i mean how many students per year declare astronomy as their major?
also if anyone has any estimates as to how many people apply with astronomy as an intended major feel free to add that here
thanks!
The US Dept. of Education’s College Navigator database shows the following numbers for awards conferred by Yale in 2014-15:
Bachelor’s degrees: 0 astronomy, 3 astrophysics, 1 other astronomy and astrophysics
Graduate level: 5 master’s, 2 doctorates, 5 post-graduate certificates (all in astronomy)
My understanding is that the database isn’t perfect, because it only accounts for one major per student. So a student with a double major in, say, math and astronomy might be counted as a math major, but not as an astronomy major. But even if a few double-majors are missing, you should expect the undergraduate program to be rather small.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=yale&s=all&id=130794
(click on “Programs/Majors”, then scroll down to “Physical Sciences”)
Here is the link to the Undergraduate People page of the Department’s website. http://astronomy.yale.edu/people/undergraduate-students
There is also contact information on the site for any questions you may have.
thank you!
The page shows a total of 19 undergraduates in four classes (2017 to 2020). This is an average of 4.75 students per class, which seems reasonably consistent with the College Navigator result of 4 bachelor’s degrees awarded in 2014-15.
Keep in mind, though, that many Yale UGs won’t declare a major until the end of sophomore year. For example, one of the people on the page that I happen to know (friend of DS’s) only recently declared the major.
By my count, there are
4 class of 2017
8 class of 2018
3 class of 2019
3 class of 2020
and 1 unclear.
Further to my point in the previous post, if you average the 2 upper years and the two lower years, you get
Junior and Senior average 6
Freshman and Sophomore average 3, allowing for some number of as yet undeclared majors
My daughter was an Astrophysics major class of 2015. One of 4. (Three women)