2026 Best Value Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in California
[Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering](/majors/engineering/aerospace-and-aeronautical-engineering/aerospace-aeronautical-space-engineering/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
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 California
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
For return on investment in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, no school beat California State University Long Beach this year. Set in the city of Long Beach, California State University Long Beach is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $7,374 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $19,974. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $25,300. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from California State University Long Beach generally make around $66,477. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. California State University Long Beach admits about 46% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering will find it at California State Polytechnic University Pomona, which ranked #2. California State Polytechnic University Pomona is a very large public school located in the suburb of Pomona. Students from in state pay about $7,781 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,381. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $26,295. Soon after graduation, aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree recipients from California State Polytechnic University Pomona generally make around $78,320. Set against $26,295 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 75%.
University Of California San Diego is a great value for students pursuing a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Set in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,788, with out-of-state students paying around $47,676. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,305 in student loans. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $65,401. That is a strong return on a $21,305 median debt. The acceptance rate is 27%.
A rank of #4 makes Stanford University one of the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Stanford University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $65,910. Students borrow a median of $10,492 to complete the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program here. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $111,760. That is a strong return on a $10,492 median debt. Stanford University admits about 4% of applicants.
University Of California Irvine is a great value for students pursuing a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, landing the #5 spot this year. Located in the city of Irvine, University Of California Irvine is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,752, compared with $46,640 for out-of-state students. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $18,950 in student loans. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of California Irvine earn a median of $67,425 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 29%.
San Jose State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the city of San Jose, San Jose State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $8,410 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $21,010. Ten years after enrolling, students earn a median of $78,988. San Jose State University admits about 85% of applicants.
University Of California Los Angeles came in at #7 for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $14,233, while out-of-state students pay about $46,121. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,000 in student loans. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of California Los Angeles earn a median of $90,170 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 9%.
University Of California Davis placed #8 among the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Set in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,804, with out-of-state students paying around $47,692. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $19,058 in student loans. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of California Davis earn a median of $71,633 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $19,058 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earned the #9 position for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,161, with out-of-state students paying around $33,230. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $22,500. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo earn a median of $96,072 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,500 median debt. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo admits about 31% of applicants.
San Diego State University placed #10 among the best values for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Set in the city of San Diego, San Diego State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,728, compared with $21,328 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates is $23,000. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of $74,375 early in their careers. Set against $23,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 36% of applicants are accepted.
California Institute Of Technology came in at #11 for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Located in the city of Pasadena, California Institute Of Technology is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $65,898 in tuition and fees. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of California Institute Of Technology earn a median of $173,344 early in their careers. Roughly 3% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Southern California earned the #12 position for value in aerospace & aeronautical engineering this year. Set in the city of Los Angeles, University Of Southern California is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $71,647 in tuition and fees. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates carry a median of $21,140 in student loans. Early-career aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates make about $95,562. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 10% of applicants are accepted.
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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.
