Astronomical Sciences

Types of Degrees Astronomical Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many astronomy graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Master’s Degree	164
Doctor’s Degree	133
Graduate Certificate	10

What Astronomical Sciences Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to astronomical sciences were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Astronomical Sciences Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in astronomical sciences should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Skills for Astronomical Sciences Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to astronomical sciences:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.

Abilities for Astronomical Sciences Majors

Astronomical Sciences majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

What Can You Do With a Astronomical Sciences Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with astronomical sciences:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Astronomers	10.0%	$105,680
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors	9.9%	$90,860
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860

Who Is Getting a Master’s Degree in Astronomical Sciences?

According to recent stats this major attracts about equal numbers of men and women. Roughly 47% of the graduates are women, and 53% are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of astronomical sciences majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	14
Black or African American	9
Hispanic or Latino	18
White	68
International Students	36
Other Races/Ethnicities	19

Geographic Diversity

Astronomical Sciences appeals to people across the globe. About 22.0% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Astronomical Sciences

Some careers associated with astronomical sciences require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to astronomical sciences have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Bachelor’s Degree	11.5%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	4.1%
Master’s Degree	25.9%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	1.3%
Doctoral Degree	28.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	29.1%

Online Astronomical Sciences Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	32	1
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	33	0
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	30	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Astronomical Sciences

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to astronomical sciences.

Major	Number of Grads
Astrophysics	444
Other Astronomy & Astrophysics	131
Planetary Astronomy & Science	90

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.