Astrophysical Sciences

Types of Degrees Astrophysical Sciences Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many 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	332
Doctor’s Degree	64
Master’s Degree	48

What Astrophysical Sciences Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, astrophysical sciences 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 Astrophysical Sciences Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• 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 Astrophysical Sciences Majors

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

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Science - Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
• 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 Astrophysical Sciences Majors

Some of the most crucial abilities to master while a astrophysical sciences student include the following:

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

What Can You Do With a Astrophysical Sciences Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with astrophysical sciences:

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

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Astrophysical Sciences?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 61% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	42
Black or African American	10
Hispanic or Latino	40
White	173
International Students	34
Other Races/Ethnicities	33

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Astrophysical Sciences. About 10.2% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Astrophysical Sciences

Some degrees associated with astrophysical sciences may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to astrophysical sciences have obtained the following education levels.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	0.3%
Some College Courses	0.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	0.6%
Bachelor’s Degree	12.5%
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.	3.6%
Master’s Degree	25.3%
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.	1.1%
Doctoral Degree	27.9%
Post-Doctoral Training	29.1%

Online Astrophysical Sciences 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)	0	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	0	0
Associate’s Degree	0	0
Bachelor’s Degree	1	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	11	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	14	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Astrophysical Sciences

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

Major	Number of Grads
Astronomy	908
Other Astronomy & Astrophysics	131
Planetary Astronomy & Science	90

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.