Astronomy and Astrophysics: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 40.02. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 267 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 10 | 9 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Associate's degree | 34 | 26 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 118 | 1,096 | $41,014 | $68,333 | $20,500 17 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 51 | 211 | $76,786 | $76,398 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 49 | 224 | $75,342 | $92,233 | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 4 | 14 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities MN · Public · 17 graduates measured | $56,691 | Data unavailable | $19,500 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott AZ · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $56,059 | Data unavailable | $24,250 |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach FL · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $56,059 | Data unavailable | $24,250 |
| The University of Texas at Austin TX · Public · 18 graduates measured | $55,754 | $65,987 | Data unavailable |
| Florida Institute of Technology FL · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $45,268 | Data unavailable | $27,000 |
| University of Colorado Boulder CO · Public · 42 graduates measured | $44,591 | $72,698 | $20,000 |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 29 graduates measured | $43,091 | $90,943 | $19,750 |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 22 graduates measured | $42,730 | Data unavailable | $19,882 |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 17 graduates measured | $41,394 | Data unavailable | $18,538 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 24 graduates measured | $32,967 | Data unavailable | $20,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Astronomy and Astrophysics
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Astronomers | $128,820 | +7.8% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Physicists | $172,250 | +7.2% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary | $103,170 | +2.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Physics teachers, postsecondary | $100,310 | +2.4% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (4)
- 40.0201 Astronomy
- 40.0202 Astrophysics
- 40.0203 Planetary Astronomy and Science
- 40.0299 Astronomy and Astrophysics, Other