by our College Data Analytics Team
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania” ranking.
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 Pennsylvania, there were 85 astronomy & astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $22,853 and $24,614 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer 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.
The astronomy 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 “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania”.
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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lycoming College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania. Lycoming College is located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 9 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Swarthmore College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania list. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students 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%. 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 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.
Out of the 9 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #3 spot on the list. Haverford College 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.
Out of the 9 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Franklin and Marshall College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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.
Out of the 9 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Villanova University landed the #5 spot on the list. Villanova is a fairly large school located in Villanova, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 8 ’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 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Carnegie Mellon University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #7, Lehigh University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania list. Lehigh University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It awarded 3 ’s astronomy 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%. 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Lehigh University
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania list. Pitt is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 0 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #9, Bryn Mawr College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in Pennsylvania list. This small school is located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 3 ’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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 89%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies