Top Universities Abroad to Study Physics and Astronomy

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Cyril Zachariah
Updated on Jun 30, 2023 07:27 PM IST

Physics and Astronomy is a specialised field of study and requires candidates to acquire practical skills and knowledge. If you are planning to study Physics and Astronomy, then you must opt for the best college/ university for a bright career. Check the list of the top Physics and Astronomy universities abroad.

Top Universities Abroad to Study Physics and Astronomy

Demanding subjects like physics and astronomy need greater imaginative thinking than knowledge. It entails digging into and understanding the cosmos, space, and the underlying natural laws. Young and talented students are inspired to enrol in an academic programme at one of the most prestigious colleges in the world by the ideas and accomplishments of a handful of the most influential thinkers of all time, including CV Raman, Aryabhatta, Stephen Hawking, and Albert Einstein.

Even though physics and astronomy are separate academic fields, they fall under the STEM umbrella. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, four distinct academic fields. Numerous institutions throughout the world provide STEM programmes that are admired on a global scale. 

For the best professors, resources, and support, choose one of the finest colleges in the world if you are intrigued by studying physics and astronomy at an international institution. Continue reading to learn more about the top Physics and Astronomy universities abroad.

United States (US)

The United States boasts the best universities in the world to study Physics and Astronomy. The country houses 118 institutes among the top 600 institutes in the world offering courses in the fields of Physics and Astronomy. With so many options to study, the US is recognized as the best country to pursue Physics and Astronomy courses. Moreover, international students prefer to pursue MS in Physics and Astronomy from US universities to other universities of the world because of their world-class infrastructure and platform for research and development under the guidance of highly-skilled faculty members.

Apply to Top Physics and Astronomy Universities Abroad!

Top Physics and Astronomy Institutes in the US

Here is the list of the top US universities that offer Physics and Astronomy courses:

University Name

QS World Ranking in Physics and Astronomy 2023

Course Name

Annual Tuition Fees (in USD)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

#1

Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics (SM)

49,580

Harvard University

#2

PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics

NA

Stanford University

#4

Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics

52,857

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

#6

Bachelor of Science major in physic

Bachelor of Science- major astrophysics

Masters of Science-Aeronautics

Masters of Science - Space Engineering

Masters of Science - Planetary Science

Masters of Science - Astrophysics

Bachelors: 52,506


 

University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

#7

Bachelor of Arts - Major Astrophysics

Master of Art-Earth and Planetary Science

Master of Arts - Earth and Planetary Science

Bachelors: 20,217

Masters: 11,843

United Kingdom (UK)

The United Kingdom is one of the hottest destinations for international students to pursue higher education. It is well known to have some of the oldest and best universities in the world. Talking about Physics and Astronomy, the UK has 37 institutes among the 600 institutes in the world that offer the best Physics and Astronomy courses.

Students enrolled in Physics and Astronomy courses at UK universities get the opportunity to learn from the experts in the fields. Further, completion of studies from UK universities gives students a better shot at finding roles at companies of repute across the world.

Top Physics and Astronomy Institutes in the UK

Here is the list of the top UK universities that offer Physics and Astronomy courses:

University Name

QS World Ranking in Physics and Astronomy 2023

Course Name

Annual Tuition Fees (in GBP)

University of Cambridge

#5

MASt in Astrophysics

MPhil in Astronomy

MPhil in Physics

PhD in Physics

PhD in Astronomy

MASt in Astrophysics: 22,121

Other Courses: 23,674

University of Oxford

#3

DPhil in Astrophysics

27,460

Imperial College of London

#12

Bachelor of Science in Physics

Master of Science in Physics

NA

University College London (UCL)

#27

Bachelor of Science in Astrophysics

Master in Science (MSc) in Astrophysics

PhD in Physics and Astronomy

31,200

1,880

 51,370

The University of Manchester

=44

BSc/ MPhys Physics with an Integrated Foundation Year

NA

Canada

Canada is a perfect study abroad destination for higher education for international students. Canadian universities hold an international reputation and the level of impact of teaching and research programmes is quite high. Students get exposure to a world-class education at relatively low tuition fees.

Canada has 21 institutes that rank in the list of the top 600 institutes that offer the best Physics and Astronomy courses. Apart from this, there are several other universities where students can pursue the same course at affordable expense.

Physics and Astronomy courses at Canadian universities are designed with a balance between theoretical learning and practical work, providing students with the experience to meet challenges in their professional careers.

Top Physics and Astronomy Institutes in Canada

Here is the list of top universities in Canada that offer Physics and Astronomy courses:

University Name

QS World Ranking in Physics and Astronomy 2023

Course Name

Annual Tuition Fees (in CAD)

University of Toronto

=28

Master of Science in Astronomy and Astrophysics

63,970

University of British Columbia

#41

Bachelor of Science in Astronomy

Master of Science in Astronomy

Bachelors: 39,197

Masters: 8,776.74

McGill University

=65

Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Astrophysics

Master of Science in Physics

Bachelors: 18,338

Masters: 9,249

University of Waterloo

=85

Bachelor of Science in Physics and Astronomy

NA

University of Alberta

=151 to 200

Bachelor of Science with Honours - Astrophysics

Bachelor of Science in Physics

Master of Science Physics

Bachelors: 22,267.20

Germany

Germany is another leading country in the world that offers popular Physics and Astronomy courses. The universities of Germany have high-quality infrastructure and resources for research which makes it an ideal destination to opt for science courses. A large number of international students opt for MS degree programmes in Physics and Astronomy from a German university because of the availability of resources and best faculty members.

Top Physics and Astronomy Institutes in Germany

Some of the popular universities in Germany that offer Physics and Astronomy courses are as follows:

University Name

QS World Ranking in Physics and Astronomy 2023

Course Name

Annual Tuition Fees (in EUR)

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen (LMU Munich)

#28

Master of Science in Astrophysics

Semester fee of 128

Technical University of Munich

=16

Bachelor of Science in Physics

12,940

Heidelberg University

#29

Bachelor of Science in Physics

Master of Science in Physics

Bachelors: 1,500

KIT, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

#48

Doctoral degree in Astrophysics

NA

RWTH Aachen University

#62

Master of Science in Physics

NA

Australia

Australia is another perfect study abroad destination for higher education in Physics and Astronomy. International students who are enrolled in some intensive courses in Australian institutions get an opportunity to explore their skills and build an international network. The institutes hold a reputation for excellent research, student satisfaction and renowned faculty.

Top Physics and Astronomy Institutes in Australia

In Australia, there are 18 institutes that rank among the top 600 institutes that offer Physics and Astronomy courses. The top universities to offer Physics and Astronomy are listed below:

University Name

QS World Ranking in Physics and Astronomy 2023

Course Name

Annual Tuition Fees (in AUD)

The Australian National University (ANU)

#35

Master of Astronomy and Astrophysics (Advanced)

43,680

The University of Melbourne

#63

Master of Science (Physics)

43,008

The University of Sydney

=65

Bachelor of Science in Physics

NA

Monash University

=99

Master of Science in Astrophysics

NA

The University of Adelaide

#144

Bachelor of Science(space science and astrophysics)

36,500

THE Rankings for Top Physics and Astronomy Universities Abroad

Below is a table listing the best physics and astronomy universities as per their respective countries. These rankings are based on the 2023 Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

University Name

Country

THE Rankings for Top Physics and Astronomy Universities Abroad

California Institute of Technology

USA

#4

Columbia University

USA

#10

Cornell University

USA

#17

École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne

Switzerland

#21

ETH Zurich

Switzerland

#9

Fudan University

China

#25

Harvard University

USA

#6

Imperial College London

UK

#13

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

USA

#2

National University of Singapore

Singapore

#14

Peking University

China

#16

Princeton University

USA

#1

PSL Research University Paris

France

NA 

Stanford University

USA

#5

Technical University of Munich

Germany

#23

Tsinghua University

China

#18

University of California, Berkeley

USA

#2

University of California, Los Angeles

USA

#15

University of Cambridge

UK

#7

University of Chicago

USA

#11

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

USA

#24

University of Oxford

UK

#8

University of Toronto

Canada

#22

University of Washington

USA

#19

Yale University

USA

#12

Job Prospects After Studying at Top Physics and Astronomy Universities Abroad

Majoring in Physics and Astronomy, you can pursue your interest in physics and space and strive for a career as an aerospace scientist, astronomer or researcher in astrophysics, remote sensing, theoretical physics, and data analysis for space and atmospheric institutes. You will develop skills to combine experiments with mathematical modelling to explore phenomena, observe nature and build theories.

Studying Physics and Astronomy will introduce you to a number of skills along with technical and theoretical knowledge. Some of the core skills include:

  • Performing laboratory experiments effectively

  • Collecting various types of information, assessing and formulating them and testing hypotheses.

  • Obtaining in-depth knowledge of the structure and behaviour of matter and materials.

  • Developing analytical skills to navigate and understand statistics and mathematical calculations.

  • Learning how to use telescopes, star maps and other instruments in astronomy labs.

Mentioned below are the career options that you can pursue after studying Physics and Astronomy along with their corresponding average annual base salaries:

Job Option

Annual Average Base Pay (in USD)

Astrophysicist

63,545

Construction Consultant

63,899

Acoustics Physicist

92,954

Biomedical Engineer

75,030

Meteorological Technician

61,109

Chemical Physicist

96416

Hazardous Materials Manager

55,000

Nuclear Medical Technologist

85,209

Radiologist

2,54,854

Nuclear Physicist

1,03,647

Bioinformatics Specialist

1,05,372

Astronomer

89,364

Metallurgist

90,115

Atmospheric Physicist

1,00,260

Medical Physicist

1,52,413

Automotive Designer

82,642

Geophysicist

92,333

Studying Physics and Astronomy can open several diverse doors for you, ranging from investigating earthquakes to making new spacecraft and more. You will likely enter professional-level employment within six months of graduating. In addition, given how diverse the area of physics and astronomy is, it can be studied alongside relevant areas such as mathematics, business studies, space science and more.

Hope the above information is useful for you to choose the best study abroad destination for Physics and Astronomy. You can also write to us at abroad@collegedekho.com and clear out your doubts regarding study abroad admissions. 

Need More Details About Studying Physics and Astronomy Abroad?

FAQs

What are the top 10 universities abroad to study Physics and Astronomy as per the QS World University Rankings?

The following listed are the top 10 universities abroad to study Physics and Astronomy as per the QS World University Rankings:

#1 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), #2 Harvard University [USA], #3 Stanford University [USA], #4 University of Cambridge [UK], #5 University of Oxford [UK], #6 University of California, Berkeley (UCB) [USA], #7 California Institute of Technology (Caltech) [USA], #8 Princeton University [USA], #9 ETH Zurich - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology [Switzerland], #10 The University of Tokyo [Japan].

What are the top 10 universities abroad to study Physics and Astronomy as per THE World University Rankings?

The following listed are the top 10 universities abroad to study Physics and Astronomy as per THE World University Rankings:

#1 Princeton University [USA], #2 University of California, Berkeley [USA], #3 Massachusetts Institute of Technology [USA], #4 California Institute of Technology [USA], #5 Stanford University [USA], #6 Harvard University [USA], #7 University of Cambridge [UK], #8 University of Oxford [UK], #9 ETH Zurich [Switzerland], #10 Columbia University [USA].

What are the common subjects included in the Physics and Astronomy course?

The common subjects included in the Physics and Astronomy course vary with the university you study at and the country you study in. It is also dependent on whether you choose a bachelor’s degree course or an integrated degree course. However, some of the most common subjects included in the Physics and Astronomy course are the structure of the stars, the structure of the galaxies, cosmology, extreme astrophysics, extragalactic astronomy, general relativity, and particle physics.

What is the average fee for a Physics and Astronomy course in the United States?

The average fee for a Physics and Astronomy course in the United States is over USD 50,000 per year. However, the fee structure majorly varies with the university you choose to study at. The fee structure is also dependent on the degree course you opt for, whether it is a bachelor’s or integrated.

What are the best countries to study Physics and Astronomy abroad?

The best countries to study Physics and Astronomy abroad are Japan, Germany, Russia, Finland, Belgium, the United States of America, Canada, and the United Kingdom. These countries are rated based on their available programmes, university rankings, scholarships, fees, living expenses, and employment options after graduation.

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