Using science and data we decided to determine which programs offer the best career opportunities for astronomy and astrophysics Majors. Here are the set of the top colleges for astronomy and astrophysics Majors in US for 2021:
- Harvard University
- Rice University
- Princeton University
- Yale University
- University of Virginia
- University of Chicago
- Cornell University
- Colgate University
- University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
25 best colleges for astronomy and astrophysics majors in the US
1. Harvard University
Location
Cambridge, MA
2. Rice University
Location
Houston, TX
3. Princeton University
Location
Princeton, NJ
4. Yale University
Location
New Haven, CT
5. University of Virginia
Location
Charlottesville, VA
6. University of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
7. Cornell University
Location
Ithaca, NY
8. Colgate University
Location
Hamilton, NY
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Location
Ann Arbor, MI
10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location
Cambridge, MA
11. Brown University
Location
Providence, RI
12. Northwestern University
Location
Evanston, IL
13. Amherst College
Location
Amherst, MA
14. Lehigh University
Location
Bethlehem, PA
15. University of California, Berkeley
Location
Berkeley, CA
16. Emory University
Location
Atlanta, GA
17. University of Texas at Austin
Location
Austin, TX
18. University of California - Los Angeles
Location
Los Angeles, CA
19. Tufts University
Location
Medford, MA
20. Dartmouth College
Location
Hanover, NH
21. Case Western Reserve University
Location
Cleveland, OH
22. University of Florida
Location
Gainesville, FL
23. Columbia University in the City of New York
Location
New York, NY
24. Villanova University
Location
Villanova, PA
25. University of Washington
Location
Seattle, WA
How we determined the best astronomy and astrophysics colleges
We looked at the following data from the NCES (National Center For Education Statistics) and College Scorecard data from ED.gov to understand what astronomy and astrophysics departments offer the best career opportunities:
- Percentage of Graduating Class That Are Business Majors
- Mean Earnings After 10 Years
- Mean Earnings After 6 Years
- Admission Rate (More selective the better)
- Average cost of attendance (Lower is better)
- Median amount of debt
- Ratio of people working to not working after 10 years
Most popular jobs for astronomy and astrophysics majors
Updated November 17, 2023