2026 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in New York
[Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering](/majors/engineering/aerospace-and-aeronautical-engineering/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for aerospace & aeronautical engineering students.
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2026 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in New York
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the aerospace & aeronautical engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools
Leading the list is University At Buffalo, our #1 best value for aerospace & aeronautical engineering in New York. University At Buffalo is a very large public school located in the suburb of Buffalo. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,936, compared with $31,536 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $24,846. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $69,716. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
A rank of #2 makes Clarkson University one of the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Set in the town of Potsdam, Clarkson University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $59,398. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Clarkson University generally make around $71,783. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering will find it at Cornell University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Ithaca, Cornell University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $69,314 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $15,005 to complete the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program here. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $102,439. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Cornell University admits about 9% of applicants.
A rank of #4 makes Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute one of the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. In-state tuition and fees average $64,078. Students borrow a median of $25,000 to complete the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute generally make around $73,213. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute admits about 64% of applicants.
Syracuse University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the city of Syracuse, Syracuse University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $65,528. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $27,000. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $71,417. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 46%.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 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.
