2026 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in Virginia
[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 3 schools to find the best return on investment for aerospace & aeronautical engineering students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in Virginia
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 Of Virginia Main Campus, our #1 best value for aerospace & aeronautical engineering in Virginia. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $23,118, while out-of-state students pay about $61,591. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $14,214. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $77,922 early in their careers. Set against $14,214 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Virginia Main Campus admits about 17% of applicants.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $15,948, with out-of-state students paying around $37,764. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $26,000. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn a median of $76,856 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 55%.
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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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 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.
