by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Astronomy & Astrophysics is the 219th most popular major in the country with 1,396 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. 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.
Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 250 astronomy & astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,758 and $25,091 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in astronomy & astrophysics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in astronomy & astrophysics.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region” list to help you make the college 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. 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.
The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region astronomy students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lycoming College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Lycoming College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It awarded 9 ’s astronomy 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 26 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #2 spot on the list. Princeton University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Princeton, New Jersey. It awarded 30 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Swarthmore College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’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 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 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Swarthmore College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Haverford College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Haverford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 94%.
Out of the 26 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Vassar College landed the #5 spot on the list. Vassar is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. It awarded 7 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Colgate University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Hamilton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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 more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Colgate University
Franklin and Marshall College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Franklin and Marshall College
SUNY New Paltz came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in New Paltz, New York, this medium-sized public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students 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%.
University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #9. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.
Barnard College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in New York, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Rochester Institute of Technology ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Rochester Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 8 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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 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%.
Villanova University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Villanova is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 8 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 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 ranking of #14, Union College New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This small school is located in Schenectady, New York, and it awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 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%.
Cornell University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 9 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
With a ranking of #16, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students 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. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 0.4% 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%.
Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #17. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 16 students in 2021-2022.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #18, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 31 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Columbia University in the City of New York Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Rutgers University - New Brunswick came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Rutgers New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 ’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. 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%.
Full Rutgers University - New Brunswick Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Troy, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 1 students 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
George Washington University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. George Washington University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, 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%.
Full George Washington University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 0 ’s astronomy degrees 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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #23. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Johns Hopkins University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Siena College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Siena College is a small school located in Loudonville, New York that handed out 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Siena College
Bryn Mawr College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2021-2022.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 89%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Bryn Mawr College
University of Delaware ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Middle Atlantic Region list. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 0 ’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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies