Find Grad Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools

30 Colleges
$31,221 Avg Salary
$24,484 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics School for You

Astronomy & Astrophysics is the #197 most popular major in the country with 371 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Also there are many trade schools that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 30 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the United States

Check out the astronomy programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for astronomy and astrophysics students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a very large student population.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at Northwestern University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools list. Located in the city of Austin, UT Austin is a public college with a very large student population.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Rochester Institute of Technology is a great place for astronomy and astrophysics students. Located in the large suburb of Rochester, RIT is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Rochester Institute of Technology

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Chicago is a great place for astronomy and astrophysics students. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools list. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools ranking. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.

Read More…

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best astronomy and astrophysics programs. UMCP is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of College Park.

Read More…

#8

Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Cornell University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools ranking. Located in the small city of Ithaca, Cornell is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.

Read More…

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for astronomy and astrophysics students. It came in at #9 on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis.

Read More…

Iowa State University landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best astronomy and astrophysics programs. Located in the small city of Ames, Iowa State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at Iowa State University Report

Astronomy & Astrophysics by Region

View the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Great Lakes

Astronomy & Astrophysics is one of 8 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 5,005
Physics 3,727
Geological & Earth Sciences 2,491
Materials Sciences 448
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 342

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Graduate Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited graduate schools across the U.S.