Since the first Moon landing in 1969, several people have vowed to become astronauts to explore space. Although a college degree is just a starting point and is not enough to make you an astronaut, the school you go to can help you get started. Many schools have space exploration resources and many astronaut alumni. Here are five of them and their ratings according to US News & World Report.
Auburn University
Located in Auburn, Alabama, this university has a satellite program that does space research and also serves as a workforce development opportunity for students. The program allows students to test, design, and construct small satellites.
Auburn University has graduated the 7th highest number of astronauts and space scientists. Astronauts like Jim Voss and Jan Davis went to this university. In 2019, NASA awarded the school a $5.2 million contract to enhance liquid rocket engine performance. The tuition is about $11,826.
The Ohio State University
Located in Columbus, Ohio, The Ohio State University (OSU) is a good choice for people who are interested in artificial intelligence, terrestrial agriculture, space-based remote sensing, or manufacturing for spaceflight.
This university is rated the 16th best college in the world to study space science; Robert H. Lawrence is an alumnus. It has a booming aerospace research center that has grown to have a research expenditure of $7.7 million in 2020 from $2.8 million in 2017. The school’s tuition is $11,936.
Harvard University
Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this university has made notable achievements in space science. The first image of a black hole’s magnetic fields came from the university’s partnership with the Smithsonian.
Harvard University is the second-best college for space science in the world. The college’s medical school has a consortium for space genetics; astronauts like Jonny Kim went to this popular school. The school’s tuition is $55,587.
University of California
University of California, located in Los Angeles, California, is another wonderful science college. This university’s Department of Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences is particularly famous for building magnetometers. Their most recent magnetometer was used for SpaceIL’s Beresheet lunar lander in 2019.
The university is the 41st best for space studies in the world and has graduated the eighth highest number of astronauts among other American colleges. Famous astronauts like Anna Lee Fisher and K. Megan McArthur are alumni of the University of California. The school’s tuition is $13,258.
California Institute of Technology
Located in Pasadena, California, this institute has a Jet Propulsion Laboratory with 40 active NASA missions, like the Mars Perseverance Rover, which returns Mars samples to Earth. The school has been exploring rocket propulsion since the 1930s.
California Institute of Technology is the world’s best school for space science. Frank Borman, who was a NASA astronaut, went to this institute. It also has some other institutes, like the Keck Institute for Space Studies, which are focused on space exploration. This institute’s tuition is $58,680.
