2027 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering](/majors/engineering/aerospace-and-aeronautical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong aerospace & aeronautical engineering education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 12 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for aerospace & aeronautical engineering students.
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2027 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools
For return on investment in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, no school beat University Of Michigan Ann Arbor this year. Located in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $18,848, with out-of-state students paying around $63,081. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $21,603. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $94,124. That is a strong return on a $21,603 median debt. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor admits about 16% of applicants.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a great value for students pursuing a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, landing the #2 spot this year. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $23,951. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $87,496. Set against $23,951 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Akron Main Campus came in at #3 on our 2027 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Set in the city of Akron, University Of Akron Main Campus is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $13,135 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,815. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $25,347. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of Akron Main Campus earn a median of $49,045 early in their careers. Set against $25,347 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 60% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering will find it at Purdue University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of West Lafayette. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,992, while out-of-state students pay about $28,794. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $21,500. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Purdue University Main Campus generally make around $88,159. That is a strong return on a $21,500 median debt. Roughly 50% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #5 makes Western Michigan University one of the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. Students from in state pay about $15,987 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,952. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $28,021. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $69,514. Set against $28,021 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Ohio State University Main Campus ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,244, with out-of-state students paying around $40,022. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,853 in student loans. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of Ohio State University Main Campus earn a median of $72,062 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $25,853 median debt. The acceptance rate is 61%.
Illinois Institute Of Technology landed the #7 spot for aerospace & aeronautical engineering value this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $52,202. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $27,000. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of Illinois Institute Of Technology earn a median of $63,169 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois Institute Of Technology admits about 55% of applicants.
Kent State University At Kent ranked #8 on our 2027 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,220, while out-of-state students pay about $21,575. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $25,174 in student loans. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Kent State University At Kent generally make around $44,776. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 86% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus placed #9 among the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public school located in the city of Cincinnati. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,363, while out-of-state students pay about $28,697. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $20,750 in student loans. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus generally make around $74,992. That is a strong return on a $20,750 median debt. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus admits about 85% of applicants.
University Of Notre Dame came in at #10 for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, University Of Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $65,025. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $24,000. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from University Of Notre Dame generally make around $81,057. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. University Of Notre Dame admits about 11% of applicants.
University Of Dayton placed #11 among the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Located in the city of Dayton, University Of Dayton is a large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $49,140. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $25,033. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from University Of Dayton generally make around $56,077. Set against $25,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 65%.
Case Western Reserve University ranked #12 on our 2027 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the city of Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University is a large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $66,608. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $26,410. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of Case Western Reserve University earn a median of $83,639 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 36%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 12 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
