Best Colleges in Astrophysics Program

This page introduces the top colleges in Astrophysics program. Princeton University is ranked first in Astrophysics program ranking and California Institute of Technology is placed in second. Next describes the Astrophysics program in general.

Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, especially with "the nature of the heavenly bodies, rather than their positions or motions in space." Among the objects studied are galaxies, stars, planets, extrasolar planets, the interstellar medium and the cosmic microwave background. Their emissions are examined across all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, and the properties examined include luminosity, density, temperature, and chemical composition. Because astrophysics is a very broad subject, astrophysicists typically apply many disciplines of physics, including mechanics, electromagnetism, statistical mechanics, thermodynamics, quantum mechanics, relativity, nuclear and particle physics, and atomic and molecular physics.[read more at wiki]

Academic Comparison Between Best Colleges in Astrophysics Program

4 public and 8 private schools are ranked in the top Astrophysics colleges. The average acceptance rate of the schools is 16.33% where Stanford University has the tightest acceptance rate of 4% and Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus has the highest rate of 56%. Total 302,968 students are enrolled into the best Astrophysics schools where The University of Texas at Austin has the largest population with 51,525 students and California Institute of Technology is the smallest school with 2,238 students. The average graduation rate is 91.00% and the average students to faculty ratio is 9.83:1 at those colleges.

Next table shows the academic information and key facts of the best Astrophysics colleges including acceptance rate, graduation rates, student population, and students to faculty ratio.

Table. Best Colleges in Astrophysics Program

Rank	Name	Acceptance Rates	Graduation Rates	Population	Student-Faculty Ratio
1	Princeton University Princeton, NJ	5%	97%	8,273	5:1 (20.00 %)
2	California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA	7%	89%	2,238	3:1 (33.33 %)
3	University of Chicago Chicago, IL	7%	93%	16,227	5:1 (20.00 %)
4	Harvard University Cambridge, MA	5%	96%	31,120	7:1 (14.29 %)
5	Stanford University Stanford, CA	4%	94%	17,534	12:1 (8.33 %)
5	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA	15%	91%	41,891	18:1 (5.56 %)
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA	7%	94%	11,466	3:1 (33.33 %)
8	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	32%	81%	25,057	18:1 (5.56 %)
9	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	39%	83%	51,525	18:1 (5.56 %)
10	Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD	11%	93%	25,151	7:1 (14.29 %)
10	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA	56%	85%	47,119	16:1 (6.25 %)
10	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA	8%	96%	25,367	6:1 (16.67 %)
	Average	16.33%	91.00%	302,968 (Total)	9.83:1 (10.17 %)

Best College In Astrophysics 2019 Tuition Comparison and 2020 Estimated Costs

Next table lists 2018-2019 tuition & fees and compares the costs between the best college in astrophysics. The 2018-2019 costs are officially published by IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. The estimated costs for year 2019-2020 are calculated and estimated based on each school's tuition rates last year.

For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of the best college in astrophysics is $48,410 where University of Chicago has the most expensive costs with $58,230 and Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus has the lowest amount of tuition with $34,858. The average graduate tuition & fees of the best college in astrophysics is $43,787 where University of Chicago has the highest tuition with $58,968 and The University of Texas at Austin has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $22,564.

UndergraduateGraduate Living Costs

Table. Best College In Astrophysics 2019 Undergraduate Tuition Comparison and 2020 Estimation

Rank	School Name	2019 Tuition & Fees		2020 Estimated Tuition & Fees
		In-State	Out-of-State	In-State	Out-of-State
1	Princeton University	$50,340		$53,757
2	California Institute of Technology	$52,362		$54,936
3	University of Chicago	$58,230		$61,846
4	Harvard University	$50,420		$51,935
5	Stanford University	$51,354		$53,151
5	University of California-Berkeley	$14,184	$43,176	$14,198	$44,191
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$49,892		$49,892
8	University of California-Santa Barbara	$14,391	$43,383	$14,331	$44,321
9	The University of Texas at Austin	$10,610	$37,580	$10,826	$38,435
10	Johns Hopkins University	$53,740		$55,357
10	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	$18,454	$34,858	$18,472	$36,094
10	University of Pennsylvania	$55,584		$57,712
	Average	$14,410	$48,410	$14,457	$50,136

Table. Best College In Astrophysics 2019 Graduate School Tuition Comparison and 2020 Estimation

Rank	School Name	2019 Tuition & Fees		2020 Estimated Tuition & Fees
		In-State	Out-of-State	In-State	Out-of-State
1	Princeton University	$51,250		$53,669
2	California Institute of Technology	$52,233		$54,801
3	University of Chicago	$58,968		$61,003
4	Harvard University	$47,562		$49,221
5	Stanford University	$49,617		$49,617
5	University of California-Berkeley	$14,131	$29,233	$14,092	$29,194
7	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	$52,892		$52,892
8	University of California-Santa Barbara	$13,569	$28,671	$13,569	$28,671
9	The University of Texas at Austin	$11,742	$22,564	$12,000	$22,957
10	Johns Hopkins University	$55,816		$57,639
10	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	$22,578	$38,012	$23,435	$39,472
10	University of Pennsylvania	$38,630		$40,186
	Average	$15,505	$43,787	$15,774	$44,944