2025 Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in California
10
Colleges in California
1,357
Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
$80,614
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in
aerospace & aeronautical engineering, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #94 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
College Factual reviewed 10 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of aerospace & aeronautical engineering. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 1,357 degrees in aerospace & aeronautical engineering annually.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering School
The aerospace engineering program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for aerospace & aeronautical engineering schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Rankings by Degree Level
When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in California list to help you make the college decision.
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've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in California
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the aerospace engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top California Schools in Aerospace Engineering
It is difficult to beat Stanford University if you wish to pursue a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Located in the large suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #10 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Stanford is a great university overall.
There were roughly 83 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Stanford in the most recent year we have data available. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering degree recipients from Stanford University get an earnings boost of about $31,146 above the average earnings of aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from Stanford University
University of Southern California is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Located in the city of Los Angeles, USC is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #13 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall.
There were roughly 170 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering degree recipients from University of Southern California earn a boost of around $23,898 above the typical earnings of aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of Southern California
Every student who is interested in aerospace & aeronautical engineering needs to take a look at University of California - San Diego. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were approximately 105 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the aerospace engineering program make around $65,401 in the first couple years of working.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of California - San Diego
University of California - Los Angeles is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were about 114 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering degree recipients from University of California - Los Angeles earn a boost of approximately $4,150 over the typical earnings of aerospace & aeronautical engineering majors.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of California - Los Angeles
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo. This university ranks 22nd out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 121 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent year we have data available. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo receive an earnings boost of about $4,895 over the average earnings of aerospace & aeronautical engineering majors.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
UC Davis is a very large public university located in the small suburb of Davis. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were approximately 68 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, aerospace engineering degree recipients generally earn an average of $71,633 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of California - Davis
Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 12th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 96 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, aerospace engineering degree recipients generally make about $67,425 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of California - Irvine
Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 60th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were approximately 163 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly Pomona in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, aerospace engineering degree recipients usually earn an average of $78,320 in their early careers.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
Located in the large city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 25th out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.
There were roughly 78 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the aerospace engineering program state that they receive average early career income of $74,375.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from San Diego State University
Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 36th out of 161 schools for overall quality in the state of California.
There were about 111 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at CSULB in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the aerospace engineering program make an average of $66,477 for their early career.
More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from California State University - Long Beach