Hi everyone! I’m a current senior looking to build up my college list. I plan to go into astrophysics or theoretical physics, and I would like to know what schools are the best when it comes to these majors. Please do not factor in acceptance rate or price - all I would like to know is which colleges would be able to provide me with the best education in these fields. Thanks!
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If your interest in astrophysics includes its historical origins in direct observation, you may want to include colleges in locations that are sufficiently remote so that you can view the night sky with reduced light pollution. Look into Williams, Middlebury, Hamilton, Colgate, Wesleyan, Haverford, Wellesley. These schools operate their own astronomical observatories. If your interests lean more toward theoretical physics/astrophysics, note that each of these colleges has produced at least one Apker Award recipient (the highest recognition for undergraduate research in physics).
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Rice? Berkeley? Caltech? Princeton? Follow the money. Problem is, astrophysics as a specialty, is more often found at the graduate level and it probably requires more of a grounding in Physics than in Astronomy. You may want to look into double majoring in Physics and Astronomy or sticking with Physics and taking a lot of Astro courses on the side.
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Among professionals, the distinction between astronomer and astrophysicist relates predominately to preference in terms (though specialties within these general areas will naturally arise). With respect to your choice of major, in cases in which you can compare the required undergraduate physics curriculum with the astrophysics/astronomy curriculum at the same college (i.e., both are offered), the physics curriculum will often be the broader and more rigorous of the two. For this reason, it seems correct to suggest that, based on your indicated interests, your preferred undergraduate major might be physics, enhanced by interesting electives in astronomy/astrophysics and relevant geosciences (which pertain to general planetary study).
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Carleton, Harvey Mudd, Reed, Swarthmore, and Williams seem especially strong among liberal arts colleges based on PhD production over the last 20 years.
Top 20 for PhDs in Astronomy
[ul][] 30 Carleton College
[] 27 Harvey Mudd College
[] 19 Reed College
[] 18 Wellesley College / Wesleyan University
[] 17 Swarthmore College
[] 16 Williams College
[] 15 Grinnell College / Haverford College
[] 14 Vassar College
[] 13 Whitman College
[] 12 Oberlin College
[] 10 Colgate University
[] 8 Amherst College / Macalester College / Pomona College
[] 7 Bryn Mawr College / Franklin & Marshall College
[] 6 Colby College / Kenyon College
[li] 5 Agnes Scott College / Barnard College / Colorado College / Denison University / Hope College / Middlebury College / Ohio Wesleyan University / University of Richmond[/li]
Top 20 for PhDs in Physics & Astronomy
[] 167 Harvey Mudd College
[] 97 Carleton College
[] 95 Reed College
[] 80 Swarthmore College
[] 75 Williams College
[] 53 Gustavus Adolphus College
[] 52 Haverford College
[] 51 Grinnell College
[] 49 Wesleyan University
[] 47 Oberlin College
[] 44 Amherst College
[] 42 Vassar College
[] 43 Lawrence University
[] 39 Wellesley College / Whitman College
[] 34 Bucknell University / Colgate University / St. Olaf College
[] 33 Bryn Mawr College / College of Wooster[/ul]
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on your list ought to be the UCSB College of Creative Studies (CCS). It is sometimes called “a grad school for undergrads” and is geared towards those planning on a PhD. You’ll be able to take any course, undergrad or grad, that you want; the only limitation is you. See https://ccs.ucsb.edu/majors/physics
UCSB is also the home of the Kavli Institute For Theoretical Physics, which is funded by the National Science Foundation and the University of California.
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Places to start:
Top Universities for Physics & Astronomy - https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/university-subject-rankings/top-universities-physics-astronomy-2017
Best Global Universities for Physics - https://www.usnews.com/education/best-global-universities/physics
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A LAC with an Astronomy department that grants a major will most often afford you the opportunity to do independent research and possibly published work by the time you graduate which will be invaluable in terms of applying to graduate school. My advice is to look through the areas of academic interest and research for the faculty at the schools listed by @warblersrule - you can easily see this when you look up the relevant department websites and read through the faculty’s credentials and their areas of expertise and research.
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