU - Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 13 ’s astrophysical 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 Astrophysics at CU - Boulder
With a ranking of #12, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 full report on Astrophysics at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Carnegie Mellon University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. This fairly large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 10 ’s astrophysical sciences 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%. 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. 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 Carnegie Mellon University Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #12, Rochester Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Rochester Institute of Technology is located in Rochester, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at RIT
With a ranking of #15, Harvard University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 9 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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%.
Read more about Astrophysics at Harvard University
University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. UNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Full UNM Astrophysics Report
Wellesley College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 0.6% 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 Astrophysics at Wellesley College
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astrophysics at Arizona State University - Tempe
With a ranking of #17, Swarthmore College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It awarded 6 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read more about Astrophysics at Swarthmore College
Colgate University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences 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 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astrophysics at Colgate University
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #17. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 6 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astrophysics at University of Oklahoma
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 5 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Astrophysics at Columbia
Williams College ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astrophysics at Williams
Agnes Scott College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Decatur, Georgia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s astrophysical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astrophysics at Agnes Scott College
Franklin and Marshall College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #25. This small school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read full report on Astrophysics at Franklin and Marshall College
With a ranking of #25, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major list. Tufts is a private not-for-profit institution located in Medford, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Astrophysics at Tufts University
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Astrophysical Sciences Major ranking. Illinois Tech is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s astrophysical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Illinois Tech Astrophysics Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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