The Graduate School at Penn State

Penn State Graduate School Penn State Penn State Graduate School

Astrobiology (ABIOL)
University Park
Earth and Mineral Sciences


Astrobiology – Average GRE Scores for New Enrollees*

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Analytical (P) - - - - - - - - - -
Verbal (P) - c c - - - - - - -
Quantitative (P) - c c - - - - - - -
Analyt Writing (P) - c c - - - - - - -

*GRE tests taken on or after August 1st, 2011 are scored according the following scale:
    Verbal Reasoning: 130 - 170, 1 point increments
    Quantitative Reasoning: 130 - 170, 1 point increments
    Analytical Writing: 0 - 6, half point increments
  For tests taken prior to August 1st, 2011, scores were converted to the new scale accordingly.
P = Percentile Ranking
c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0


Astrobiology – Jr/Sr GPA for New Enrollees

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
GPA - c c - - - - - - -

c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0


Astrobiology – Demographics for New Enrollees

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Total New Enrl - 1 4 - - - - - - -
Domestic - c c - - - - - - -
  Total URM * - c c - - - - - - -
    Black/Afr. Amer. - c c - - - - - - -
    Am. Ind./AK Native - c c - - - - - - -
    Hawaiian/Pac. Is. - c c - - - - - - -
    Hispanic/Latino - c c - - - - - - -
  Asian - c c - - - - - - -
  White - c c - - - - - - -
  Two or More - c c - - - - - - -
  Unknown - c c - - - - - - -
International - c c - - - - - - -

*URM: Underrepresented Minorities
Two or More: Applicant selected more than one race/ethnicity.
Unknown: Applicant chose not to disclose race/ethnicity information.
c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Female - c c - - - - - - -
Male - c c - - - - - - -
Nonbinary or other legal identity - c c - - - - - - -
Total - 1 4 - - - - - - -

c = data not displayed because n is too small to protect confidentiality of the student data
"-" indicates n=0


Astrobiology – Total Enrollments by Degree

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
PHD 10 11 15 12 15 16 18 14 20 -

"-" indicates n=0


Astrobiology – Total Enrollments by Demographic

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Total Enrl 10 11 15 12 15 16 18 14 20 -
Domestic 8 (80%) 8 (73%) 14 (93%) 11 (92%) 14 (93%) 15 (94%) 17 (94%) 13 (93%) 17 (85%) -
  Total URM * 3 (30%) 3 (27%) 4 (27%) 2 (17%) 1 (7%) 1 (6%) 2 (11%) 1 (7%) 1 (5%) -
    Black/Afr. Amer. - - - - - - - - - -
    Am. Ind./AK Native - - - - - - - - - -
    Hawaiian/Pac. Is. - - - - - - - - - -
    Hispanic/Latino   3 (30%)   3 (27%)   4 (27%)   2 (17%)   1 (7%)   1 (6%)   2 (11%)   1 (7%)   1 (5%) -
  Asian - 1 (9%) 2 (13%) 2 (17%) 4 (27%) 4 (25%) 4 (22%) 3 (21%) 3 (15%) -
  White 4 (40%) 4 (36%) 7 (47%) 6 (50%) 8 (53%) 9 (56%) 10 (56%) 8 (57%) 13 (65%) -
  Two or More - - 1 (7%) 1 (8%) 1 (7%) 1 (6%) 1 (6%) 1 (7%) - -
  Unknown 1 (10%) - - - - - - - - -
International 2 (20%) 3 (27%) 1 (7%) 1 (8%) 1 (7%) 1 (6%) 1 (6%) 1 (7%) 3 (15%) -

*URM: Underrepresented Minorities
Two or More: Applicant selected more than one race/ethnicity.
Unknown: Applicant chose not to disclose race/ethnicity information.
"-" indicates n=0

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
Female 5 (50%) 4 (36%) 8 (53%) 6 (50%) 8 (53%) 7 (44%) 6 (33%) 5 (36%) 9 (45%) -
Male 5 (50%) 7 (64%) 7 (47%) 6 (50%) 7 (47%) 9 (56%) 12 (67%) 9 (64%) 11 (55%) -
Nonbinary or other legal identity - - - - - - - - - -
Total 10 11 15 12 15 16 18 14 20 -

"-" indicates n=0


Astrobiology – Total Degrees Conferred by Degree

Total 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
PHD 3 2 3 1 1 3 2 2 4 4 -
MS - - - - 2 3 - - - -

"-" indicates n=0

Astrobiology – Median Time to Degree (years)

PHD 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
In Major/Degree * 5 5.3 4 5.7 8.4 5.3 2.6 5.7 4.2 TBD
First Enrollment 6.7 6 5.3 5.7 8.4 5.3 2.6 5.7 4.2 TBD
Number (n) n=3 n=2 n=3 n=1 n=1 n=3 n=2 n=2 n=4 n=2
MS 2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 2024/25
In Major/Degree * - - - - 2.5 2.3 - - - -
First Enrollment - - - - 2.5 2.3 - - - -
Number (n) - - - - n=2 n=3 - - - -

*In Major/Degree: For Dual-Title programs, the median time to degree in the base major and degree at Penn State.
First Enrollment: The median time to degree based on the first enrollment as a graduate student at Penn State.
"-" indicates n=0


Astrobiology – Degree Completion, UP Campus

PHD #Started 1 year 2 years 3 years 4 years 5 years 6 years 7 years 8 years 9 years Total Completed % Completed
2015/16 Cohort 3 - - - - 2 - - - - 2 67%
2016/17 Cohort 4 - - - 1 1 1 - - 3 75%
2017/18 Cohort 6 - - - 2 - 1 - 3 50%
2018/19 Cohort 5 - - - - 2 - 2 40%
2019/20 Cohort 2 - - - - - - -
2020/21 Cohort 6 - - - - - -
2021/22 Cohort 1 - - - - -
2022/23 Cohort 7 - - - -
2023/24 Cohort - - - -
2024/25 Cohort -

"-" indicates n=0

Logic for Program Review Metrics

(Last updated 10/16/2025)