News & Analysis
/
Report

Roster of Astronomy Departments with Enrollment and Degree Data, 2016

SEP 01, 2017
Results from the 2016 Survey of Enrollments and Degrees
Patrick Mulvey headshot
Research Manager AIP
Roster of Astronomy Departments with Enrollment and Degree Data, 2016

The number of both astronomy bachelor’s degrees and PhDs awarded in the class of 2016 represent all-time highs. Astronomy bachelors have been increasing steadily for the last 15 years, with 469 degrees awarded in the class of 2016. With undergraduate astronomy enrollments continuing to grow, the trend is expected to continue for at least the next couple of years. The 41 PhD-granting astronomy departments conferred 170 astronomy PhDs in the class of 2016. There were 250 first-year students enrolling in US astronomy graduate programs in the fall of 2016.

This report contains the most current enrollment and degree data for each degree-granting astronomy department in the US. The findings in this report come from the AIP annual survey of Enrollments and Degrees.

Related Topics
/
Article
The ability to communicate a key message clearly and concisely to a nonspecialized audience is a critical skill to develop at all educational levels.
/
Article
With strong magnetic fields and intense lasers or pulsed electric currents, physicists can reconstruct the conditions inside astrophysical objects and create nuclear-fusion reactors.
/
Article
The finding that the Saturnian moon may host layers of icy slush instead of a global ocean could change how planetary scientists think about other icy moons as well.
/
Article

Subscribe to Research Updates from AIP

AIP Statiscal Research Updates - Signup Tile
AIP Research Updates

Receive updates on education and employment trends for physical scientists.