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Best Space Studies Schools Near Washington, DC (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Washington, District of Columbia has 4 accredited schools offering space studies programs. Washington has a population of about 672,079. Median household income is $106,287 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 63.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area, the top-earning space studies-related role is Physicists at a median $171,580 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Space Studies Schools to Washington
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer space studies programs near Washington, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Washington city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.
Washington is part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area (BLS area code 47900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to District of Columbia statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Astronomers
$156,750
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$143,939
Physicists
$171,580
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$157,557
Aerospace Engineers
$166,420
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$152,819
Natural Sciences Managers
$169,060
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$155,243
Atmospheric and Space Scientists
$117,600
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$107,989
Engineers, All Other
$151,340
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$138,972
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary
$108,220
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$99,376
Physical Scientists, All Other
$170,980
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
$157,006
Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.
Washington at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
672,079
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$106,287
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
63.6%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
108.9 (above U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Washington-Area Cities With Space Studies Programs
How many accredited space studies schools are near Washington, DC?
Our directory has 4 accredited schools offering space studies programs near Washington. The closest is University of Maryland-College Park in College Park, MD (6.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Franklin and Marshall College (87.3 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying space studies roles near Washington?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying space studies-related roles near Washington are: Physicists ($171,580), Physical Scientists, All Other ($170,980), Natural Sciences Managers ($169,060). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with District of Columbia statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Alexandria instead of Washington?
Alexandria, VA is 7.0 miles from Washington and has its own set of local space studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Washington an affordable place to study space studies?
Washington’s median household income of $106,287 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Washington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and District of Columbia public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.
How do I verify a program is accredited?
Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.
Data verified: September 7, 2026.
Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.