Most Selective Highest Earnings Best Value Free Tuition UK Universities

Best Schools for Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering graduates earn a median of $64,837 within two years of graduation, ranking #19 out of 292 tracked majors — 83% above the median across all fields. There are 58 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 3,924 recent graduates.

Where you study matters: Massachusetts Institute of Technology graduates earn $83,177 while Illinois Institute of Technology graduates earn $49,644 — a $33,533 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap.

Early career salary growth is modest: Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering graduates see an average 0% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.

58
Schools
$64,837
Avg. 2yr Earnings
#19
of 292 Majors
3,924
Graduates

Public vs Private: Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering

Public (42 schools)
$64,532
avg. 2yr earnings
Private (16 schools)
$65,641
avg. 2yr earnings

Private schools produce $1,109 more in early earnings on average for Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.

Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering by State

California
10 schools
$64,622
Florida
6 schools
$65,041
New York
4 schools
$62,120
Arizona
3 schools
$65,414
Texas
3 schools
$61,898
Ohio
3 schools
$63,956
Massachusetts
2 schools
$77,562
Virginia
2 schools
$69,803

Top Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering Schools by Graduate Earnings

#1
M

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA · Private

$83,177
2yr Earnings
1yr: $72,563
Grads: 29
Acceptance: 4.7%
#2
C

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA · Public

$76,460
2yr Earnings
1yr: $74,220
Grads: 83
Acceptance: 29.8%
#3
U

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA · Private

$75,832
2yr Earnings
1yr: $78,078
Grads: 25
Acceptance: 10.0%
#4
U

University of Virginia-Main Campus

Charlottesville, VA · Public

$74,576
2yr Earnings
1yr: $68,493
Grads: 24
Acceptance: 16.9%
#5
W

Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA · Private

$71,947
2yr Earnings
1yr: $72,303
Grads: 50
Acceptance: 58.5%
#6
N

New Mexico State University-Main Campus

Las Cruces, NM · Public

$71,575
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 75.7%
#7
U

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, CO · Public

$71,255
2yr Earnings
1yr: $71,135
Grads: 68
Acceptance: 83.3%
#8
U

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL · Private

$71,015
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 18.5%
#9
U

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI · Public

$70,736
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,815
Grads: 79
Acceptance: 17.9%
#10
G

Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus

Atlanta, GA · Public

$69,983
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,907
Grads: 146
Acceptance: 16.5%
#11
R

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY · Private

$69,140
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,354
Grads: 89
Acceptance: 58.5%
#12
U

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL · Public

$68,965
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,726
Grads: 86
Acceptance: 24.0%
#13
U

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus

Norman, OK · Public

$68,666
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,700
Grads: 18
Acceptance: 76.5%
#14
S

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA · Public

$68,219
2yr Earnings
Acceptance: 80.2%
#15
U

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public

$68,219
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,779
Grads: 68
Acceptance: 43.7%
#16
U

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN · Private

$67,995
2yr Earnings
1yr: $68,525
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 12.4%
#17
U

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Seattle, WA · Public

$67,995
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,792
Grads: 58
Acceptance: 42.5%
#18
U

University of Maryland-College Park

College Park, MD · Public

$67,899
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,447
Grads: 68
Acceptance: 44.8%
#19
C

Clarkson University

Potsdam, NY · Private

$67,748
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,036
Grads: 69
Acceptance: 77.2%
#20
U

University of Arizona

Tucson, AZ · Public

$67,660
2yr Earnings
1yr: $47,599
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 85.7%
#21
S

Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO · Private

$66,941
2yr Earnings
1yr: $69,962
Grads: 29
Acceptance: 81.5%
#22
T

Texas A&M University-College Station

College Station, TX · Public

$66,005
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,244
Grads: 104
Acceptance: 63.2%
#23
W

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, MI · Public

$65,945
2yr Earnings
1yr: $59,143
Grads: 45
Acceptance: 84.7%
#24
W

West Virginia University Institute of Technology

Beckley, WV · Public

$65,238
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,040
Grads: 70
Acceptance: 61.0%
#25
W

West Virginia University

Morgantown, WV · Public

$65,238
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,040
Grads: 70
Acceptance: 86.3%
#26
E

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

Prescott, AZ · Private

$65,080
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,540
Grads: 280
Acceptance: 75.2%
#27
E

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach, FL · Private

$65,080
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,540
Grads: 280
Acceptance: 66.3%
#28
E

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide

Daytona Beach, FL · Private

$65,080
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,540
Grads: 280
Acceptance: 61.8%
#29
V

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA · Public

$65,029
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,226
Grads: 102
Acceptance: 57.0%
#30
U

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

Cincinnati, OH · Public

$64,990
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,848
Grads: 53
Acceptance: 87.7%
#31
M

Missouri University of Science and Technology

Rolla, MO · Public

$64,659
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,444
Grads: 56
Acceptance: 73.1%
#32
W

Wichita State University

Wichita, KS · Public

$64,328
2yr Earnings
1yr: $63,979
Grads: 22
Acceptance: 94.9%
#33
U

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN · Public

$64,328
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,533
Grads: 78
Acceptance: 77.0%
#34
C

California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Pomona, CA · Public

$64,087
2yr Earnings
1yr: $70,663
Grads: 101
Acceptance: 73.7%
#35
T

The University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX · Public

$63,997
2yr Earnings
1yr: $65,874
Grads: 87
Acceptance: 29.1%
#36
P

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN · Public

$63,643
2yr Earnings
1yr: $62,537
Grads: 120
Acceptance: 50.3%
#37
A

Arizona State University Campus Immersion

Tempe, AZ · Public

$63,501
2yr Earnings
1yr: $64,576
Grads: 69
Acceptance: 90.2%
#38
C

Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH · Private

$63,501
2yr Earnings
1yr: $67,172
Grads: 27
Acceptance: 28.7%
#39
O

Ohio State University-Main Campus

Columbus, OH · Public

$63,377
2yr Earnings
1yr: $63,947
Grads: 64
Acceptance: 50.8%
#40
S

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA · Public

$63,005
2yr Earnings
1yr: $61,870
Grads: 63
Acceptance: 34.4%
#41
M

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS · Public

$63,005
2yr Earnings
1yr: $54,741
Grads: 34
Acceptance: 76.3%
#42
I

Iowa State University

Ames, IA · Public

$62,734
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,960
Grads: 145
Acceptance: 89.1%
#43
U

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA · Public

$61,516
2yr Earnings
1yr: $60,999
Grads: 54
Acceptance: 41.6%
#44
A

Auburn University

Auburn, AL · Public

$61,380
2yr Earnings
1yr: $63,127
Grads: 49
Acceptance: 50.5%
#45
U

University of California-San Diego

La Jolla, CA · Public

$61,218
2yr Earnings
1yr: $60,511
Grads: 70
Acceptance: 24.5%
#46
C

California State University-Long Beach

Long Beach, CA · Public

$60,839
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,374
Grads: 62
Acceptance: 47.1%
#47
F

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL · Private

$60,623
2yr Earnings
1yr: $59,501
Grads: 45
Acceptance: 62.5%
#48
U

University of California-Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA · Public

$60,072
2yr Earnings
1yr: $66,724
Grads: 31
Acceptance: 8.7%
#49
U

University of Central Florida

Orlando, FL · Public

$59,485
2yr Earnings
1yr: $63,377
Grads: 61
Acceptance: 39.5%
#50
U

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, NY · Public

$59,485
2yr Earnings
1yr: $59,797
Grads: 62
Acceptance: 69.3%

Showing top 50 of 58 schools. View all or filter by state above.

Majors with Similar Earnings

Manufacturing Engineering $67,653 Industrial Engineering $67,414 Chemical Engineering $66,453 Metallurgical Engineering $66,313 Materials Engineering $65,789 Architectural Engineering $64,811

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology ranks #1 for Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering with median graduate earnings of $83,177 within two years. There are 58 schools nationwide offering this major with tracked earnings data.
How much do Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering graduates earn?
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering graduates earn an average of $64,837 within two years of graduation. This is 83% above the median across all majors. Earnings range from $49,644 to $83,177 depending on the school.
How hard is it to get into a top Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering program?
The average acceptance rate across Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering programs is 53.8%. The most selective program is at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with a 4.7% acceptance rate. Competitive programs value strong math/analytical skills and relevant coursework.
Is a public or private school better for Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering?
Private Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering programs average $65,641 in early earnings vs $64,532 at public schools. Private schools lead in earnings, but cost significantly more — calculate net price before deciding.

Data updated June 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders.

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