Best Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics
7 Astronomy & Astrophysics programs ranked by real graduate earnings, debt, and completion — from the College Scorecard Field-of-Study data.
For Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of California-Berkeley (California) ranks #1 by our outcome score, with median graduate earnings of $90,943. Rankings reflect earnings, debt, and completion — not reputation or cost — across 7 programs with published outcome data.
| # | School | Credential | Median earnings | Median debt | Completers | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berkeley, CA | Bachelor's Degree | $90,943 | $19,500 | 48 | 96.7 |
| 2 | Boulder, CO | Bachelor's Degree | $72,698 | $21,500 | 58 | 73.3 |
| 3 | University Park, PA | Bachelor's Degree | $66,759 | $24,614 | 28 | 51.7 |
| 4 | Austin, TX | Bachelor's Degree | $65,987 | — | 26 | 48.3 |
| 5 | Madison, WI | Bachelor's Degree | $45,783 | $20,000 | 20 | 38.3 |
| 6 | Santa Cruz, CA | Bachelor's Degree | $35,171 | $20,400 | 50 | 30 |
| 7 | East Lansing, MI | Bachelor's Degree | $33,373 | — | 22 | 11.7 |
How we ranked this
Programs are scored 0–100 within the Astronomy & Astrophysics field (CIP 40.02) using three College Scorecard figures: median graduate earnings (weighted 70%), median federal-loan debt (20%, inverted so lower debt scores higher), and completer count (10%, log-scaled). Each input is percentile-ranked against the other Astronomy & Astrophysics programs, so the score is robust to outliers and comparable across schools. Programs with no published earnings are excluded — never given a fabricated number. This is the same engine that powers our interactive Major Rankings. Minimum 5 scorable programs required to publish.
Frequently asked questions
Which college has the best Astronomy & Astrophysics program?+
By our outcome score, University of California-Berkeley (California) ranks #1 for Astronomy & Astrophysics, with median graduate earnings of $90,943.
How are these Astronomy & Astrophysics programs ranked?+
Each program gets a 0–100 outcome score from three real College Scorecard figures: median graduate earnings (70%), median federal-loan debt (20%, lower is better), and completer count (10%). Programs are compared within the major so the score reflects the best schools for this field specifically.
Where does the earnings and debt data come from?+
The U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field-of-Study file, which publishes median earnings and median debt by institution and major (4-digit CIP). Figures are post-graduation medians; programs without published earnings are not scored and are omitted from this ranking.
Can I filter Astronomy & Astrophysics programs by state or degree level?+
Yes. This page shows the national top programs; use the interactive Major Rankings tool to filter the same data by state, and by credential level (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral).
Keep exploring
Data sources: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Field of Study) · IPEDS Completions. Figures are the most recent values published in each federal dataset; cells with no published value are shown as “—” and never estimated. CertiHomes Education does not sell rankings or accept placement fees.