Good astrophysics schools in california

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California offers strong options for astrophysics majors, with UC Berkeley being highly regarded and UC Santa Cruz following closely. Transfer students should note that Caltech is not typically open to transfers, but graduate school opportunities remain. Penn State, while not in California, is also mentioned as an excellent choice for astrophysics, known for its preparation for graduate studies and research opportunities. However, transferring credits to Penn State may pose challenges. Overall, students are encouraged to consider both in-state and out-of-state options for their astrophysics education.
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ATM I'm at a JC and I will be transferring next year under the astrophysics major. Anybody have any inside information or anything about schools in california. Also keep in mind, caltech doesn't really take transfer students...but hey, there is always grad school. :)
 
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Berkeley is best, UC Santa Cruz is a close second.

- Warren
 
Yes I had heard good things about Santa Cruz. Thanks for the reply.
 
I know it is not in California, but Penn State is great for astrophysics. I am an undergraduate there now. It is actually one of the top schools in terms of prepairing students for graduate school. There are also some pretty spiffy reseach opertunities with professors. The only draw back is that some of your credits may be hard to transfer to Penn State. Well, since it is not in California, this is probably useless but I figure it can't hurt.

-Lauren
 

Thread 'Luminous Fast Blue Optical Transients (LFBOTs)'

UC Berkely, December 16, 2025 https://news.berkeley.edu/2025/12/16/whats-powering-these-mysterious-bright-blue-cosmic-flashes-astronomers-find-a-clue/ AT 2024wpp, a luminous fast blue optical transient, or LFBOT, is the bright blue spot at the upper right edge of its host galaxy, which is 1.1 billion light-years from Earth in (or near) a galaxy far, far away. Such objects are very bright (obiously) and very energetic. The article indicates that AT 2024wpp had a peak luminosity of 2-4 x...
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