2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major
46
Ranked Colleges
222
Degrees Awarded
$36,000
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2021-2022, 1,396 people earned their degree in astronomy & astrophysics, making the major the 219th most popular in the United States. In , astronomy & astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $29,129 and had an average of $23,581 in loans still to pay off.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 222 astronomy & astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major” ranking analyzed 46 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy & astrophysics. That schools that top this list have a program in astronomy & astrophysics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree astronomy students.
Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Caltech Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Princeton University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Princeton University is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 12 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Princeton University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s astronomy degrees to 23 students in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Harvard University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 10 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Arizona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rochester Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Rochester Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 & Astrophysics at RIT
Hampton University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Hampton University is located in Hampton, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 doctorate’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Hampton
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 8 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz
New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s astronomy degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 NMSU Main Campus Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Hawaii at Manoa ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of Hawaii at Manoa is located in Honolulu, Hawaii and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Hawaii at Manoa Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Cornell University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Cornell
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking, coming in at #11. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 2 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UCLA
University of Chicago ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Chicago
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2021-2022.
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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Northwestern Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Maryland - College Park landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at UMCP
With a ranking of #15, Florida Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Florida Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Melbourne, Florida that handed out 3 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Florida Tech
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking, coming in at #16. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 4 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Virginia Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Boston University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Boston University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 3 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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 94%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Boston U
Vanderbilt University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Vanderbilt
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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 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.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Columbia
University of California - Berkeley came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s astronomy students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s astronomy degrees to 2 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UIUC Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #22, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. 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
With a ranking of #23, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. TCU is a fairly large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 1 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Texas Christian University
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major ranking. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Colorado Boulder
University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Astronomy Major list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
