2023 Astrophysics Students

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&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 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 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
** 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%