Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering graduates earn a median $98,207 four years after finishing — $49,847/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 1.4 years. Federal data pools 74 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 5,941 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering ranks #10 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 96% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Southern California | CA | $125,514 |
| 2 | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | $116,350 |
| 3 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $115,706 |
| 4 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | MI | $115,075 |
| 5 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MA | $114,620 |
| 6 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $111,349 |
| 7 | Illinois Institute of Technology | IL | $110,956 |
| 8 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | CA | $107,498 |
| 9 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $106,633 |
| 10 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | CA | $106,171 |
| 11 | Case Western Reserve University | OH | $106,134 |
| 12 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | MA | $105,171 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.