undergradly.
Major · Engineering

Design aircraft, rockets, and spacecraft — one of engineering's most specialized and well-paid fields

Aerospace engineering prepares students to apply mathematics and physics to the design, development, and evaluation of aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles. About 6,400 degrees are awarded annually across 77 colleges — a concentrated field dominated by specialist institutions like Embry-Riddle, Purdue, and Georgia Tech. Bachelor's completers report median five-year earnings of roughly $98,000.

Schools offering
77
Annual completions
6,386
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$98k

About this major

Aerospace engineering applies mathematics and physical science to the design, development, and operational evaluation of aircraft, missiles, space vehicles, and their propulsion and guidance systems. In practice, the curriculum begins with a heavy foundation in calculus and physics, then branches into aerodynamics, thermodynamics, structural mechanics, materials science, and flight control. Upper-division coursework tends to specialize — programs may lean toward atmospheric flight systems, rocket propulsion, or orbital and space vehicle engineering depending on the institution. Lab and simulation work runs throughout, and most programs require a team capstone that produces a working design, analysis, or test of a flight-relevant system.

The field is notably concentrated. About 6,386 degrees are awarded annually across only 77 colleges — a far smaller footprint than general engineering disciplines. The top completers are specialist institutions and large flagship engineering programs: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus leads with 327 bachelor's completions per year, followed by Purdue University (323), Georgia Tech (248), and University of Central Florida (226). This concentration means program quality and institutional connections matter more here than in fields where programs are broadly distributed.

The most direct career destination is aerospace engineer, with a BLS median wage of $134,830 and projected job growth of 6.1%. Architectural and engineering managers represent a longer-horizon senior path at a $167,740 median, though that milestone typically arrives after a decade or more of engineering experience. Graduates work primarily in defense contracting, commercial aerospace, and the growing space sector — environments where the specificity of the undergraduate credential translates directly into the first job title.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

Occupation Median wage Job growth Typical education
Architectural and engineering managers $168k +3.8% Bachelor's degree
Aerospace engineers $135k +6.1% Bachelor's degree
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106k +8.1% Doctoral or professional degree
Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$98k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if the mechanics of how things fly — or how they survive the physics of not flying when they should — is something you genuinely want to understand from first principles. The degree rewards students who find aerodynamics and propulsion intrinsically interesting, who are comfortable working through long stretches of abstract analysis before physical intuition emerges, and who want to work in a sector where the product is a vehicle, a satellite, or a propulsion system rather than software or financial instruments. The earnings signal supports the investment: bachelor's completers report a five-year median around $98,185, and the aerospace engineer occupation itself posts a $134,830 median wage — a ceiling well above what most undergraduate majors access directly.

Think twice if your interest in aerospace is mainly aesthetic — if it is spacecraft rather than the physics and engineering behind them that draws you. The curriculum is demanding in exactly the areas that bore students who are looking for the field's glamour without its technical core. Think twice also if industry flexibility matters to you more than specialization: with only 77 programs and roughly 6,400 annual completions, the career paths narrow primarily toward defense contractors, aerospace primes, and government space programs, which carry budget sensitivity and geographic concentration. If you want the engineering credential but want more optionality across sectors — automotive, energy, manufacturing — mechanical engineering's 33,400+ annual completers and 448 programs reflect a field deliberately built for transferable application.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering, General

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, FL 0 327 327
Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, IN 0 323 323
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, GA 0 248 248
University of Central Florida Orlando, FL 0 226 226
Texas A&M University-College Station College Station, TX 0 207 207
University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO 0 206 206
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA 0 202 202
Iowa State University Ames, IA 0 173 173
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA 0 150 150
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Prescott, AZ 0 149 149
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Mechanical Engineering

33,431 completions/yr

Electrical and Electronics Engineering

14,891 completions/yr

Civil Engineering, General

13,488 completions/yr

Computer Engineering, General

9,312 completions/yr

Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering

8,569 completions/yr

Chemical Engineering

7,914 completions/yr

Engineering, General

5,416 completions/yr

Industrial Engineering

4,841 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What do aerospace engineering majors actually study?
The curriculum builds from calculus and physics into aerodynamics, structural analysis, propulsion, orbital mechanics, and flight control systems. Students typically work through courses in thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and materials before specializing in areas like rocket propulsion, avionics, or spacecraft systems. Most programs include hands-on lab and design work, culminating in a capstone team project — often a wind-tunnel experiment, a small satellite component, or a propulsion system model. The field spans from atmospheric flight to space systems engineering, so the upper-division curriculum can lean significantly in one direction or the other depending on the program.
What jobs do aerospace engineering graduates typically get?
The primary destination is aerospace engineer, with a median wage of $134,830 and projected job growth of 6.1%. Graduates also move into architectural and engineering management roles at $167,740 median — though that trajectory typically takes ten or more years. A smaller path leads to postsecondary engineering teaching ($106,120 median), which requires a doctoral degree beyond the bachelor's. The field is concentrated in defense contractors, aerospace primes, NASA, and space-sector startups — employers like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, SpaceX, and Northrop Grumman account for a substantial share of hiring.
Is a bachelor's enough, or will I need a graduate degree?
A bachelor's is the entry credential for aerospace engineer roles — the occupation lists bachelor's degree as typical education, and median five-year earnings for bachelor's completers in this major run about $98,185. Many graduates do pursue master's degrees for specialized roles or advancement at major contractors, but it is not a universal requirement. The postsecondary teaching path (median $106,120) explicitly requires a doctoral degree, so that trajectory is not accessible with a bachelor's alone. Associate's programs in aerospace technology exist, but the data does not carry a tracked five-year earnings figure for them, and the aerospace engineer occupation itself requires a bachelor's.
How competitive is the aerospace engineering job market?
Aerospace engineers show 6.1% projected job growth — above the economy-wide average of roughly 4-5%. Architectural and engineering managers, a senior-level destination, show a lower 3.8% growth rate. The supply side is comparatively narrow: about 6,386 degrees are awarded annually across only 77 colleges, versus fields like mechanical engineering where annual completions exceed 33,000. That concentration means aerospace graduates face less commodity competition than many engineering peers, but the industry is sensitive to defense budgets and government space program funding, which can create hiring cycles that don't track overall economic conditions.
Should I consider aerospace or choose a broader engineering major?
Aerospace is one of engineering's narrower specializations — 77 programs, 6,386 annual completions — compared to mechanical engineering (448 programs, 33,431 completions), which covers overlapping career outcomes and more industry flexibility. If you're specifically drawn to flight systems, spacecraft, or propulsion, aerospace is the direct path. If your interest in aerospace is one of several directions and you want to keep options open across manufacturing, automotive, energy, and other sectors, mechanical engineering typically transfers more readily across industries. Electrical and Computer Engineering (roughly 14,891 and 9,312 completions respectively) are better fits if avionics or embedded systems software is the dominant draw.
What are the earnings like at different career stages?
Five-year median earnings for bachelor's completers in this major run about $98,185 — already above the median for most engineering fields. The aerospace engineer occupation itself posts a $134,830 median wage, which reflects mid-career professionals rather than entry-level. The gap between the five-year earnings figure and the occupation median reflects that graduates are still in early-career positions at the five-year mark. Engineering management — the most senior destination in the data — runs $167,740, though that level typically requires a decade or more of experience beyond the degree.