Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Astronomy Program
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Atmospheres,
Comets,
Exoplanets,
Instrumentation,
Kuiper Belt Objects,
Planet Formation,
Planetary Science
URL: https://astronomy.utexas.edu/
State/Province: TX
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: 3
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: No
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 20
Planetary Researchers: 3
Students: 50
Admission Percentage: ~10%
Nearby Research Institutions: McDonald Observatory
Funding: New students are usually employed as TA; RA arranged with graduate advisor
Fall Application Deadline: 1 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://gradschool.utexas.edu/admissions
Notes:
Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Comets,
Cosmochemistry,
Geology,
Infrared Astronomy,
Kuiper Belt Objects,
Mars,
Meteorites,
Moon,
Ocean Worlds (Titan, Enceladus, Europa),
Planetary Science,
Pluto/KBOs,
Remote Sensing,
Small Bodies,
Surfaces
URL: https://eeps.utk.edu/
State/Province: TN
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 2.7
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 18
Planetary Researchers: 9
Students: 44
Admission Percentage: 10%
Nearby Research Institutions: Oak Ridge National Lab
Funding: Almost all are admitted with guaranteed funding.
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: 15 Oct
Admissions URL: https://eeps.utk.edu/graduate-students/apply/
Notes:
Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: School of Physics and Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Comets,
Planetary Science,
Space Plasma Physics
URL: https://cse.umn.edu/physics
State/Province: MN
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Physics optional
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 64
Planetary Researchers: 4
Students: 128
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: RA and/or TA may be available
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://cse.umn.edu/mifa/grad/apply
Notes:
Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Planet Formation,
Radio Astronomy
URL: http://www.astro.umass.edu/index.php
State/Province: MA
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: None noted
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Physics optional
Recommendations: 2
Faculty: 20
Planetary Researchers: 3
Students: 26
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions:
Funding: Nearly all of our students in the PhD program are supported by teaching and research fellowships.
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.umass.edu/astronomy/graduate-program
Notes:
Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Comets,
Dust,
Exoplanets,
Infrared Astronomy,
Instrumentation,
Meteorites,
Moon,
Optical Astronomy,
Planet Formation,
Planetary Dynamics,
Planetary Evolution,
Pluto/KBOs,
Radio Astronomy,
Remote Sensing,
Rings,
Small Bodies,
Space Plasma Physics,
Surfaces,
X-Ray Astronomy
URL: http://www.astro.umd.edu/
State/Province: MD
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: 3
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Physics (optional)
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 19
Planetary Researchers: 3
Students: 37
Admission Percentage: ~5%
Nearby Research Institutions: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Johns Hopkins University, Carnegie Institution, US Naval Observatory, Space Telescope Science Institute
Funding: The department provides full funding (with tuition waivers) for up to six years while students maintain adequate progress toward degree completion.
Fall Application Deadline: 15 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.astro.umd.edu/graduate/admissions.html
Notes:
Last modified: April 2, 2025
Department: Institute for Astronomy
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Brown Dwarfs,
Comets,
Exoplanets,
Infrared Astronomy,
Instrumentation,
Optical Astronomy,
Pluto/KBOs,
Small Bodies
URL: https://gradprog.ifa.hawaii.edu/
State/Province: HI
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: Optional
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 40
Planetary Researchers: 14
Students: 39
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: The Mauna Kea Observatories (IRTF, CFHT, Gemini, Keck, JCMT, Subaru, SMA, UH88, and UKIRT) are located on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Funding: Guaranteed through RAs and TAs
Fall Application Deadline: 1 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://gradprog.ifa.hawaii.edu/how-to-apply/
Notes: 2 recommendations are mandatory, 3 are preferred
Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Planetary Sciences Group
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Atmospheres,
Brown Dwarfs,
Comets,
Dust,
Exoplanets,
In-Situ Resource Utilization,
Infrared Astronomy,
Kuiper Belt Objects,
Mars,
Meteorites,
Moon,
Optical Astronomy,
Planet Formation,
Planetary Evolution,
Planetary Science,
Remote Sensing,
Rings,
Small Bodies,
Space Plasma Physics,
Space Science,
Spacecraft Development,
Surfaces
URL: http://planets.ucf.edu/
State/Province: FL
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 13
Planetary Researchers: 13
Students: 33
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: UCF Florida Space Institute, UCF CREOL, NASA Kennedy Space Center
Funding: Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loan
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Dec (domestic priority and all international), 01 Jul (domestic)
Spring Application Deadline: 01 Jul (international), 01 Dec (domestic)
Admissions URL: https://graduate.ucf.edu/admissions/
Notes:
Last modified: April 3, 2025
Department: Institute of Planetary Science
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Comets,
Exoplanets,
Interiors,
Magnetospheres,
Planet Formation
URL: http://www.ipsubc.org
State/Province: British Columbia
Country: Canada
Degrees Offered: MS, PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.3
General GRE Required: Optional
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 6
Planetary Researchers: 6
Students: 6
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: Hertaberg Institute (NRC), University of Victoria
Funding: Admitted students with a research advisor commitment are guaranteed 2 (MSc) or 4 (PhD) years of funding
Fall Application Deadline: 01 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://phas.ubc.ca/graduate-program-prospective-students
Notes: Honors undergraduate degree required for admission; secondary contact email of
[email protected]
Last modified: April 1, 2025
Department: Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Display Category: USA-Canada Large
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Atmospheres,
Comets,
Cosmochemistry,
Exoplanets,
Geochemistry,
Interiors,
Mars,
Meteorites,
Moon,
Optical Astronomy,
Planet Formation,
Planetary Dynamics,
Planetary Evolution,
Planetary Science,
Small Bodies,
Space Plasma Physics,
Surfaces,
Volcanology
URL: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu
State/Province: AZ
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: N/A
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: N/A
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 35
Planetary Researchers: 35
Students: 48
Admission Percentage: 12%
Nearby Research Institutions: Planetary Science Institute; National Optical Astronomy Observatory; University of Arizona Depts. of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, Atmospheric Sciences, Geosciences; College of Optical Sciences; College of Engineering; Biosphere 2
Funding: Up to five (5) years of financial support towards completion of the Ph.D. (GRA or GTA)
Fall Application Deadline: 13 Dec
Spring Application Deadline: N/A
Admissions URL: https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/admissions
Notes: Applicants should have completed an undergraduate major in a physical science such as astronomy, atmospheric sciences, chemistry, geology, mathematics, or physics. However, admission is based on the overall demonstrated capability and preparation of the applicant.
Last modified: April 1, 2025
Department: Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences
Display Category: USA-Canada Medium
Field Studied: Asteroids,
Astrobiology,
Atmospheres,
Exoplanets,
Geology,
Icy Satellites,
Instrumentation,
Mars,
Mercury,
Moon,
Planet Formation,
Planetary Dynamics,
Remote Sensing,
Surfaces
URL: http://www.eaps.purdue.edu/research/planetary-science/index.html
State/Province: IN
Country: USA
Degrees Offered: PhD
Minimum GPA: 3.0
General GRE Required: No
Subject GRE Required: None
Recommendations: 3
Faculty: 15
Planetary Researchers: 15
Students: 34
Admission Percentage:
Nearby Research Institutions: Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Indiana University Bloomington, Albion College, Notre Dame University
Funding: TA or RA typically offered to all admitted students
Fall Application Deadline: 2 Jan
Spring Application Deadline: 1 Sep
Admissions URL: https://www.purdue.edu/academics/ogsps/prospective/gradrequirements/westlafayette/eas.html
Notes:
