2022 Best Value Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 7,582 people earned their degree in aerospace and aeronautical engineering, making the major the 101st most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $65,466 and had an average of $23,943 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools” ranking analyzed 75 colleges that offered a degree in aerospace and aeronautical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality aerospace and aeronautical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the aerospace and aeronautical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering
Out of the 75 schools in the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools that were part of this year’s ranking, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide landed the #1 spot on the list. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide is located in Daytona Beach, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 ’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide is $20,333 for aerospace engineering students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. Southeastern Oklahoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Durant, Oklahoma. It awarded 53 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $8,237 for aerospace engineering students.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Southeastern Oklahoma State University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 170 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,496 for aerospace engineering students per year to attend Iowa State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Iowa State University Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 20 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,838 for Aerospace Engineering students per year to attend UH.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at University of Houston
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 410 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for Aerospace Engineering students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Purdue
Southern New Hampshire University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. Manchester, New Hampshire is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s aerospace engineering degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SNHU is $41,095 for aerospace engineering students.
Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Southern New Hampshire University
University of Florida ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 173 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $6,302 for Aerospace Engineering students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full University of Florida Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report
University of Dayton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #8. UDayton is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 16 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $31,003 for Aerospace Engineering students per year to attend UDayton.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Dayton Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s aerospace engineering degrees to 134 students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #12 spot in our “Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for Aerospace Engineering students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
University of Central Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Orlando, Florida, and it awarded 219 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UCF is $10,274 for Aerospace Engineering students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Western Michigan University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 ’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $19,433 for aerospace engineering students per year to attend WMU.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 103 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for aerospace engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s aerospace engineering degrees to 88 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for aerospace engineering students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at CSULB
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. OSU is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 ’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend OSU is $14,648 for Aerospace Engineering students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
Wichita State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. WSU is located in Wichita, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 88 ’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Wichita State University is $14,382 for Aerospace Engineering students.
Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at WSU
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #16. Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 368 ’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.
Georgia Tech also took the #7 spot in our “Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is $14,739 for Aerospace Engineering students.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Virginia Tech ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 187 ’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our aerospace engineering students list, Virginia Tech has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $21,198 for aerospace engineering students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Virginia Tech
With a ranking of #18, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s aerospace engineering students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $21,145 for Aerospace Engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full University of Oklahoma Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report
San Jose State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. San Jose State University is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 104 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,928 for aerospace engineering students per year to attend San Jose State.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at San Jose State University
University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #20. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s aerospace engineering degrees to 56 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend KU is $18,918 for aerospace engineering students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of Kansas Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report
West Virginia University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified ’s aerospace engineering students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,983 for Aerospace Engineering students per year to attend WVU.
Full West Virginia University Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking, coming in at #22. North Carolina State University is a public institution located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 99 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $16,458 for Aerospace Engineering students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at NC State
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 85 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,262 for Aerospace Engineering students per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Mississippi State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. Mississippi State is a large public school situated in Mississippi State, Mississippi. It awarded 62 ’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State is $16,173 for aerospace engineering students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Mississippi State
With a ranking of #25, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Aerospace Engineering Schools list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 75 ’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,788 for Aerospace Engineering students per year to attend SDSU.
The low student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at San Diego State University
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Ian3055.