by our College Data Analytics Team
[Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering](/majors/engineering/aerospace-and-aeronautical-engineering/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates go on to command.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find where aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates earn the most.
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If you want to know which schools send aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
University Of Michigan Ann Arbor tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying aerospace and aeronautical engineering schools in the Great Lakes Region. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from University Of Michigan Ann Arbor make a median of around $116,239 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in aerospace and aeronautical engineering will find them at University Of Notre Dame, which ranked #2. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, University Of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution. Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of Notre Dame earn a median of about $98,886 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at Case Western Reserve University earned it the #3 place for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. Students who complete the aerospace and aeronautical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $90,949.
Students chasing top earnings in aerospace and aeronautical engineering will find them at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #4. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public school located in the city of Champaign. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign make a median of around $109,503 per year.
Purdue University Main Campus came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying aerospace and aeronautical engineering schools. Purdue University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of West Lafayette. Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering graduates of Purdue University Main Campus earn a median of about $108,646 a year early in their careers.
Western Michigan University placed #6 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Set in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a public institution. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Western Michigan University typically earn about $100,965 annually.
University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earned the #7 position for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a public institution. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus typically earn about $93,552 annually.
Ohio State University Main Campus earned the #8 position for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Ohio State University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Columbus. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from Ohio State University Main Campus make a median of around $91,105 per year.
Illinois Institute Of Technology earned the #9 position for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Illinois Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the aerospace and aeronautical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $75,993.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 9 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.