College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

12 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,443 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
$80,614 Avg Early-Career Salary
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #94 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 12 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,443 degrees in aerospace & aeronautical engineering to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering School

Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of aerospace & aeronautical engineering school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Pick Your Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Aerospace Engineering
Master's Degrees in Aerospace Engineering
Doctor's Degrees in Aerospace Engineering

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region list, to help you choose the best school for you. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the aerospace engineering degree levels they offer.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Aerospace Engineering

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
294 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
10.2% Growth in Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the best schools in the country for getting a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. U-M is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were approximately 294 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering degree recipients from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor get an earnings boost of around $8,182 above the typical income of aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduates.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
539 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
21.0% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat Purdue University - Main Campus if you wish to pursue a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the small city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were roughly 539 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the aerospace engineering program state that they receive average early career earnings of $82,482.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from Purdue University - Main Campus

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
168 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
8.3% Growth in Graduates

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were approximately 168 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. Those aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who get their degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earn $2,559 more than the average aerospace engineering student.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

4

University of Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering. Located in the suburb of Notre Dame, Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #29 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Notre Dame is a great university overall.

There were about 29 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent data year. After graduating, aerospace engineering degree recipients generally make about $81,057 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of Notre Dame

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
35.3% Growth in Graduates

Case Western is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Cleveland. A Best Colleges rank of #116 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Case Western is a great university overall.

There were roughly 51 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Case Western in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the aerospace & aeronautical engineering program at Case Western Reserve University get $3,025 more than the average college grad with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from Case Western Reserve University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
$72,062 Median Starting Salary

Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 93 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the aerospace engineering program report average early career earnings of $72,062.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from Ohio State University - Main Campus

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In OH
10.0% Growth in Graduates

UDayton is a large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Dayton. This university ranks 8th out of 91 schools for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were about 20 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UDayton in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of Dayton

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
90 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
$74,992 Median Starting Salary

UC is a very large public university located in the large city of Cincinnati. This university ranks 6th out of 91 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 90 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, aerospace engineering degree recipients generally make about $74,992 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
45 Aerospace Engineering Degrees Awarded
53.3% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 45 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at WMU in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the aerospace engineering program make about $69,514 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from Western Michigan University

10
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$63,169 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit school with a medium-sized student population. This school ranks 23rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.

There were about 28 aerospace & aeronautical engineering students who graduated with this degree at Illinois Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the aerospace engineering program state that they receive average early career wages of $63,169.

More information about a degree in aerospace & aeronautical engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology

Best Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering Colleges by State

Explore the best aerospace & aeronautical engineering colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 285
Ohio 314 312
Illinois 304 185
Indiana 294 454

View All Rankings >

Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering is one of 41 different types of Engineering programs to choose from.

Aerospace Engineering Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Aerospace & Aeronautical Engineering 1,443

View All Aerospace Engineering Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Mechanical Engineering 7,839
Electrical Engineering 4,071
Computer Engineering 3,068
Civil Engineering 2,640
Chemical Engineering 2,255
Biomedical Engineering 1,942
Industrial Engineering 1,686
General Engineering 1,677
Materials Engineering 731
Other Engineering 540

View All Aerospace Engineering Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options