by our College Data Analytics Team
[Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering](/majors/engineering/aerospace-and-aeronautical-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 60 schools to find where aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
The aerospace and aeronautical engineering program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. That is why we developed our Highest Paid Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose aerospace and aeronautical engineering degrees pay off the most.
We offer a number of rankings, including this Highest Paid Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering Graduates list, to help you decide. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we have developed a unique tool called College Combat that lets you compare schools on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
Below are the schools whose aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates go on to earn the most.
Leading the list is Massachusetts Institute Of Technology, our #1 for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate salaries in the United States. Massachusetts Institute Of Technology is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cambridge. Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering graduates of Massachusetts Institute Of Technology earn a median of about $138,934 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at San Jose State University earned it the #2 place for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Set in the city of San Jose, San Jose State University is a public institution. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from San Jose State University typically earn about $101,217 annually.
Students chasing top earnings in aerospace and aeronautical engineering will find them at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a public institution. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo make a median of around $112,671 per year.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Michigan Ann Arbor one of the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a public school located in the city of Ann Arbor. Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of Michigan Ann Arbor earn a median of about $113,025 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #5 makes University Of Southern California one of the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. University Of Southern California is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles. Students who complete the aerospace and aeronautical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $113,915.
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University Of Colorado Boulder earned the #6 position for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. University Of Colorado Boulder is a public school located in the city of Boulder. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from University Of Colorado Boulder make a median of around $103,431 per year.
University Of Maryland College Park landed the #7 spot for aerospace and aeronautical engineering salaries this year. University Of Maryland College Park is a public school located in the suburb of College Park. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from University Of Maryland College Park make a median of around $106,431 per year.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying aerospace and aeronautical engineering schools. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of about $109,503 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At Austin placed #9 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Set in the city of Austin, The University Of Texas At Austin is a public institution. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from The University Of Texas At Austin make a median of around $100,587 per year.
Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus placed #10 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus is a public school located in the city of Atlanta. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from Georgia Institute Of Technology Main Campus make a median of around $101,967 per year.
University Of Notre Dame came in at #11 for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, University Of Notre Dame 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 $98,886.
University Of Washington Seattle Campus landed the #12 spot for aerospace and aeronautical engineering salaries this year. University Of Washington Seattle Campus is a public school located in the city of Seattle. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from University Of Washington Seattle Campus make a median of around $102,468 per year.
Case Western Reserve University landed the #13 spot for aerospace and aeronautical engineering salaries this year. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Cleveland. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from Case Western Reserve University make a median of around $90,949 per year.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University earned the #14 position for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University is a public school located in the city of Blacksburg. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from Virginia Polytechnic Institute And State University make a median of around $100,423 per year.
California State Polytechnic University Pomona earned the #15 position for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Set in the suburb of Pomona, California State Polytechnic University Pomona is a public institution. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from California State Polytechnic University Pomona typically earn about $97,066 annually.
The University Of Tennessee ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying aerospace and aeronautical engineering schools. Set in the city of Knoxville, The University Of Tennessee is a public institution. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from The University Of Tennessee typically earn about $85,604 annually.
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach placed #17 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Daytona Beach is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Daytona Beach. Students who complete the aerospace and aeronautical engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $97,915.
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott placed #18 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Set in the city of Prescott, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott 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 $97,915.
Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide placed #19 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Daytona Beach. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Worldwide typically earn about $97,915 annually.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute earned the #20 position for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Worcester. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Worcester Polytechnic Institute typically earn about $98,303 annually.
University Of Virginia Main Campus ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying aerospace and aeronautical engineering schools. Set in the suburb of Charlottesville, University Of Virginia Main Campus is a public institution. Aerospace And Aeronautical Engineering graduates of University Of Virginia Main Campus earn a median of about $93,485 a year early in their careers.
Missouri University Of Science And Technology placed #22 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Set in the town of Rolla, Missouri University Of Science And Technology is a public institution. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Missouri University Of Science And Technology typically earn about $95,014 annually.
Texas A And M University College Station ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying aerospace and aeronautical engineering schools. Set in the city of College Station, Texas A And M University College Station is a public institution. After graduating, aerospace and aeronautical engineering degree recipients from Texas A And M University College Station typically earn about $96,505 annually.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute placed #24 among the highest-paying schools for aerospace and aeronautical engineering. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Troy. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute make a median of around $98,049 per year.
University Of Florida came in at #25 for aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduate earnings this year. Located in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a public institution. Early-career aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from University Of Florida make a median of around $100,208 per year.
These schools also send aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates into strong-paying careers this year:
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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 · 60 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.
