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Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California

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2023 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California

5 Colleges
$19,734 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics School for You

In 2020-2021, 67 degrees and certificates were awarded to astronomy and astrophysics students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #150 most popular major in the state.

Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Grad Degree Search has created the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 5 schools in California to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California

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

Top California Schools in Astronomy & Astrophysics

Our analysis found University of California - Berkeley to be the best school for astronomy and astrophysics students who want to pursue a degree in California. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley.

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#2

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means San Diego State University is a great place for astronomy and astrophysics students. Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public college with a very large student population.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at San Diego State University Report

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Santa Cruz is a great place for astronomy and astrophysics students. Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at California Institute of Technology Report

Out of the 5 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the # 5 spot on the list. UCLA is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Los Angeles.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles Report

Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 8
Nevada 3
Hawaii 8
Alaska 0

One of 8 majors within the area of study, astronomy and astrophysics has other similar majors worth exploring.

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 5 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.

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