2026 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in the Southwest Region
[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 14 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 the Southwest Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools
Our analysis ranked The University Of Texas At San Antonio the best value for a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering in the Southwest Region. The University Of Texas At San Antonio is a very large public school located in the city of San Antonio. Students from in state pay about $9,326 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $22,249. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $23,312 in student loans. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from The University Of Texas At San Antonio generally make around $49,955. Set against $23,312 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
New Mexico State University Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the suburb of Las Cruces, New Mexico State University Main Campus is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,183 in tuition and fees, compared with $25,307 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $24,537. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from New Mexico State University Main Campus generally make around $68,002. Set against $24,537 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Arizona State University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Set in the city of Tempe, Arizona State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,223 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,139. Students borrow a median of $25,500 to complete the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program here. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $78,808. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Arizona State University admits about 90% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Houston earned it the #4 place for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Located in the city of Houston, University Of Houston is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $9,717, with out-of-state students paying around $22,547. Students borrow a median of $21,255 to complete the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from University Of Houston generally make around $57,529. Set against $21,255 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 74%.
The University Of Texas At Arlington came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the city of Arlington, The University Of Texas At Arlington is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,950, compared with $29,582 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $25,260. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $78,005. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Texas At Arlington admits about 80% of applicants.
University Of Arizona landed the #6 spot for aerospace & aeronautical engineering value this year. University Of Arizona is a very large public school located in the city of Tucson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,573, while out-of-state students pay about $39,903. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $23,656. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $57,456. Set against $23,656 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Arizona admits about 86% of applicants.
Oklahoma State University Main Campus earned the #7 position for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Oklahoma State University Main Campus is a very large public school located in the town of Stillwater. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $10,110, with out-of-state students paying around $25,630. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,843 in student loans. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $68,226. That is a strong return on a $19,843 median debt. Roughly 75% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus placed #8 among the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Set in the suburb of Norman, University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $9,797, while out-of-state students pay about $27,377. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program here. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus generally make around $72,607. Set against $26,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Oklahoma Norman Campus admits about 77% of applicants.
The University Of Texas At Austin earned the #9 position for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Located in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,688, with out-of-state students paying around $44,908. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $22,542 in student loans. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of The University Of Texas At Austin earn a median of $81,022 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,542 median debt. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Texas A And M University College Station earned the #10 position for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Texas A And M University College Station is a very large public school located in the city of College Station. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,995, compared with $40,124 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $22,208. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station generally make around $85,388. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Texas A And M University College Station admits about 57% of applicants.
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott earned the #11 position for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Set in the city of Prescott, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $43,974. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $26,995. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $75,483. Set against $26,995 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott admits about 77% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 10 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.
