Best Schools for Astronomy & Astrophysics in 2026
These are the top schools offering Astronomy & Astrophysics, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Astronomy & Astrophysics graduate earns $40,590/yr across 6 schools.
All Astronomy & Astrophysics Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Astronomy & Astrophysics
University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA |
55
51–56 |
$54,746/yr | Very High | 8.2x |
| 2 |
Astronomy & Astrophysics
University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI |
53
49–54 |
$45,783/yr | Very High | 9.2x |
| 3 |
Astronomy & Astrophysics
University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO |
49
43–52 |
$45,066/yr | Very High | 8.5x |
| 4 |
Astronomy & Astrophysics
University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA |
40
35–42 |
$35,171/yr | Very High | 5.0x |
| 5 |
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI |
38
32–40 |
$33,373/yr | Very High | 4.2x |
| 6 |
Astronomy & Astrophysics
The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX |
36
31–38 |
$29,404/yr | Very High | 5.3x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.