Choosing which immediate post-degree career path to follow can be a difficult decision. About two-thirds of astronomy bachelors indicated that a faculty member provided them with career guidance. Many circumstances can influence a new graduate’s immediate post-degree endeavors. For the class of 2020, almost a third (32%) of respondents indicated that their post-degree plans had changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, a similar proportion of astronomy bachelors in the classes of 2018, 2019, and 2020 were in the workforce as were enrolled in a graduate program in the year after receiving their degrees.
Of the nearly half of astronomy bachelors who indicated that they had enrolled in a graduate program, about three-quarters were pursuing degrees in astronomy, astrophysics, or physics. The remaining quarter of the new bachelors who enrolled in a graduate program studied a variety of subjects, the most common being education, computer science, and earth science. Regardless...