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Best Aerospace Engineering Schools
The top 25 of 58 U.S. colleges offering an undergraduate Aerospace Engineering degree, ranked by early-career earnings and return on investment — using each school's real, aid-adjusted net price rather than sticker tuition.
Is Aerospace Engineering worth it?
If you want to build rockets or airplanes, this degree is one of the most reliable tickets to a lucrative engineering career. The catch? You do not need to pay premium private-school tuition to get a top-tier job. The value in aerospace engineering overwhelmingly sits at large, research-heavy public universities. Because the aerospace industry relies heavily on government defense contracts and massive commercial manufacturing, employers recruit aggressively from state schools with large graduating classes and strong technical fundamentals. If you can secure in-state tuition at a major public engineering powerhouse, the degree pays for itself almost immediately.
| # | School | State | Median earnings | Net price / yr | 10-yr net ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $80,225 | $13,138† | +$750K |
| 2 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $85,509 | $16,665† | +$788K |
| 3 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus | GA | $79,300 | $12,116† | +$745K |
| 4 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | $78,631 | $15,678† | +$724K |
| 5 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | CA | $78,320 | $11,531† | +$737K |
| 6 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $76,881 | $14,091† | +$712K |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $75,859 | $14,355† | +$701K |
| 8 | University of Florida | FL | $70,760 | $6,541† | +$681K |
| 9 | West Virginia University Institute of Technology | WV | $72,210 | $9,337† | +$685K |
| 10 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $81,022 | $19,857† | +$731K |
| 11 | The University of Texas at Arlington | TX | $78,005 | $13,951† | +$724K |
| 12 | Missouri University of Science and Technology | MO | $76,183 | $16,298† | +$697K |
| 13 | San Diego State University | CA | $74,375 | $15,364† | +$682K |
| 14 | West Virginia University | WV | $72,210 | $15,634† | +$660K |
| 15 | Purdue University-Main Campus | IN | $71,989 | $14,600† | +$661K |
| 16 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $71,712 | $14,967† | +$657K |
| 17 | University of California-Davis | CA | $71,633 | $14,741† | +$657K |
| 18 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $71,068 | $12,548† | +$660K |
| 19 | Western Michigan University | MI | $69,514 | $15,273† | +$634K |
| 20 | New Mexico State University-Main Campus | NM | $68,002 | $8,889† | +$644K |
| 21 | University of California-Irvine | CA | $67,425 | $14,251† | +$617K |
| 22 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $66,477 | $10,440† | +$623K |
| 23 | University of California-San Diego | CA | $65,401 | $12,470† | +$604K |
| 24 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide | FL | $75,483 | $18,725 | +$680K |
| 25 | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | $81,835 | $25,346† | +$717K |
Top 10 programs by 10-year net ROI
Why these schools rank where they do
The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor takes the #1 spot because its aerospace grads are highly sought after by both traditional defense contractors and the booming commercial space sector. Michigan combines rigorous theoretical math with heavily funded, student-led project teams, turning out engineers who are productive on day one. But the real story of this ranking is the absolute dominance of the California State University system, specifically Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (#2) and Cal Poly Pomona (#5). To a prestige-chaser, it might seem shocking to see these regional state schools beat out UCLA or Purdue. But in the aerospace industry, the Cal Poly "learn by doing" philosophy is legendary. These students spend less time in massive lecture halls and more time in wind tunnels and machine shops. Situated in the backyard of Southern California's aerospace corridor, their graduates feed directly into SpaceX, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Northrop Grumman.
Geography is destiny in this field. The University of Washington (#6) rides its deep, historic pipeline straight into Boeing, while UT Arlington (#11) massively overperforms thanks to its proximity to Lockheed Martin's aeronautics hub in Fort Worth. Similarly, the University of Maryland (#4) capitalizes on its location right down the road from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and the dense D.C. defense corridor.
What is Aerospace Engineering?
Aerospace engineering is the science of flight, both inside and outside the Earth's atmosphere. Graduates spend their days designing, simulating, and testing everything from commercial jetliners and military drones to orbital satellites and reusable rockets.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a master's degree to get a good job?
No. While a master's can help you specialize in niche areas like orbital mechanics or advanced propulsion, a bachelor's degree is the standard entry-level credential. Most major aerospace companies will actually pay for your graduate degree once you are hired and working.
Do I have to work for the military or defense contractors?
Defense giants like Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics are massive employers, but the commercial sector is booming. You can work on commercial aviation, satellite communications, space exploration, or emerging fields like electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.
Why are there so many public universities on this list?
Aerospace engineering requires massive, expensive infrastructure—wind tunnels, propulsion labs, and supercomputers. Large public land-grant universities have the state and federal funding to build these facilities. Consequently, they produce the sheer volume of highly trained graduates that major aerospace firms rely on to staff giant engineering teams.
Does location matter for aerospace engineering?
Absolutely. The aerospace industry is highly clustered. Schools in Southern California, Seattle, Texas, and the Washington D.C./Maryland corridor offer unparalleled access to internships and local recruitment. Going to school near an aerospace hub makes landing that crucial first internship significantly easier.