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Amherst, MA · Physics & astronomy

Physics & astronomy at UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst graduates about 72 physics & astronomy majors a year, 1% of its graduating class. That puts it 78th of 525 schools we score for physics & astronomy, a strong program at 77 out of 100. Graduates in the major earn a median $73,000 four years out, below the national figure for the same major (0.95×). Research spending in the field runs about $21 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

77/100Strong#78 of 525 for physics & astronomy →
Graduates a year721% of the class
Median pay 4 years out$73,0000.95× the same major nationally
Research in the field$21Ma year, NSF
Admit rate60%whole school
SAT middle 50%1260–1480whole school

Around UMass Amherst

Me (Cathy Setzer), Cornel West and a large piece of pizza. I work for APSA, and
Cornel happens to love pizzaPhoto: DCist · CC BY 2.0 · source
Waiting for Bernie
Waiting for Bernie (23506174334)Photo: Steven Brewer from Amherst, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Fine Arts Center door
Fine Arts Center door - panoramioPhoto: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Old Chapel steeple
Old Chapel steeple - panoramioPhoto: Jon Platek · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source

Where physics & astronomy happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Physical Plant, Physical Sciences Building, School of Public Health & Health Sciences Hub, Computer Science Laboratories, Computer Science Building, Astronomy, Life Science Laboratories, Integrated Sciences Building.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 100 · Dorm 44 · Athletics 9 · Dining 8 · Student housing 6 · Chapel 4.

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Nearby in the physics & astronomy ranking

  1. University of Iowa 80
  2. University of Colorado Boulder 79
  3. Virginia Tech 79
  4. University of California, Davis 78
  5. Stony Brook University–SUNY 77
  6. University of Florida 77
  7. Texas A&M University 77
  8. Illinois Institute of Technology 77

Other strong majors at UMass Amherst

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares UMass Amherst with every school we score in physics & astronomy. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

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