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2023 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region

9 Ranked Colleges
284 Degrees Awarded
$36,400 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 1,375 people earned their degree in astronomy and astrophysics, making the major the 219th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, astronomy and astrophysics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $31,221 and had an average of $24,484 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Middle Atlantic region, there were 284 astronomy and astrophysics graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,362 and $27,000 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy” ranking analyzed 9 colleges that offered a degree in astronomy and astrophysics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great astronomy and astrophysics programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the astronomy and astrophysics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy

The colleges and universities below are the best for middle atlantic region vets studying astronomy.

Top 9 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges for Veterans in the Middle Atlantic Region

1

Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy that were part of this year’s ranking, Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region vets studying astronomy list, RIT has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 16,158 students enrolled at Rochester Institute of Technology, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,424. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Rochester Institute of Technology offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Rochester Institute of Technology]](/colleges/rochester-institute-of-technology/student-life/veterans/)

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Maryland - College Park. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy. UMCP is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of Maryland - College Park supports 40,709 students, and 16 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 13 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,716. In addition to receiving other benefits, 8 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Maryland - College Park offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Maryland - College Park]](/colleges/university-of-maryland-college-park/student-life/veterans/)

3
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Cornell University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Cornell also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 23,620 students enrolled at Cornell, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,780. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Cornell Veteran Student Life Report

4
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rutgers University - New Brunswick. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy list. Rutgers New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, New Jersey and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s astronomy degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region vets studying astronomy list, Rutgers New Brunswick has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 50,411 students enrolled at Rutgers University - New Brunswick, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 3 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,625. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 Rutgers New Brunswick Veteran Student Life Report

5
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Johns Hopkins supports 28,890 students, and 4 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,793. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy list. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified ’s astronomy students in 2020-2021.

Pitt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 32,277 students enrolled at Pitt, 509 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 364 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $16,281. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

7
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy ranking, coming in at #7. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our middle atlantic region vets studying astronomy list, SUNY Stony Brook has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,782 students enrolled at SUNY Stony Brook, 208 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 127 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,244. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SUNY Stony Brook]](/colleges/stony-brook-university/student-life/veterans/)

8

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy ranking. RPI is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Troy, New York. It awarded 1 ’s astronomy degrees in 2020-2021.

RPI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 7,501 students enrolled at RPI, 104 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 72 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,164. On top of their other funding sources, 59 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Veteran Student Life Report

9
Union College crest
Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

Union College New York did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Middle Atlantic Region for Astronomy ranking, coming in at #9. Schenectady, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s astronomy degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

Union College also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 8 of the 2,047 students enrolled at Union College New York were GI Bill® students, of which 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,901. During this same period, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Union College New York Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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