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#1 #1 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA At the University of California-Santa Cruz, the most popular majors students pursue are Computer Science, Behavioral Sciences, and Business/Managerial Economics. In fact, the University of California-Santa Cruz awards 684 degrees annually to Computer Science majors....view more Acceptance Rate 73% Annual Degrees Awarded 7 SAT Score 1,180–1,390 Median Starting Salary $50,225
#2 #2 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Wesleyan University Middletown, CT Each year, Wesleyan University awards about 104 degrees to students studying Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, the school’s most popular major. Other often-pursued majors include Psychology, General, Political Science and Government, General, and Computer Science....view more Acceptance Rate 16% Annual Degrees Awarded 4 SAT Score 1,370–1,530 Median Starting Salary $56,208
#3 #3 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Yale University New Haven, CT Yale offers students seventy possible majors, which must be declared by sophomore or junior years, but students are always welcome to change. Some of the top majors currently are Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Computer and Information Sciences, General, History, General, Political Science and Government, General,......view more Acceptance Rate 5% Annual Degrees Awarded 8 SAT Score 1,470–1,570 Median Starting Salary $47,331
#4 #4 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Chicago Chicago, IL UChicago has 51 academic majors available to students in five divisions: Biological Sciences Collegiate Division, the Physical Sciences Collegiate Division, the Social Sciences Collegiate Division, the Humanities Collegiate Division, and the New Collegiate Division. They also offer 33 minors....view more Acceptance Rate 5% Annual Degrees Awarded 7 SAT Score 1,510–1,570 Median Starting Salary $47,839
#5 #5 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Cornell University Ithaca, NY At Cornell University, the most popular majors students study are Computer Science, Biology/Biological Sciences, General, and Agricultural Economics. In fact, Cornell University grants 516 degrees annually to Computer Science majors....view more Acceptance Rate 8% Annual Degrees Awarded 8 SAT Score 1,500–1,570 Median Starting Salary $52,939
#6 #6 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Columbia University is separated into 20 different schools which include the College, global research outposts, Juilliard School, Barnard College, and more. Each new student will meet with an adviser to go over their plan and schedule for the upcoming year....view more Acceptance Rate 4% Annual Degrees Awarded 6 SAT Score 1,510–1,590 Median Starting Salary $44,723
#7 #7 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Northwestern University Evanston, IL At Northwestern University, the most popular majors students study are Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia, and Computer Science. In fact, Northwestern University grants 277 degrees annually to Econometrics and Quantitative Economics majors....view more Acceptance Rate 8% Annual Degrees Awarded 7 SAT Score 1,510–1,560 Median Starting Salary $50,302
#8 #8 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Virginia-Main Campus Charlottesville, VA All first year students have the ability to apply to either the College of Arts and Sciences, School of Architecture, School of Engineering, School of Nursing, or the Kinesiology program at the Curry School of Education....view more Acceptance Rate 16% Annual Degrees Awarded 6 SAT Score 1,420–1,540 Median Starting Salary $54,057
#9 #9 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Boston University Boston, MA At Boston University, the most popular majors students pursue are Business Administration and Management, General, Computer Science, Psychology, and General. In fact, Boston University grants 812 degrees per year to graduating Business Administration and Management, General students....view more Acceptance Rate 13% Annual Degrees Awarded 9 SAT Score 1,430–1,530 Median Starting Salary $54,842
#10 #10 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI At the University of Hawaii at Manoa, the most popular majors students study are Psychology, General, Marketing/Marketing Management, General, Finance, and General. In fact, the University of Hawaii at Manoa awards 282 degrees annually to Psychology, General majors....view more Acceptance Rate 88% Annual Degrees Awarded 8 SAT Score 930–1,210 Median Starting Salary $51,958
#11 #11 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA At Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus, the most popular majors students study are Psychology, General, Finance, General, Computer and Information Sciences, and General. In fact, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus awards 523 degrees annually to Psychology, General majors....view more Acceptance Rate 61% Annual Degrees Awarded 7 SAT Score 1,250–1,430 Median Starting Salary $53,204
#12 #12 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Each year, The University of Texas at Austin awards around 761 degrees to those majoring in Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which is the institution’s most popular major....view more Acceptance Rate 22% Annual Degrees Awarded 7 SAT Score 1,260–1,500 Median Starting Salary $50,842
#13 #13 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Florida Gainesville, FL At the University of Florida, the most popular majors students pursue are Business Administration and Management, General, Psychology, General, Computer and Information Sciences, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 20% Annual Degrees Awarded 7 SAT Score 1,340–1,480 Median Starting Salary $48,925
#14 #14 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the three most popular college majors students pursue are Research and Experimental Psychology, Other, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 37% Annual Degrees Awarded 9 SAT Score 1,400–1,530 Median Starting Salary $52,462
#15 #15 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH Annually, Ohio State University-Main Campus awards around 857 degrees to students majoring in Finance, General, which is the school’s most popular major....view more Acceptance Rate 49% Annual Degrees Awarded 8 SAT Score 1,290–1,450 Median Starting Salary $53,003
#16 #16 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI Each year, the University of Wisconsin-Madison awards around 766 degrees to students majoring in Computer and Information Sciences, General, which is the school’s most popular major....view more Acceptance Rate 41% Annual Degrees Awarded 6 SAT Score 1,360–1,480 Median Starting Salary $57,440
#17 #17 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Annually, the University of Washington-Seattle Campus grants around 561 degrees to those studying Computer Science, which is the institution’s most popular major. Other popular majors include Research and Experimental Psychology, Other, Informatics, and Speech Communication and Rhetoric....view more Acceptance Rate 42% Annual Degrees Awarded 6 SAT Score 1,320–1,520 Median Starting Salary $48,965
#18 #18 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. San Diego State University San Diego, CA Each year, San Diego State University grants around 2210 degrees to students studying Business Administration and Management, General, the school’s most popular major....view more Acceptance Rate 37% Annual Degrees Awarded 8 SAT Score 1,100–1,320 Median Starting Salary $49,978
#19 #19 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Harvard University Cambridge, MA There are plenty of classes to choose from at Harvard; they offer almost 3,900 courses in 49 undergraduate fields. Your curriculum is designed based on your goals and they require no predetermined courses for your major outside of an Expository Writing course for all freshmen....view more Acceptance Rate 4% Annual Degrees Awarded 3 SAT Score 1,460–1,560 Median Starting Salary $45,413
#20 #20 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD Every year, the University of Maryland-College Park grants around 1178 degrees to students studying Computer Science, which is the institution’s most popular major. Other popular majors include Information Science/Studies, Biology/Biological Sciences, General, Finance, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 45% Annual Degrees Awarded 5 SAT Score 1,400–1,540 Median Starting Salary $52,543
#21 #21 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA At San Francisco State University, the three most popular college majors students study are Business Administration and Management, General, Psychology, General, Biology/Biological Sciences, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 96% Annual Degrees Awarded 7 SAT Score 930–1,140 Median Starting Salary $51,320
#22 #22 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Every year, the University of Arizona awards around 545 degrees to students majoring in Psychology, General, which is the institution’s most popular major....view more Acceptance Rate 84% Annual Degrees Awarded 9 SAT Score 1,060–1,320 Median Starting Salary $51,739
#23 #23 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI At the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, the three most popular college majors students pursue are Computer and Information Sciences, General, Business Administration and Management, General, Economics, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 16% Annual Degrees Awarded 4 SAT Score 1,390–1,530 Median Starting Salary $52,021
#24 #24 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY Every year, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute grants around 267 degrees to those majoring in Computer Science, the institution’s most popular major....view more Acceptance Rate 67% Annual Degrees Awarded 2 SAT Score 1,380–1,520 Median Starting Salary $55,040
#25 #25 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX At Texas A&M University-College Station, the three most popular college majors students pursue are Psychology, General, Biomedical Sciences, General, Communication, and General. In fact, Texas A&M University-College Station grants 581 degrees every year to graduating Psychology, General students....view more Acceptance Rate 57% Annual Degrees Awarded 3 SAT Score 1,170–1,400 Median Starting Salary $52,575
#26 #26 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Every year, the University of Iowa grants around 413 degrees to students studying Kinesiology and Exercise Science, the school’s most popular major. Other often-pursued majors include Finance, General, Behavioral Sciences, Marketing/Marketing Management, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 80% Annual Degrees Awarded 3 SAT Score 1,090–1,320 Median Starting Salary $56,402
#27 #27 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of California-San Diego La Jolla, CA At the University of California-San Diego, the most popular majors students study are Cognitive Science, Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods, Other, and Anatomy. In fact, the University of California-San Diego grants 833 degrees annually to graduating Cognitive Science students....view more Acceptance Rate 29% Annual Degrees Awarded 1 SAT Score 1,290–1,490 Median Starting Salary $48,024
#28 #28 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA Every year, the University of California-Riverside grants about 870 degrees to students majoring in Business Administration and Management, General, which is the school’s most popular major....view more Acceptance Rate 86% Annual Degrees Awarded 2 SAT Score 1,090–1,310 Median Starting Salary $49,602
#29 #29 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Massachusetts-Amherst Amherst, MA Annually, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst awards around 528 degrees to those majoring in Psychology, General, the school’s most popular major. Other popular majors include Computer Science, Finance, General, Biology/Biological Sciences, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 60% Annual Degrees Awarded 1 SAT Score 1,330–1,500 Median Starting Salary $55,511
#30 #30 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. Indiana University-Bloomington Bloomington, IN At Indiana University-Bloomington, the three most popular college majors students study are Business/Commerce, General, Kinesiology and Exercise Science, and Mass Communication/Media Studies....view more Acceptance Rate 76% Annual Degrees Awarded 1 SAT Score 1,230–1,430 Median Starting Salary $56,700
#31 #31 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. New Mexico State University-Main Campus Las Cruces, NM At New Mexico State University-Main Campus, the three most popular college majors students study are Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies, Psychology, and General....view more Acceptance Rate 89% Annual Degrees Awarded 3 SAT Score 900–1,140 Median Starting Salary $50,549
#32 #32 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S. University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV At the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, the three most popular college majors students study are Psychology, General, Hospitality Administration/Management, General, and Criminal Justice/Safety Studies....view more Acceptance Rate 84% Annual Degrees Awarded 1 SAT Score 980–1,200 Median Starting Salary $51,902
*The estimated net prices above are College Raptor’s estimate. Please contact the college financial aid office for actual net cost figures.

About Astronomy

A general program that focuses on the planetary, galactic, and stellar phenomena occurring in outer space. Includes instruction in celestial mechanics, cosmology, stellar physics, galactic evolution, quasars, stellar distribution and motion, interstellar medium, atomic and molecular constituents of astronomical phenomena, planetary science, solar system evolution, and specific methodologies such as optical astronomy, radioastronomy, and theoretical astronomy.

While Astronomy offers degrees up to the Masters degree, the majority of students earn a Masters degree. Students major in Astronomy all over the country, though the major at the Masters degree level sees the most graduates in California. The average starting salary for a graduate with a bachelor's degree in Astronomy is $51,867.

Popularity of Astronomy Degrees in the U.S.

This heat map represents the states that have the highest percent of Astronomy degrees compared to all other degrees awarded in that state.

Less Popular

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Careers

Some top careers related to Astronomy, include Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary and Astronomers, both of which have many employment opportunities. Though there are careers that pay more, such as Natural Sciences Managers. the most in-demand position for Astronomy majors is Natural Sciences Managers.

Top Paying Careers

These are the highest paying careers for Astronomy majors.

Most In-Demand Careers

These are the careers in highest demand for Astronomy majors.

Student Demographics

Total Students

173

Female Students

79 (45%)

Male Students

94 (54%)

Resources for:

Articles

Resources for:

Astronomy

#1 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

73%

7

1,180–1,390

$50,225

#2 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

16%

4

1,370–1,530

$56,208

#3 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

5%

8

1,470–1,570

$47,331

#4 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

5%

7

1,510–1,570

$47,839

#5 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

8%

8

1,500–1,570

$52,939

#6 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

4%

6

1,510–1,590

$44,723

#7 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

8%

7

1,510–1,560

$50,302

#8 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

16%

6

1,420–1,540

$54,057

#9 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

13%

9

1,430–1,530

$54,842

#10 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

88%

8

930–1,210

$51,958

#11 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

61%

7

1,250–1,430

$53,204

#12 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

22%

7

1,260–1,500

$50,842

#13 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

20%

7

1,340–1,480

$48,925

#14 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

37%

9

1,400–1,530

$52,462

#15 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

49%

8

1,290–1,450

$53,003

#16 Best College for Astronomy in the U.S.

41%

6

1,360–1,480