A degree in aerospace and aeronautical engineering is more popular than many other degrees.
For its 2022 ranking, College Factual observed 75 schools in the United States find out which ones were the best for aerospace and aeronautical engineering students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 7,535 degrees in aerospace and aeronautical engineering during the 2019-2020 academic year.
What Is Aerospace Engineering?
Aerospace Engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the production of aircraft and spacecraft. It’s one of the fastest-growing diverse professions that focuses on the design, maintenance, and development of all types of aircraft.
There are two branches of Aerospace Engineering; Aeronautical Engineering and Astronautical Engineering.
Aeronautical Engineering focuses on designing aircraft such as gliders, autogyros, fixed-wing airplanes and jets, and helicopters. While Astronautical Engineering focuses on the design and development of spacecraft that fly outside the atmosphere.
What Does An Aerospace Engineer Do?
Aerospace Engineers build aircraft, satellites, rockets, and missiles. In addition, these engineers test prototypes to make sure they work according to plans. Such engineers also design parts and subassemblies such as engines, wings, landing gear, control systems, and instruments.
Aerospace Engineers perform or write the destructive and non-destructive test specifications for the power, reliability, functionality, and long-term durability of aircraft and parts.
Entry Requirements Into Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate School
Entry requirements into Aerospace Engineering programs vary according to the school. However, to gain entry into a top aerospace engineering school, you must be highly competent in mathematics and physics in order to apply.
And if you are an international student, you might need to prove your proficiency in English through a standardized exam such as IELTS prior to starting the undergraduate program in order to get a student visa or entry into the program.
How Long Is An Aerospace Undergraduate Engineering Program?
It usually takes three or four years to get an Aerospace Engineering degree at the undergraduate level, but several schools let students progress directly into a Masters Program in Aeronautical Engineering, by extending the course length by an additional year or two.
In such cases, BEng and MEng students take the same courses for the first three or four years, and outstanding students then continue with the BEng for one more year or progress to the more advanced MEng for two years.
Some Aerospace undergraduate programs may also allow for this transfer in the first or second year of the BEng degree program, while others allow post-secondary candidates to enroll in an MEng straight away.
Some institutions also offer associate degree programs, but these are usually reserved for practicing engineering professionals who have been certified in a related field and want to switch careers into aeronautical engineering.
How Much Does an Aerospace Undergraduate Engineering Program Cost?
The cost of tuition for a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering differs according to the school. The tuition can go from as low as $8,000 in public institutions to over $45,000 in private universities for in-state students.
For those studying out-of-state, tuition differs from about $27,000 for public schools to more than $45,000 for private institutions.
On average, the tuition fee for an in-state aerospace engineering degree costs around $10,500 a year while for someone studying out-of-state the tuition average would be in the vicinity of $36,500.
Choosing an Aerospace Engineering School
When choosing the right school for you, it is important to get all the facts that you can. To that end, we at student majors have created a number of top undergraduate aerospace engineering schools.
Only those schools that rank in the top 15% are on this list.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology is an excellent decision for students interested in a degree in aerospace engineering. MIT is a large private non-profit school located in the great city of Cambridge. It ranks #2 out of 2,576 schools nationwide which shows MIT is a great school overall.
There are roughly 124 aerospace and aeronautical engineering students who graduated with a degree at MIT in the most recent year. Aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology earn $14,000 more than the standard aerospace engineering graduate.
The degree program will prepare the undergraduate student for an entry-level position in aerospace and similar fields and for further education at the master’s level. Through this undergraduate Aerospace Engineering program, students build a concrete understanding of the foundational engineering sciences and professional subjects.
Furthermore, student learning takes place within the engineering context of conceiving-designing-implementing-operating (CDIO) aerospace and related complex high-performance systems and products.
Stanford University
Stanford University is one of the best schools in the country for earning a degree in aerospace engineering. Situated in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private non-profit university with a huge student population.
The Undergraduate Program in Aeronautics engineering offers students the chance to learn engineering principles through a project-based curriculum. Providing the fundamental principles and techniques needed for success and leadership in the conception, design, implementation, and operation of aerospace and related engineering systems.
Courses in the major consist of engineering fundamentals, mathematics, and the sciences, as well as in-depth courses in aeronautics and astronautics, mechanics of materials, dynamics, and control, and fluid engineering.
California Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology, mostly known as Caltech, is one of the best schools in the United States for earning a degree in aerospace engineering. Situated in the city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private school with a small student population.
There were about 26 aerospace and aeronautical engineering students graduates at Caltech in the most recent year.
The program exposes students to the practical aspect of the discipline through hands-on practical sessions. In addition to its undergraduate studies, Caltech awards top graduate programs in engineering and areas of science including biology, chemistry, earth sciences, mathematics, computer science, and physics. And the program is approved by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.
Johns Hopkins University
Located in the city of Baltimore, Johns Hopkins is a private nonprofit university with a very huge student population.
There were roughly 36 aerospace and aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent data year. The highest degree they offer in this department is a Master’s.
Recognized for their research efforts and contributions, Johns Hopkins University is home to several well-respected research institutes. About 200 students attend JHU each year. Johns Hopkins’ Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering works and aims to solve problems as well as create innovations that will make living easier for mankind.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Founded in 1885, Georgia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Atlanta. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 16,049.
Students that graduated with an Aerospace Engineering degree from Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus earn a boost of around $13,034 over the average earnings of aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates.
Ph.D. programs are also offered in this discipline.
GIT undergraduate Aerospace Engineering program provides skilled, driven, and well-prepared students with an aerospace engineering education of peak quality, that will enable them to reach their maximum potential in a technological world. At GIT, research is at the center of everything. Students learn the theories, equations, simulations, and applications of aerospace engineering by relentlessly questioning them.
University of Washington
The University of Washington’s William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics offers the only aerospace engineering degree program in the Pacific Northwest, a zone whose aerospace industry has been a major contributor to the technological development, economic vivacity, and security of the United States.
The William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics offers one undergraduate degree covering both air and space engineering.
University of Virginia
Sited in the suburb of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia is a public university with a very large student population.
There were roughly 36 aerospace and aeronautical engineering graduates from the University of Virginia in the most recent year.
The degree program allows prospective researchers to forge new paths over aerospace engineering as it launches graduates into careers that deepen comprehension and advance technology.
Furthermore, the program encourages students to become critical thinkers, innovators, and leaders with the curiosity and drive to solve real-world problems.
University of Illinois
The Department of Aerospace Engineering at Illinois is a worldwide leader in aerospace engineering. With nationwide ranked undergraduate and graduate programs, internationally renowned faculty, and high-tech research facilities. The department is devoted to excellence and leadership in teaching, research, and service.
Also, the faculty and graduate students are engaged in a variety of interdisciplinary centers including the Coordinated Science Laboratory (CSL), Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, and Information Trust Institute.
University of Texas – Austin
The University of Texas – Austin has one of the best undergraduate Aerospace programs in the United States. The school offers a foundational undergraduate curriculum that covers engineering and science fundamentals, fluid mechanics, controls, structural dynamics, materials, and much more.
With 33 faculty members, more than 800 students, and over 4,500 alumni living worldwide, the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin is a tight-knit, interdisciplinary community that offers programs in aerospace engineering.
The department works closely with students to solve important technological and scientific problems associated with aviation, energy, solid biomechanics, space engineering, robotics, biomedicine, earth science, and more.
Conclusion
Aerospace Engineering is an engineering discipline that deals with the production of aircraft and spacecraft. It is one of the fastest-growing diverse disciplines that focuses on the design, maintenance, and development of all types of aircraft. To be among the I.Q.s behind aircraft and spacecraft production, maintenance, and all, you need to enlist into a top undergraduate Aerospace Engineering school.
FAQs On top Undergraduate Aerospace Engineering Schools
