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Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California

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2023 Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California

23 Colleges
$19,734 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Astronomy & Astrophysics School for You

In 2020-2021, 251 degrees and certificates were awarded to astronomy and astrophysics students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #175 most popular major in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in California to see which ones were the most popular programs for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Astronomy & Astrophysics program at each school on the list.

The following schools top our list of the Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges.

Our 2023 rankings named University of California - Santa Cruz the most popular school in California for astronomy and astrophysics students. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Santa Cruz.

While working on their degree, astronomy majors at UC Santa Cruz accumulate an average of around $20,500 in student debt.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Santa Cruz

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for astronomy and astrophysics students. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, astronomy graduates from UC Berkeley carry an average student debt load of $18,967.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Berkeley

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at University of California - Los Angeles

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Pasadena.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Monterey Peninsula College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California list. Monterey Peninsula College is a medium-sized public school located in the suburb of Monterey.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Monterey Peninsula College

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means San Diego State University is a great place for astronomy and astrophysics students. SDSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Diego.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at San Diego State University Report

#7

Santa Barbara City College

Santa Barbara, CA

Santa Barbara City College landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular astronomy and astrophysics programs. SBCC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Santa Barbara.

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#8

Moorpark College

Moorpark, CA

Moorpark College ranked #8 on this year’s Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California list. Moorpark College is a large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Moorpark.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at Moorpark College Report

#9

Southwestern College

Chula Vista, CA

Southwestern College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California ranking. SWC Chula Vista is a fairly large public school located in the city of Chula Vista.

Full Astronomy & Astrophysics at Southwestern College Report

#9

Saddleback College

Mission Viejo, CA

Saddleback College ranked #9 on this year’s Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in California list. Saddleback College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Mission Viejo.

Read full report on Astronomy & Astrophysics at Saddleback College

Best Astronomy & Astrophysics Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Most Popular Astronomy & Astrophysics Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Washington 70
Nevada 3
Hawaii 19
Alaska 0

Astronomy & Astrophysics is one of 8 different types of programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 21,239
Physics 13,674
Geological & Earth Sciences 7,821
General Physical Sciences 3,823
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 1,140

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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