### SUMMARY

 Choosing to study Astrophysics is not only a valuable choice, but commonly an obligatory first step for pupils planning to pursue a career as an astrophysicist, a physics simulation software engineer, or a programmer analyst. Interestingly, astrophysics is an uncommon degree ranking as the 340th most popular degree. Last academic year alone, there were 244 astrophysics diplomas received. In-state tuition for astrophysics at private schools is, on average, 4.3 times more costly than their public equivalents.

 With just 43 colleges having programs for this degree there could be a more finite list of the institutions that will have an option for you. If you're looking to immerse yourself with other astrophysics undergraduates, consider schools in California which have the most undergrads admitted to astrophysics annually. Zooming out, the top region to study astrophysics is in the Far West region with [University of California-Berkeley](/colleges/university-of-california-berkeley), [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles), and [University of California-Santa Cruz](/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz) best representing the region. Interestingly, our selection for the top conference to major in astrophysics is the Big Ten Conference with [University of Minnesota-Twin Cities](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-twin-cities), [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick), and [University of Wisconsin-Madison](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-madison) representing the conference. That being said, our choice for the best university for astrophysics is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). You may also want to check out our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The objectively best school might not actually be the best school for you. There can be tons of perspectives to weigh when deciding on school. External stuff like campus amenities, transportation services, and food could impact your feelings of which university to attend. At authority.org, we've examined the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you are intrigued by which astrophysics college is home to the top college campus, the winner is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). If, for example, you are very interested in which school is home to the best campus, we have a whole list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through professor reviews, government databases, student reviews, and more so we can evaluate every U.S. major in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can explore our comprehensive list for the colleges with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand from that list, our choice for the school with the best student life for astrophysics is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). Are you curious why? Keep reading to learn more about Authority's top choices. Some of our decisions will probably shock you.

 If cost is a major deciding factor in your decisions, you might consider avoiding [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspappears to be our most expensive school for astrophysics, at least for out of state students. We do have a page for the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspuniversities that could put the price tag of [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspinto perspective. For more context, you could be interested to know that astrophysics is the 76th most expensive degree in the US, with an average associated cost of $41,200. To zoom out a little, the most costly state for astrophysics nationally is New York with expenses at the primary two universities Colgate University and Columbia University in the City of New York of $57,695 and $57,763 respectively. To zoom out even further, the most expensive region of the U.S. for astrophysics is the Mid East region which is best demonstrated with [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick) with a cost of $29,012, [Colgate University](/colleges/colgate-university) with a cost of $57,695, and [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york) with a cost of $57,763.

 Our cheapest region for astrophysics is the Southwest region which is represented by [University of New Mexico-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus) with a cost of $21,716. More optimistically, the most affordable college for astrophysics is [University of New Mexico-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus). Authority.org's entire list of the most affordable colleges can be found [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state students can expect to pay about $13,100 for a degree in astrophysics. The price swells substantially to an average of $37,100 for the out-of-state public-school student. Our choice for the college representing the best value for astrophysics: [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). Here you can find our comprehensive list on the colleges we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Do know, this list is based on being an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition costs are considered, but we do not know where you live (and are not trying to collect that kind of data).

 Earnings for astrophysics majors can differ, but within two-years of finishing the degree students will regularly make in the neighborhood of $63,900. There is a lot of variation in earnings potential; top earners can enjoy pay up to $126,700. Straight out of school, the lowest end positions within the astrophysics field earn $32,000, which isn't that bad. The highest earning grads from astrophysics studied at [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university)&nbspand if you want to find the schools with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The general diversity of astrophysics ranks decent, coming in the 72nd percentile of all programs. The school with the highest composite diversity for astrophysics is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university)&nbspand here you can find our comprehensive list for the schools with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of the Astrophysics major only sits within the 46th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is greater than financial diversity, in the 67th percentile. White undergraduates compose the largest share, 55%, of students majoring in astrophysics. Additionally, 65% of students seeking an astrophysics major are men.

 The median rating of astrophysics' professors is 4 stars, which is actually the median for every major; which is a fine. If you want the most popular astrophysics instructor in the nation, consider looking up Alex Acuna at [Central New Mexico Community College](/colleges/central-new-mexico-community-college). This might be shocking, but the best ranked instructors of astrophysics from student rankings come from [Blinn College](/colleges/blinn-college). If we incorporate data beyond simply rankings we find that the college possessing the overall best professors for astrophysics is [California Institute of Technology](/colleges/california-institute-of-technology). You can find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with some of the top instructors in the U.S.

 Finally, the most difficult university to get into for astrophysics is [Harvard University](/colleges/harvard-university). While we do not necessarily see the value in it, we do have a comprehensive page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). With that said, here at Authority we hope you believe that considering academics from context only formed from superlatives might create problems. We encourage you to explore our other pages on different colleges and explore a couple of our informative background articles on useful details to think about as your university search continues.



 ### POPULARITY

 Astrophysics is the 340th most popular degree in America, with 244 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #341 [Native American Studies](/rankings/best-colleges-for-native-american-studies), and narrowly lost to #339 [Home Economics Teacher Education](/rankings/best-colleges-for-home-economics-teacher-education).

 The degree is offered at a total of 43 colleges across the nation, and is the 295th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 19% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that a bit below 3/7ths of colleges offering astrophysics are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The far west produces the most astrophysics graduates, largely led by [University of California-Berkeley](/colleges/university-of-california-berkeley), while it’s the Big Ten Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [University of California-Berkeley](/colleges/university-of-california-berkeley) and [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more astrophysics graduates than [Arizona State University-Tempe](/colleges/arizona-state-university-tempe), which graduated 36 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 astrophysics). More students studied astrophysics as a percentage of total students at [California Institute of Technology](/colleges/california-institute-of-technology) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Astrophysics is the 76th most expensive major in the US, with a median cost of $41,196 for the top 50 programs.

 The Mid East has the most expensive schools with top 50 astrophysics programs predominantly led by [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick) with an annual cost of $29,012. New York is the most expensive state for astrophysics led by [Colgate University](/colleges/colgate-university) and [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york).

 Public schools with good programs generally charge 76.81% less than private schools for in-state students. When looking at out-of-state tuition however, the median top 50 Public school charges 34.37% less than the median private school. So make sure to look into public shools in your state ASAP.

 The most high-priced option in the top 25 is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york), which is the 3rd most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [University of New Mexico-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-new-mexico-main-campus). It costs just $21,716 per year, and it's its astrophysics program is ranked #13. Another more affordable option would be #10, [Rutgers University-New Brunswick](/colleges/rutgers-university-new-brunswick) in Middlesex County, NJ with a cost of $12,230 for in-state students and $29,012 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Starting college is a serious investment for most undergraduates. It's critical to be sure you get a good return on that investment. We aim for the following income and career insights to help you in making a well informed decision when selecting your major.

 The average Astrophysics major brings in a starting salary of $37,489 a year (close to national median 49th percentile). Later on in their work lives, they for the most part earn something between $32,033 and $126,689, but average near $63,908. To put it in context, that is 65% above average.

 The most popular job for an Astrophysics graduate is Engineer, which typically make approximately $59,000; next are Software Engineer and Analyst, which for the most part make more or less $65,000 and $54,000 respectively.

 The highest earning region for Astrophysics graduates is The Far West. CA has the most well paid Astrophysics alumni of any state. Pacific-12 Conference has the highest grossing Astrophysics graduates of any conference..



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Astrophysics: Median Professor Rating: 4 / 5, which is below average.

 Professors again and again play a pivotal role in shaping your college experience, no matter what you major in. An amazing teacher could provide inspiration and set a student up for future success. Alternatively, an unpleasant professor can mess up your education or even worse... flunk you!

 Professors of Astrophysics have a median student rating of 4 / 5, putting these professors in the upper 67th percentile in the United States based on overall professor effectivness. Suprisingly, this major is exactly the median for professor rating, which, in our opinion, is remarkably average! Professors of Astrophysics just edged-out those from ["Community Organization and Advocacy"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-community-organization-and-advocacy), whereas ["Multicultural and Diversity Studies"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-multicultural-and-diversity-studies)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Astrophysics.

 Now for some statistics about Astrophysics professors. Colleges located in midsize citys tend to have the best Astrophysics professors. The New Jersey Athletic Conference has the highest rated Astrophysics professors. The Rocky Mountains region has the highest rated Astrophysics professors. Public institutions tend to have higher rated Astrophysics professors than private colleges. Finally, New Jersey has the highest rated Astrophysics professors in the United States.

 Alex Acuna, professor at [Central New Mexico Community College](/colleges/central-new-mexico-community-college)&nbspin Albuquerque, NM is the most popular Astrophysics professor in the US. Matthew Walker, instructor at [Blinn College](/colleges/blinn-college)&nbspin Brenham, TX is the highest rated Astrophysics professor in the United States, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 Want to know which universities have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College can be an extremely revelatory adventure in one's life; it's a time for individual growth and evolution. Students attempt to capture what they can be and learn many of the necessary skills to become a successful member of society. But learning goes far beyond a classroom environment - the campus dialogue, the personal lesson gained from an eccentric professor, the exposure to a different way of viewing the world. Therefore, a diverse student population greatly improves what one gains from the time spent at college.

 Astrophysics is a more ethnically diverse focus than average\*. 55% of America's Astrophysics majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(18%), asian students (14%), and latino students (11%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles)&nbspin Los Angeles, CA.

 In addition, Astrophysics significatly skews male, with 65% of students majoring in Astrophysics identifying as men. The most gender balanced school in the top 100 is [Colgate University](/colleges/colgate-university) in Hamilton, NY.

 Another substantial type of diversity is financial diversity. Astrophysics is fairly close to average for income diversity (54th percentile). 28% of its students come from households who take home above $110,000 per year, 16% are from homes that earn between $30,000 and $48,000 a year, and 26% grew up in homes with a sub $30,000 income. [University of California-Santa Cruz](/colleges/university-of-california-santa-cruz) has the most financially diverse students in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CA is the most diverse state for Astrophysics. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Pacific-12 Conference 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: 14%
* Black: 1%
* Latino: 11%
* White: 55%
* Other: 18%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 65%
* Female: 35%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 26%
* 30k - 48k: 16%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 14%
* Over 110k: 28%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 69%
* Out of State: 22%
* International: 10%


2023 Astrophysics Professors

There are about 762 students enrolled in Astrophysics in the USA.

PROFESSORS