Aircraft design engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an aircraft design engineer. Aircraft design engineers usually study mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or engineering. 81% of aircraft design engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 7% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 96 real aircraft design engineer resumes to see exactly what aircraft design engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for aircraft design engineers are the Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma State University.

There are also many online aircraft design engineer courses to help get the education required to be an aircraft design engineer.

What education do you need to become an aircraft design engineer?

What degree do you need to be an aircraft design engineer?

The most common degree for aircraft design engineers is bachelor's degree, with 81% of aircraft design engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 7% and master's degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 81%

Master's, 7%

Associate, 7%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become an aircraft design engineer?

You should major in mechanical engineering to become an aircraft design engineer. 31% of aircraft design engineers major in mechanical engineering. Other common majors for an aircraft design engineer include aerospace engineering and engineering.

Mechanical Engineering, 31%

Aerospace Engineering, 16%

Engineering, 10%

Mechanical Engineering Technology, 8%

Other Majors, 35%

Most common colleges for aircraft design engineers

Aircraft design engineers often get their degrees at Oklahoma State University, University of Colorado at Boulder, and Texas A&M; University San Antonio. Here are the most common colleges for aircraft design engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Aircraft design engineer common college	Percentages
Oklahoma State University	10.34%
University of Colorado at Boulder	6.90%
Texas A&M University San Antonio	6.90%
University of Kansas	6.90%
University of Phoenix	6.90%

Show more common aircraft design engineer colleges

Best majors for aircraft design engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Mechanical Engineering	30.6%
2	Aerospace Engineering	16.1%
3	Engineering	9.7%
4	Mechanical Engineering Technology	8.1%
5	Graphic Design	4.8%

Show more common aircraft design engineer majors

Best colleges for aircraft design engineers

The best colleges for aircraft design engineers are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

An aircraft design engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for aircraft design engineers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become aircraft design engineers.

1. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

2. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,188

Enrollment

15,105

3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

7. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

9. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

20 best online courses for aircraft design engineers

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19. AutoCAD Mechanical 2D and 3D for Beginners to Advanced

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Top 10 most affordable universities for aircraft design engineers

The most affordable schools for aircraft design engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for aircraft design engineers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for aircraft design engineers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Pomona, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,353

Cost of attendance

21,302

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for aircraft design engineers

The hardest universities for aircraft design engineers to get into are Northwestern University, California Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for aircraft design engineers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for aircraft design engineers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,566

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

5. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,465

7. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

8. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,545

9. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

10. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for aircraft design engineers

The easiest schools for aircraft design engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and saint cloud state university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an aircraft design engineer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for aircraft design engineers.

1. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

2. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

3. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

4. Cleveland State University

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,111

5. Pennsylvania State University - Berks

Reading, PA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,107

6. Alabama A & M University

Normal, AL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

957

7. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

8. Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, IN • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,080

9. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

10. Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,185

Average aircraft design engineer salary by education level

Aircraft design engineers with a Doctorate degree earn more than those without, at $112,249 annually. With a Master's degree, aircraft design engineers earn a median annual income of $107,750 compared to $100,260 for aircraft design engineers with an Bachelor's degree.

Aircraft design engineer education level	Aircraft design engineer salary
Master's Degree	$107,750
Bachelor's Degree	$100,260
Doctorate Degree	$112,249

Aircraft design engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Aircraft Design Engineers?

Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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