by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
Across the Southeast region, there were 176 astronomy & astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $27,000 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy & astrophysics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their astronomy & astrophysics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 Southeast Region” list to help you make the college 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.
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region astronomy students.
Out of the 15 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Agnes Scott College landed the #1 spot on the list. Decatur, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.
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%.
Out of the 15 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Melbourne, Florida, and it awarded 41 ’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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach is located in Daytona Beach, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 20 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Full Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region. Located in Charlottesville, Virginia, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy 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%. 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 University of Virginia - Main Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of Charleston. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region. C of C is a fairly large public school situated in Charleston, South Carolina. It awarded 9 ’s astronomy 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%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at College of Charleston
Valdosta State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Valdosta State University is located in Valdosta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Valdosta State University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #8, Hampton University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region list. Hampton is located in Hampton, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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 more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Hampton University
University of Georgia came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 9 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.
Emory University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. Emory is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 5 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
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 0.4%, 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 full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Emory University
Vanderbilt University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #11. Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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. 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%.
University of Arkansas came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region ranking. UARK is a large public school situated in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
George Mason University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 3 ’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%.
Full George Mason University Astronomy & Astrophysics Report
Georgia State University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Atlanta, Georgia, and it awarded 7 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Oglethorpe University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Astronomy Major in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #14. Oglethorpe is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Astronomy & Astrophysics at Oglethorpe University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies