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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

50 Ranked Colleges
442 Degrees Awarded
$34,900 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2021-2022, 8,668 people earned their degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering, making the major the 102nd most popular in the United States.

At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 442 aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,735 and $124,256 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major” ranking looked at 50 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their aerospace & aeronautical engineering program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree aerospace engineering students.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 7 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Caltech

2

Out of the 50 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, this small public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s aerospace engineering students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees to 30 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

4
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major. Missouri University of Science and Technology is located in Rolla, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major list. Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach is a private not-for-profit institution located in Daytona Beach, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach

7
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 40 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Purdue

8

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus is a large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 46 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgia Tech Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

9

University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 44 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at University of Colorado Boulder

10

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

11
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #11, Virginia Tech did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major list. Located in Blacksburg, Virginia, this large public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified doctorate’s aerospace engineering students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

12

University of Alabama in Huntsville landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Huntsville, Alabama, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UAH Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

13

Florida Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking, coming in at #13. Florida Tech is located in Melbourne, Florida and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Florida Institute of Technology

14

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

15

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. RPI is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 7 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full RPI Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

16

University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

17

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 3 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at UC

18

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified doctorate’s aerospace engineering students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at UMCP

19

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees to 16 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

20
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at University of Kansas

21
Auburn crest
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. Auburn is a large school located in Auburn, Alabama that handed out 97 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Auburn University

22

Iowa State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at Iowa State University

23

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major ranking. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large public school situated in Arlington, Texas. It awarded 8 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at UT Arlington

24

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Report

25
WPI crest
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #25, Worcester Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Aerospace Engineering Major list. Worcester Polytechnic Institute is located in Worcester, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s aerospace engineering degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering at WPI

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