Astronomy

Types of Degrees Astronomy Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many astronomy & astrophysics graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Bachelor’s Degree	1,035
Doctor’s Degree	259
Master’s Degree	253
Associate Degree	13
Graduate Certificate	10
Basic Certificate	2
Undergraduate Certificate	1

What Astronomy Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, astronomy majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Astronomy Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in astronomy should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Physics - Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub- atomic structures and processes.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Skills for Astronomy Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to astronomy:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Abilities for Astronomy Majors

A major in astronomy will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

What Can You Do With a Astronomy Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with astronomy:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Astronomers	10.0%	$105,680
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Professors	9.9%	$90,860
Natural Sciences Managers	9.9%	$123,860
Physicists	14.5%	$120,950
Physics Postsecondary Professors	10.2%	$90,800

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Astronomy?

This is a less frequently chosen undergraduate major. Only 979 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in astronomy & astrophysics in 2021, making it rank #168 in popularity. This major attracts more men than women. About 58% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of astronomy majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	94
Black or African American	26
Hispanic or Latino	112
White	606
International Students	100
Other Races/Ethnicities	97

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Astronomy. About 9.7% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Astronomy

Some degrees associated with astronomy may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for astronomy careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.2%
Some College Courses	0.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.4%
Bachelor’s Degree	9.1%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	2.6%
Master’s Degree	25.2%
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level.	0.9%
Doctoral Degree	35.1%
Post-Doctoral Training	26.8%

Online Astronomy Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	33	1
Bachelor’s Degree	2	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	55	0
Post-Master’s	1	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	56	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Astronomy

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to astronomy.

Major	Number of Grads
Chemistry	19,976
Physics	13,306
Geological & Earth Sciences	7,691
General Physical Sciences	2,747
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology	1,288
Materials Sciences	679
Other Physical Science	404
Physics and Astronomy	45

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.