Astronomy and Astrophysics Degree

6 schools compared · Average earnings $40,591/yr
Schools Offering
6
Avg Grad Earnings
$40,591/yr
Avg DegreeWorth Score
33/100
AI Automation Risk
Very High
57% task exposure

Best Schools for Astronomy and Astrophysics

Top 6 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full AI scenario analysis and earnings projections.

# School DW Score Earnings AI Risk ROI
1 University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, CA
55
51–56
$54,746/yr Very High 8.2x
2 University of Wisconsin-Madison
Madison, WI
53
49–54
$45,783/yr Very High 9.2x
3 University of Colorado Boulder
Boulder, CO
49
43–52
$45,066/yr Very High 8.5x
4 University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA
40
35–42
$35,171/yr Very High 5.0x
5 Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
38
32–40
$33,373/yr Very High 4.2x
6 The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX
36
31–38
$29,404/yr Very High 5.3x

Highest Earning Astronomy and Astrophysics Programs

Schools where Astronomy and Astrophysics graduates earn the most in their first year after graduation.

School 1-Year Earnings DW Score AI Risk
University of California-Berkeley $54,746/yr 55 Very High
University of Wisconsin-Madison $45,783/yr 53 Very High
University of Colorado Boulder $45,066/yr 49 Very High
University of California-Santa Cruz $35,171/yr 40 Very High
Michigan State University $33,373/yr 38 Very High
The University of Texas at Austin $29,404/yr 36 Very High

Best ROI for Astronomy and Astrophysics

Schools with the highest earnings-to-tuition ratio for Astronomy and Astrophysics.

School ROI Multiple Earnings DW Score
University of Wisconsin-Madison 9.2x $45,783/yr 53
University of Colorado Boulder 8.5x $45,066/yr 49
University of California-Berkeley 8.2x $54,746/yr 55
The University of Texas at Austin 5.3x $29,404/yr 36
University of California-Santa Cruz 5.0x $35,171/yr 40
Michigan State University 4.2x $33,373/yr 38

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much do Astronomy and Astrophysics graduates earn?
Across 6 schools, Astronomy and Astrophysics graduates earn an average of $40,591 per year in their first year after graduation. Earnings range from $29,404 to $54,746 depending on the school.
What is the AI automation risk for Astronomy and Astrophysics?
Astronomy and Astrophysics is rated "Very High" for AI automation risk, with an average of 57% of job tasks exposed to large language models and AI tools. This means most career tasks in this field could be augmented or replaced by AI over the next decade.
Which school has the best Astronomy and Astrophysics program?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score (combining earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and ROI), University of California-Berkeley ranks #1 for Astronomy and Astrophysics with a score of 55/100 and graduate earnings of $54,746/yr.
Is a Astronomy and Astrophysics degree worth it?
On average, Astronomy and Astrophysics graduates earn 6.7x their in-state tuition over 10 years. This is a moderate return — school choice matters significantly.

About This Data

This page aggregates Astronomy and Astrophysics programs across 6 schools using earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, employment projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024–2034), and AI automation risk research from OpenAI and academic institutions.

The DegreeWorth Score (0–100) combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and return on investment. Each school's program page includes three AI scenarios (optimistic, base case, pessimistic) showing how automation could affect 10-year earnings.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.