Best degree programs for Astronomers, ranked by enrollment
5 college programs and 130 schools train Astronomers. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $128,820 median wage, 2,120 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
5 college programs at 130 schools train astronomers, graduating 1,673 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Astronomy. The job pays a median of $128,820 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About astronomers
Observe, research, and interpret astronomical phenomena to increase basic knowledge or apply such information to practical problems.
An astronomer is a scientist in the field of astronomy who focuses on a specific question or field outside the scope of Earth. Astronomers study astronomical objects, such as stars, planets, moons, comets and galaxies, by some combination of observation and the application of astrophysical models. Examples of topics or fields astronomers study include planetary science, solar astronomy, the origin or evolution of stars, or the formation of galaxies. A related but distinct subject is physical cosmology, which studies the universe as a whole.
Read more on Wikipedia →Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
5 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Astronomymain feeder CIP 40.0201 | 875 | 52.3% | 81 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 2 | Astrophysicsmain feeder CIP 40.0202 | 502 | 30.0% | 48 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 3 | Astronomy and Astrophysics, Othermain feeder CIP 40.0299 | 133 | 7.9% | 12 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 4 | Planetary Astronomy and Sciencemain feeder CIP 40.0203 | 105 | 6.3% | 15 | $39,728 | $24,678 |
| 5 | CIP 40.1101 | 58 | 3.5% | 5 | — | — |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 82 | Astronomy | 74% | — | 78% |
| 2 | University of Arizona Tucson, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 69 | Astronomy | 68% | — | 86% |
| 3 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 60 | Astrophysics | 93% | — | 11% |
| 4 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 59 | Astrophysics | 75% | — | 66% |
| 5 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 2 feeder programs | 56 | Astronomy | 88% | — | 61% |
| 6 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 1 feeder programs | 52 | Astronomy | 89% | — | 27% |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 49 | Astronomy | 85% | — | 42% |
| 8 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 48 | Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 9 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 1 feeder programs | 48 | Astronomy | 85% | — | 39% |
| 10 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 1 feeder programs | 47 | Astronomy | 91% | — | 24% |
| 11 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 2 feeder programs | 44 | Astrophysics | 81% | — | 85% |
| 12 | Princeton University Princeton, NJ Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 41 | Astrophysics | 98% | $13,729 | 5% |
| 13 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 39 | Astrophysics | 93% | — | 9% |
| 14 | Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, FL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 35 | Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other | 64% | $33,585 | 58% |
| 15 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Planetary Astronomy and Science | 0% | — | 67% |
| 16 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 1 feeder programs | 34 | Astronomy | 93% | — | 16% |
| 17 | Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus University Park, PA Public · 1 feeder programs | 32 | Astronomy | 86% | — | 61% |
| 18 | University of Maryland - College Park College Park, MD Public · 1 feeder programs | 30 | Astronomy | 89% | — | 45% |
| 19 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 2 feeder programs | 30 | Astrophysics | 90% | — | 45% |
| 20 | Boston University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Astronomy | 89% | $21,956 | 11% |
| 21 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 29 | Physics and Astronomy | 61% | — | 90% |
| 22 | University of Kentucky Lexington, KY Public · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Physics and Astronomy | 71% | — | 93% |
| 23 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 1 feeder programs | 29 | Astrophysics | 85% | — | 80% |
| 24 | Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other | 67% | $38,899 | 65% |
| 25 | University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA Public · 1 feeder programs | 26 | Astronomy | 96% | — | 17% |
| 26 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 25 | Astrophysics | 94% | $17,608 | 3% |
| 27 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 24 | Astronomy | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 28 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 24 | Astronomy | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 29 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Astronomy | 76% | — | 36% |
| 30 | Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 23 | Astronomy | 96% | $27,025 | 4% |
| 31 | University of Hawaii at Manoa Honolulu, HI Public · 2 feeder programs | 22 | Astronomy | 64% | — | 87% |
| 32 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 1 feeder programs | 18 | Astronomy | 83% | — | 60% |
| 33 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 16 | Astrophysics | 68% | — | 90% |
| 34 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Astronomy | 95% | $17,613 | 9% |
| 35 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 16 | Astronomy | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 36 | New Mexico State University - Main Campus Las Cruces, NM Public · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Astronomy | 55% | — | 89% |
| 37 | Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Astrophysics | 70% | $28,133 | 67% |
| 38 | Rutgers University - New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Astrophysics | 84% | — | 58% |
| 39 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Astronomy | 75% | — | 84% |
| 40 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Astronomy | 80% | — | 78% |
| 41 | Whitman College Walla Walla, WA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Astrophysics | 81% | $28,508 | 38% |
| 42 | Villanova University Villanova, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Astronomy | 92% | $33,774 | 27% |
| 43 | Wesleyan University Middletown, CT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 10 | Astronomy | 93% | $16,467 | 16% |
| 44 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Astrophysics | 94% | $23,803 | 12% |
| 45 | Colgate University Hamilton, NY Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Astrophysics | 91% | $22,903 | 14% |
| 46 | Haverford College Haverford, PA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Astronomy | 90% | $17,179 | 12% |
| 47 | Baylor University Waco, TX Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Astrophysics | 80% | $35,682 | 51% |
| 48 | Brigham Young University Provo, UT Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Astronomy | 81% | $13,712 | 68% |
| 49 | Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Astrophysics | 84% | $27,178 | 28% |
| 50 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 7 | Astrophysics | 75% | $19,899 | 55% |
What astronomers earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $123,540 | 110 | 0.44× | 21 | 244 |
| Arizona | $129,020 | 100 | 2.33× | 7 | 155 |
| Marylandlimited | $132,620 | 980 | 26.06× | 2 | 35 |
| Virginialimited | $128,930 | — | — | 2 | 32 |
| Hawaiilimited | $102,000 | 100 | 11.67× | 2 | 26 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Analyze research data to determine its significance, using computers.
- Present research findings at scientific conferences and in papers written for scientific journals.
- Study celestial phenomena, using a variety of ground-based and space-borne telescopes and scientific instruments.
- Collaborate with other astronomers to carry out research projects.
- Mentor graduate students and junior colleagues.
- Supervise students' research on celestial and astronomical phenomena.
- Teach astronomy or astrophysics.
- Develop theories based on personal observations or on observations and theories of other astronomers.
Skills
- Science4.3
- Reading Comprehension4.3
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Writing4.1
- Mathematics4.1
- Active Learning4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking4.0
Knowledge areas
- Physics5.0
- Mathematics4.9
- Computers and Electronics4.2
- English Language4.0
- Education and Training3.4
- Engineering and Technology3.2
Abilities
- Oral Expression4.1
- Written Comprehension4.1
- Oral Comprehension4.1
- Deductive Reasoning4.1
- Inductive Reasoning4.1
- Written Expression4.1
Core activities
- Working with Computers4.9
- Analyzing Data or Information4.9
- Getting Information4.8
- Processing Information4.7
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.6
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.4
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Astronomer
Job zone 5 of 5 · SVP 8.0 and above- Typical entry education
- Doctoral or professional degree
Most of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Extensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Employees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 5 majors mapped to Astronomers5 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 40.0201Astronomy
- 40.0202Astrophysics
- 40.0203Planetary Astronomy and Science
- 40.0299Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other
- 40.1101Physics and Astronomy
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Astronomer?+
Doctoral or professional degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Astronomy, which awarded 875 degrees in 2024-25, 52.3% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Astronomer?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Astronomy and Astrophysics, Physics and Astronomy. Together they graduate about 1,673 people a year.
How much do astronomers earn?+
The median is $128,820 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $78,010 at the 10th percentile to $195,190 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for astronomers growing?+
BLS projects a +2.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 100 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
130 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 5 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do astronomers work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Astronomer, Astrophysicist, Research Astrophysicist, Astronomy Outreach Coordinator among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-2011.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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