### SUMMARY

 Choosing to study Astronomy is not only a valuable choice, but usually an obligatory first step for pupils wanting to begin a career as an astrological trends analyst, an observatory telescope technician, or a rocket scientist. Interestingly, astronomy is an uncommon degree coming in at the 292nd most popular major. Last academic year alone, there were 435 astronomy graduates. In-state tuition for astronomy at private universities is, on average, 4 times more costly than their public peers.

 With only 73 institutions having programs for astronomy you may have a more finite list of the institutions you can choose from. If you're hoping to immerse yourself with other astronomy students, consider institutions in Colorado which have more undergraduates admitted to astronomy than any other state. More generally, the best region to pursue astronomy is in the Great Lakes region with [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago), [Indiana University-Bloomington](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington), and [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick for the best conference to major in astronomy is the Pacific-12 Conference with [University of Arizona](/colleges/university-of-arizona), [University of Colorado Boulder](/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder), and [University of Washington-Seattle Campus](/colleges/university-of-washington-seattle-campus) representing the conference. From our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our belief is that the best university for astronomy is [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago).

 The best school does not mean it is the 'best' school for every student. There are tons of angels to think about when deciding on college. External stuff such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food would definitely alter your choice on which college to attend. Here at Authority, we've evaluated the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you are interested in which astronomy school has the top campus, the answer is [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university). If, for example, you are mostly interested in which school boasts the finest campus, we have an entire list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through student reviews, professor reviews, government databases, and more in order to compare every U.S. major in an unbiased and informative way. You can find our well researched list for the universities with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and our selection of the school with the best student life for astronomy is [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor). Curious why? Continue scrolling to learn more about our top recommendations. Many of our picks will probably shock you.

 If expense is a primary factor in your decision on where to go to university, you might be cautious about [Vassar College](/colleges/vassar-college). [Vassar College](/colleges/vassar-college)&nbspappears to be the most expensive school for astronomy, at least for out of state students. We do have an entire list of the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspschools that might put the price tag of [Vassar College](/colleges/vassar-college)&nbspinto perspective. Additionally, you may be interested to know that astronomy is the 135th most expensive program in the nation, with an average bill of $35,100. To zoom out a little, the most costly state for astronomy in the country is Michigan with tuition and fees at the primary college, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, of $52,669. Even more broadly, the most costly region of the country for astronomy is the New England region which is best demonstrated with [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) with a cost of $54,720, [University of Massachusetts-Amherst](/colleges/university-of-massachusetts-amherst) with a cost of $35,112, and [Mount Holyoke College](/colleges/mount-holyoke-college) with a cost of $52,040.

 Our cheapest region for astronomy is the Rocky Mountains region which is represented by [University of Colorado Boulder](/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder) with a cost of $34,930 and [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo) with a cost of $5,790. In better news, the most affordable school for astronomy is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). Authority.org's entire list of the most affordable universities can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state students can anticipate paying around $12,300 for a degree in astronomy. That cost inflates significantly to a median of $35,000 for the out-of-state public-school student. On that note, our pick for the college constituting the best value for astronomy: [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago). Here you will see our comprehensive list of the colleges we believe to be the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Bear in mind, this section is based on the assumption that you are an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when it comes to in-state tuition, but we do not know where you live (and are not trying to collect that kind of data).

 Earnings for astronomy students vary widely, but two-years after graduation graduates will regularly earn in the neighborhood of $64,200. There can be much variation in earnings potential; top positions can rake in up to $126,800. Straight out of college, the lowest earning opportunities within the astronomy field make $32,000, which isn't that bad. The highest earning graduates for astronomy studied at [Villanova University](/colleges/villanova-university)&nbspand if you want to find the colleges with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The general diversity of astronomy ranks below average, being in the 45th percentile of all majors. The college with the most composite diversity for astronomy is [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list of the universities with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of Astronomy sits only within the 17th percentile of all majors. Racial diversity is actually greater, in the 37th percentile. White undergraduates compose the largest proportion at 65% of students majoring in astronomy. Additionally, 63% of students pursuing an astronomy major are men.

 The median ranking for astronomy professors is 3.8 stars, which is 5% worse than the average across all majors; which is a subpar score. If you want the most popular astronomy professor nationally, look no further than Thomas Brueckner at [University of Central Florida](/colleges/university-of-central-florida). It may come as a shock, but the highest rated astronomy instructors from student rankings are found at [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/colleges/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus). If we incorporate information other than just rankings it becomes clear that the school with the overall best instructors for astronomy is [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago). You can find more detail on our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), as well as many of the top professors in the U.S.

 Finally, the most difficult school to get into for astronomy is [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago). While we are unsure why you would be interested, we have an extensive page for the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). But, we do hope you understand that looking at higher education from examples primarily informed by superlatives can create issues. We at Authority hope you read our more focused pages on different colleges and read some of Authority's helpful background pages on useful details to look for as your college search develops.



 ### POPULARITY

 Astronomy is the 292nd most popular degree in America, with 435 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It narrowly lost to #291 [Systems Science and Theory](/rankings/best-colleges-for-systems-science-and-theory).

 The degree is offered at a total of 73 colleges across the nation, and is the 219th most widely offered degree. Given that astronomy is offered at 27% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that 60% of colleges offering astronomy are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The great lakes produces the most astronomy graduates, largely led by [University of Chicago](/colleges/university-of-chicago), while it’s the Pacific-12 Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, Colorado ranks highest, with particular help from [University of Colorado Boulder](/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder) and [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles), which graduated 62 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study astronomy). More students studied astronomy as a percentage of total students at [Mount Holyoke College](/colleges/mount-holyoke-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Astronomy is the 135th most expensive degree in America, with a median cost of $35,140 among the top 50 programs (just ahead of #136, [Pre-Dentistry Studies](rankings/best-colleges-for-pre-dentistry-studies), with a median cost of $35,119).

 New England has the most expensive schools with top 50 astronomy programs predominantly led by [Boston University](/colleges/boston-university) with an annual cost of $54,720. Michigan is the most expensive state for astronomy led by [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](/colleges/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor).

 Public schools with solid programs generally charge 74.7% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 27.76% less than your average private school. So make sure to check out public shools in your state as soon as possible.

 The most costly option in the top 25 is [Vassar College](/colleges/vassar-college), which is the 7th most expensive college in America. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [Brigham Young University-Provo](/colleges/brigham-young-university-provo). It costs just $5,790 per year, and it is ranked 22nd for its astronomy program. Another more affordable option would be #25, [University of Hawaii at Hilo](/colleges/university-of-hawaii-at-hilo) in Hawaii County, HI with a cost of $7,344 for in-state students and $20,304 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Starting college is an important investment for most. It's critical to lack doubt you justify that spend. It is our goal that the following career and earnings data help you make a well informed decision when picking your major.

 The average Astronomy student makes a starting salary of $37,489 a year (close to national median 49th percentile). Later on in their vocations, they can bring in as much as $126,798 per annum down to $32,034, but average approximately $64,178. Just so you know, that's 66% over the United States' average.

 The most common work title for an Astronomy graduate is Engineer, which normally make close to $59,000; next are Software Engineer and Analyst, which typically earn close to $65,000 and $54,000 respectively.

 The highest earning region for Astronomy graduates is The Far West. CA has the highest earning Astronomy graduates of any state. The highest grossing conference for Astronomy graduates is Pacific-12 Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Astronomy: Median Professor Rating: 3.8 / 5, which is below average.

 Professors frequently have a massive impact your college experience, no matter what you major in. A thought-provoking instructor might help a student find their passion and even make a difficult subject seem easy. Contrarily, an unpleasant professor can derail your development or even worse... flunk you!

 Astronomy professors have a median student rating of 3.8 out of 5, which puts these professors in the bottom 19% in the United States grounded in student satisfaction. For context that's 5% shy of the national median professor rating for all subjects. Professors of Astronomy barely out-ranked those from ["Information Technology"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-information-technology), whereas ["Microbiological Sciences and Immunology"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-microbiological-sciences-and-immunology)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Astronomy.

 Now for some statistics about Astronomy professors. Colleges located in fringe rural areas tend to have the best Astronomy professors. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference has the highest rated Astronomy professors. The Far West region has the highest rated Astronomy professors. Private universities tend to have higher rated Astronomy professors than public institutions. Finally, West Virginia has the highest rated Astronomy professors in America.

 Thomas Brueckner, professor at [University of Central Florida](/colleges/university-of-central-florida)&nbspin Orlando, FL is the most popular Astronomy professor in the nation. John Wisniewski, professor at [University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus](/colleges/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus)&nbspin Norman, OK is the highest rated Astronomy professor in America, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Find out which universities have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College often is an extremely significant time in one's life; it's an opportunity for personal growth and development. Pupils continue to learn who they can be and build many of the necessary skills to be a flourishing member of society. But learning is more than what one learns in the classroom - the campus dialogue, the nugget of wisdom received from a tenured professor, the exposure to a different background. As such, a diverse campus tremendously enhances what you gain from your time in school.

 Astronomy is a less ethnically diverse major than average\*. 65% of the United States' Astronomy majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(20%), latino students (8%), and asian students (5%). The most ethnically diverse college\* in the top 100 is [Case Western Reserve University](/colleges/case-western-reserve-university) located in Cleveland, OH.

 Secondly, Astronomy significatly skews male, with a bit north of 5 out of 8 students majoring in Astronomy identifying as men. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [University of Georgia](/colleges/university-of-georgia) in Athens, GA.

 Another significant type of diversity is class diversity. Unfortunately, Astronomy is one of the nation's least financially diverse subjects (Bottom 17%). 34% of its majors come from families who take home over $110,000 a year, 16% are from mid-income households, and 20% grew up in families who take home south of $30,000 a year. [Indiana University-Bloomington](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington) has the most fiscally diverse student body in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall HI is the most diverse state for Astronomy. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the University Athletic Association is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 5%
* Black: 2%
* Latino: 8%
* White: 65%
* Other: 20%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 63%
* Female: 37%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 20%
* 30k - 48k: 14%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 16%
* Over 110k: 34%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 64%
* Out of State: 29%
* International: 7%


2023 Astronomy Salary

There are about 1,205 students enrolled in Astronomy in the USA.

SALARY