2026 Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in Virginia

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools.

What’s on this page:

• Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in Virginia

Best Schools for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in Virginia

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall aerospace & aeronautical engineering education in Virginia.

Top Schools in Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

1

Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University
Blacksburg, VA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

296 Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Degrees Awarded

$76,856 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University, our #1 school for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. This very large public university is located in the city of Blacksburg. Roughly 86% of students complete a degree within six years here. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University awarded about 296 aerospace & aeronautical engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their aerospace & aeronautical engineering degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earn around $76,856 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,000. Read more about the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program at Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University

2

University Of Virginia Main Campus
Charlottesville, VA

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

49 Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Degrees Awarded

$77,922 Median Starting Salary

A rank of #2 makes University Of Virginia Main Campus one of the top schools for aerospace & aeronautical engineering. University Of Virginia Main Campus is a very large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. There were roughly 49 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Virginia Main Campus in the most recent data year. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of $77,922 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $14,214 to complete this degree. Read more about the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program at University Of Virginia Main Campus

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 3 schools evaluated.

• 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.