Key Takeaways:
- Top universities like UC Berkeley and University of Arizona lead space exploration through collaborations with NASA and cutting-edge research.
- Space exploration is a booming field, expected to generate $1 trillion by 2040, making related degrees valuable investments.
- Colleges listed excel in space sciences, with significant contributions to missions like the James Webb Telescope and OSIRIS-REx.
In this ranking, we highlight the 30 best colleges for space exploration, showcasing top universities for space science, astronomy, space engineering, and programs with NASA partnerships. These schools play a pivotal role in advancing space exploration through innovative degree programs and groundbreaking research, preparing students to lead in a rapidly growing industry.
The space sector is projected to reach $1 trillion in revenue by 2040, making a degree from one of these institutions a smart investment. Whether you’re seeking a college that aligns with your goals or exploring options in space exploration degree programs, this list provides a comprehensive guide to schools shaping the future of space discovery.
Featured Programs
Methodology
The sources that contributed to this ranking reveal that colleges are leading in space exploration in many ways. Some sources highlight colleges that have recently expanded their connections to NASA. Others show which colleges have produced the most astronauts, which are part of leading research groups, and which have highly regarded space science degrees.
These sources are as follows:
- US News, 13 Colleges That Have Produced the Most Astronauts
- Universities Space Research Association, University Oversight
- US News, Best Global Universities for Space Science
- NASA, Space Grant Consortium Directors, and Websites
- NASA, NASA Selects University Teams to Develop Moon, Mars Mission Design Ideas
After identifying the most consistently cited colleges from these above sources, we then conducted further research. This was done in an effort to discover other means in which they were advancing space exploration. This research formed the basis of the final inclusion in the ranking.
The ranking criteria for the following colleges are as follows:
- Evidence of having a range of space exploration resources
- Evidence of innovating the space exploration industry
- Evidence of intending to expand its space exploration opportunities in the future
- Aggregated ranking/mentions on the methodology lists
The ranking is as follows:
1. University of California-Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Since its beginning in 1959, the University of California, Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory has maintained strong connections with NASA. It has participated in more than 50 space missions.
Its instruments and detectors are currently being used on over a dozen orbiting spacecraft in our solar system. And in late 2021, the college announced an important new chapter in its partnership with NASA.
The space agency had selected the college’s scientists to lead the development of its next space telescope. This project has a budget of $145 million, and the launch is scheduled to take place in 2025.
US News states that the University of California, Berkeley, has graduated the eighth highest number of astronauts of any American college. It is also considered one of the best global universities, the third-best college for planetary sciences in the world, and an oversight member of the USRA.
Plus, University of California, Berkeley faculty member Adam Arkin is leading the Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space.
Tuition: $14,226
2. The University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
In December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope launched into space. On board was a University of Arizona-designed and developed infrared camera.
Additionally, the college is also heavily involved in the asteroid sample return mission OSIRIS-REx. This mission won a 2022 Swigert Award for Space Exploration.
It is scheduled to return asteroid samples to Earth in late 2023. Besides participating in space missions, the college also runs several laboratories and research centers that maintain many world-class telescopes.
In fact, the college’s space exploration efforts are responsible for the discovery of 52% of all known near-Earth asteroids and comets. NASA stated that in 2021, the University of Arizona was selected to design ideas for future Moon and Mars missions. The source also states that the college is the director of the Arizona Space Grant Consortium.
US News names The University of Arizona the 10th best college in the world for planetary sciences. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $12,736
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland
The Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University enjoys a special distinction in the field of space exploration. It is responsible for capturing the first photograph of the Earth from Space. It also invented satellite navigation.
Plus, it’s responsible for dispatching spacecraft across the solar system. In the present day, the college is leading several space projects. This includes missions that test humanity’s ability to defend itself against asteroids.
The college is also currently constructing a wide range of spacecraft, such as the Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer. Johns Hopkins University is a partner in NASA’s Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design.
It is also the director of the Maryland Space Grant Consortium. US News & World Report considers it to be the 22nd-best college in the world for space science and one of the top 10 global universities. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $58,720
4. Stanford University
Stanford, California
The Aeronautics & Astronautics Department at Stanford University currently has over 20 labs and centers. Examples include:
- Aerospace Computing Lab
- Extreme Environment Microsystems (Xlab)
- Space Environment and Satellite Systems Laboratory
The college has also successfully gained funding for conceptual space exploration research. For instance, in May 2021, college faculty members gained NASA funding for two ambitious space exploration technologies.
This included a spaceship that uses a laser beam to manipulate a smaller probe craft and a robot that has extendable arms to climb into caverns on Mars.
US News states that Stanford University is the college that has graduated the sixth highest number of astronauts. It is also considered among the top 5 global universities, the 2nd best school for aerospace engineering, and the 13th best university in the world for space science. USRA lists the college as an oversight member.
NASA notes that the college is a partner in its Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space.
Tuition: $56,169
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts
MIT’s Space Exploration Initiative is aiming to democratize the exploration of space. It is doing this by bringing together “artists, scientists, engineers, and designers to co-create the human (and robotic) lived experience of space.” Besides this institute, the college also runs the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research.
This institute has been in existence since 1965 (while the Space Exploration Initiative dates to 2017). It focuses on detecting dark matter, observing extra-solar planets, studying the dark ages of the universe, and researching gravitational astrophysics.
US News states that the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is among the top 5 global universities and has graduated the fifth-highest number of astronauts of any American college.
It has also been named the top school for aerospace engineering and the ninth-best college in the world for space science. USRA lists it as an oversight member. NASA states that it is the director of the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium.
It is also a member of the Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design.
Tuition: $55,878
6. The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, Texas
The US Space Force and The University of Texas at Austin signed an agreement in 2021 for the college “to provide advanced research and workforce development.” The college’s Center for Space Research has also conducted many important missions.
An example is the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, which launched two satellites into orbit in 2002 and which has provided new information about the distribution of mass within the Earth’s surface system. US News notes that The University of Texas at Austin has graduated the seventh-highest number of astronauts of any American college.
It is also considered among the top 50 global universities, the top 10 schools for aerospace engineering, and the joint 31st best university for space science in the world. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA. NASA notes that it is the director of the Texas Space Grant Consortium.
Tuition: $11,752
7. University of Colorado- Boulder
Boulder, Colorado
In 2021, the University of Colorado, Boulder, announced that its researchers would be leading the new $15 million Advanced Computational Center for Entry System Simulation Institute funded by NASA. But the college’s association with American space exploration stretches long before this. In fact, it first started making instruments and experiments that reached outer space in the 1940s.
US News states that the University of Colorado at Boulder is the American college that has graduated the sixth highest number of astronauts. The source also states that it is among the top 75 global universities, the top 10 schools for aerospace engineering, and the 57th best college for space science. USRA names it an oversight member.
NASA states that it is the director of the Colorado Space Grant Consortium. The college system is also a partner in the Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design.
Tuition: $12,496
8. University of Washington
Seattle, Washington
Thirteen laboratories at the University of Washington are key parts of the college’s work on space exploration. These include:
- Aerospace Thermal Lab
- Multiscale Analysis of Materials & Structures Laboratory
- Space Propulsion and Concepts Engineering Laboratory
This diversity of space exploration research has led to some innovative work. For instance, in 2019, the college’s researchers identified a potential means of reducing the impact force of landing a rocket via origami-inspired foldable metamaterial.
US News notes that the University of Washington has graduated with the eighth-highest number of astronauts from any American college.
It is also considered among the top 10 global universities, as well as the 26th best college for space science. The college is an oversight member of the USRA. NASA notes that the college is the director of the Washington Space Grant Consortium.
Tuition: $12,076
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia
In late 2021, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the US Space Force agreed to create a partnership program. This partnership will advance “science and technology to build the next generation of space capabilities while developing the workforce of the future.” And, since 2013, the college has had the Center for Space Technology and Research.
This center has formed partnerships with NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the US Air Force, among other government organizations involved in space research.
NASA notes that the Georgia Institute of Technology is a partner in the Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design. It is also the director of the Georgia Space Grant Consortium.
US News considers the college to be the 181st best in the world for space science. The college is an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $12,852
10. University of Maryland
College Park, Maryland
In May 2021, the University of Maryland’s Center for Research and Exploration in Space Science & Technology reached an agreement with NASA to extend its existing partnership until the year 2027. This agreement also provided an extra $178 million to the college. The center itself employs around 100 scientists.
It offers students a range of opportunities to be involved in space projects. NASA also selected the University of Maryland to develop Moon and Mars mission design ideas.
US News considers the college to be the 24th best in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $10,995
11. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, Illinois
In 2021, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s connections to the space industry increased. This is thanks to the hiring of Assistant Professor Robyn Woollands to the faculty. Prior to joining the college, Woollands had worked for four years in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA, as a design engineer.
The college’s Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems is also conducting its own space exploration work. It launched its first satellite in 2018, and it has since developed other satellites. US News states that the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign has graduated the seventh-highest number of astronauts of any American college.
It is also considered the 27th best college in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA. NASA states that it is the director of the Illinois Space Grant Consortium.
Tuition: $15,442
12. Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana
Purdue University has graduated the fourth-highest number of astronauts of any American college. It has taught 27 astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
In the present day, alumni of Purdue University continue to innovate in space exploration. For instance, 25 alumni are currently working for the space company Blue Origin.
In late 2021, the college announced its first faculty member to go to space. The college is also certain to expand its space exploration activities in the future. One example of this is its recent establishment of a partnership with the US Space Force.
Additionally, the college is an oversight member of the USRA. NASA also notes that it directs the Indiana Space Grant Consortium.
US News & World Report has called it one of the top 5 schools for aerospace engineering.
Tuition: $9,992
13. Penn State
University Park, Pennsylvania
In 2021, Penn State’s Vertical Lift Research Center of Excellence was awarded a further five years of funding from the US Army, Navy, and NASA. This funding totaled $7.5 million and will go into 10 new vertical lift projects. Later, in 2021, the college also gained an additional $193,000 of funding from NASA to explore how concrete behaves in moon-like gravity.
Pennsylvania State University is also a partner in NASA’s Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design and the director of the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium.
US News & World Report considers the college to be among the top 85 global universities as well as the 33rd best in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $18,898
14. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory at California Institute of Technology currently has 40 active NASA missions. These include the Mars Perseverance Rover, which aims to return Mars samples to the Earth.
Plus, the Cold Atom Laboratory on the International Space Station observes quantum phenomena in space. California Institute of Technology has been working on rocket propulsion since the 1930s.
The college also has a number of other space exploration-focused institutes. Examples include the Science & Data Center for Astrophysics & Planetary Sciences and the Keck Institute for Space Studies. US News & World Report considers California Institute of Technology to be the best college in the world for space science. It is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $58,680
15. The University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
In early 2022, The University of Chicago announced that NASA had approved its $20 million balloon experiment. This experiment will use Antarctic ice to detect extremely energetic particles in space. One of the primary centers for space exploration at the college is the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics.
This institute has been in existence since 2001. The college’s Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics also has access to several state-of-the-art telescopes both on the Earth and in space. This includes one based in the South Pole and the Hubble Telescope.
Additionally, the college’s Enrico Fermi Institute exists to promote interdisciplinary research in many areas, including space exploration.
US News & World Report considers The University of Chicago to be the seventh-best college for space science. The college is also a member of the USRA.
Tuition: $62,241
16. Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Harvard University’s 2021 collaboration with the Smithsonian resulted in the first image of a black hole’s magnetic fields. Later in the year, the scientists employed by the college’s Center for Astrophysics celebrated a milestone for the Parker Solar Probe.
This spacecraft that they had built and monitored successfully entered the corona of the sun for the first time in history. The college’s medical school also runs the Consortium for Space Genetics. This consortium aims to guide humanity’s health as it transitions beyond the Earth.
US News & World Report considers Harvard University to be the second-best college in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $55,587
17. University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
In late 2020, NASA awarded the University of Florida a $12.5 million contract to create the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. The final antenna will be used as part of a gravitational wave telescope that will look for answers to astrophysics questions.
The college’s Astronomy Department also has access to a large number of observatories and space telescopes. Some of these ground observatories are located on the main campus. NASA notes that the University of Florida is a partner in the Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space.
US News & World Report names the college the 93rd best in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $6,381
18. University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
In 2021, the University of Michigan was selected as a leading institution for NASA’s Joint Advanced Propulsion Institute. This institute exists to explore high-power electric propulsion solutions. The college was partially selected for this role due to its work in pioneering Nested Hall Thrusters.
These can move spacecraft much more efficiently than conventional chemical rockets. Also, in 2021, the college’s Space Physics Research laboratory celebrated 75 years of existence. A more recent space exploration-focused division of the college is the Space Institute. This institute was formed in 2019 with the intention of bringing college-wide space research together.
US News considers the University of Michigan to be the 25th best college for space science. NASA states that the college is the director of the Michigan Space Grant Consortium. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $16,178
19. The Ohio State University
Columbus, Ohio
In late 2021, OSU announced its selection as the lead college partner in developing the next generation of human-occupied space stations. The college stated that this resulted from its strengths in research in various fields regarding space studies. These include:
- In-space/terrestrial agriculture
- Materials/manufacturing for spaceflight
- Artificial intelligence
- Space-based remote sensing
The college’s Aerospace Research Center has also grown from having $2.8 million in research expenditures in 2017 to $7.7 million in 2020. US News & World Report considers Ohio State to be the 16th best college in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $11,936
20. University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Some of the most notable recent work that the University of California, Los Angeles has conducted into space exploration involves Mars probes. This includes a professor, “leading an experiment to collect soil samples,” on Mars. The college’s Department of Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences has also had a long history of building magnetometers.
These devices have been used on satellite missions since the 1960s. One of the most recent college-built magnetometers was used in SpaceIL’s Beresheet lunar lander in 2019.
According to US News & World Report, the University of California, Los Angeles has graduated the eighth number of astronauts of any American college. It is also the 41st best college in the world for space studies. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $13,258
21. Utah State University
Logan, Utah
The Space Dynamics Laboratory at Utah State can be traced back to the earliest days of American Space Exploration. Initially, it was known as the Upper Air Research Laboratory and opened at the University of Utah in 1948. Later, it frequently collaborated with the Electro Dynamics Laboratories at Utah State University.
Eventually, it moved to this college in 1970. All the laboratories merged into the Space Dynamics Laboratory in 1982. The college is still pushing the boundaries of space exploration and space studies in the present day. For example, in late January 2022, it successfully launched a CubeSat from the International Space Station.
NASA notes that Utah State is a partner in its Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $8,960
22. University of Minnesota- Twin Cities
Minneapolis, Minnesota
In February 2022, the University of Minnesota held its fourth annual Space Fest. This four-day festival featured several expert speakers from the Smithsonian and the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The college’s own space research has been extensive.
Specifically, it has conducted “a wide variety of theoretical and experimental projects” across the solar system. NASA has selected the University of Minnesota as a partner in its Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design.
US News considers the college to be the 94th best in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $15,254
23. Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
The Small Satellite Program at Auburn University both researches space and acts as a workforce development opportunity for students. It allows students to design, construct, test, and operate small satellites. In recent years, the college has also managed to strengthen its space exploration activities.
For example, in 2019, NASA awarded the college a $5.2 million contract to improve liquid rocket engine performance. US News states that Auburn University has graduated the seventh-highest number of astronauts and space scientists. USRA notes that the college is an oversight member.
Tuition: $11,826
24. Florida State
Tallahassee, Florida
In late 2021, Florida State announced that it had designed a low gravity simulator that would offer new opportunities in the future of planetary research. This new design is 1,000 times larger than currently existing low gravity simulators.
Also in late 2020, the college announced that it would gain access to NASA’s 1,600 technology patents. This will enhance student entrepreneurs’ ability to learn about commercialization and licensing opportunities. NASA has also named Florida State University as a partner in its Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design.
US News considers the college to be the 159th best in the world for space science. The college is an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $5,656
25. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Michigan
The Planetary Surface Technology Development Lab at Michigan Technological University was only opened in 2019. Yet it has already won the top honors at NASA’s Breakthrough, Innovative, and Game-changing Idea Challenge. As a result, the college team working on the project was awarded $163,000.
Aside from this laboratory, the college also has the Earth, Planetary, and Space Sciences Institute; and the Michigan Tech Aerospace Engineering Research Center. NASA has selected a Michigan Technological University faculty member, Gregory Odegard, to lead its Institute for Ultra-Strong Composites by Computational Design. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $16,966
26. Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey
Princeton University is currently creating the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe. It is due to launch in the year 2025. This probe will investigate two of the most pressing matters in present-day space physics. These include energetic particle acceleration and solar wind interaction in an interstellar medium.
Space scientists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory recently demonstrated how a plasma-based propulsion system could increase the lifetime of a rocket while producing high amounts of power. US News considers Princeton University to be the eighth-best college in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $56,010
27. Columbia University
New York City, New York
Columbia University’s space exploration efforts benefit from its close association with NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. This institute was initially based a few blocks away from the college.
Since the late 1960s, though, it has been housed in Columbia University’s Armstrong Hall. In 2022, this institute published a study. It revealed that Mars could have supported life longer than scientists believed.
In late 2021, the college also revealed that NASA had selected it to send bacteria to the International Space Station. US News considers Columbia University to be the 37th best college in the world for space science. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $63,530
28. Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado
In the 1990s, the Colorado School of Mines opened the Center for Space Resources. This center is dedicated to studying planetary and space resources. Studies are conducted by creating technologies that prospect, drill, and extract them. This center is currently working on several projects, including a Moon probing mission due to launch in December 2022.
The college has eight laboratories focused on space exploration. Examples include the Planetary Robotics Laboratory and the Instruments and Sensors Laboratory. It also collaborates with leading space organizations.
These include NASA, the European Space Agency, Blue Origin, and SpaceX. In 2021, NASA announced that the Colorado School of Mines had been selected to design ideas for future Moon and Mars missions. The college is also an oversight member of the USRA.
Tuition: $19,538
29. Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
In 2021, Yale University’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences published a study that “could have crucial implications for the future of space travel.” Specifically, this study focused on predicting weather patterns on other planets in our solar system. The college is integrating space exploration into many fields of study that few would currently consider.
For instance, its School of Architecture offers a course for students to consider construction challenges on the Moon, Mars, and other space outposts. This course includes a flight on an aircraft emulating zero gravity.
US News considers Yale University to be the 30th best college for space science and places it among the top 15 global universities.
The college is also an oversight member of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA).
Tuition: $59,950
30. University of California, Davis
Davis, California
Most space exploration work at the University of California, Davis, is due to the Habitats Optimized for Missions of Exploration Space Technology Research Institute. One of its current projects is investigating human autonomy in an aerospace research simulator. The college also benefits from having Dr. Stephen K. Robinson among the faculty.
He has had a 36-year career at NASA and participated in four shuttle missions. NASA notes that the University of California, Davis, is a partner in its Center for the Utilization of Biological Engineering in Space. US News considers the college to be the 61st best in the world for space science.
Tuition: $14,645
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Sources
- National Center for Education Statistics: College Navigator
- US News & World Report: Best Colleges