As you are looking for the best astronomy program, you should consider the location of the school as well as the facilities and educators at the school. It can be beneficial to consider how the class is taught and if a lab is offered to go with the classroom lecture. If you are looking to take classes in an astronomy program at a school you already attend, then talk to other students who have taken astronomy classes there and find out what they thought of the class. You might also consider talking to the professor of the class and asking if you could sit in on a lecture or two to get a feel for the class you may want to take the next semester.
Most astronomy classes are aimed at teaching a specific, or fairly specific, aspect of astronomy, and you should consider what you want out of the astronomy program you are looking at. If you are looking to take some astronomy classes out of personal interest and to satisfy a requirement for a lab science credit, then you should be sure the astronomy class also offers a lab component. You may be interested in astronomy as a focus of a degree in science, and in that scenario you should be sure the program offers what you need to pursue a career or further study in astronomy.
It could be beneficial for you to look for an astronomy program offered at a school that has or is near a telescope you could potentially use during your study. Similarly, many astronomy classes or labs are also offered in the evenings and will allow you the opportunity to use a telescope, even a smaller one, to do actual observations. While this is certainly not essential to some astronomy classes, you should at least consider it as you are looking for the program that is best for you.
You might also want to look at the professor who teaches the astronomy classes you are interested in. Try to find out what sort of experience and educational background the professor has, so you will have a better idea of what he or she might teach you. It can also be helpful to contact the professor before you take a class, try to communicate with him or her to get a sense for if you and the instructor connect on a level that will facilitate your education.
