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Aircraft engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an aircraft engineer. Aircraft engineers usually study aerospace engineering, aviation, or electrical engineering. 61% of aircraft engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 247 real aircraft engineer resumes to see exactly what aircraft engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for aircraft engineers are the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
There are also many online aircraft engineer courses to help get the education required to be an aircraft engineer.
What education do you need to become an aircraft engineer?
What degree do you need to be an aircraft engineer?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- Associate, 14%
- Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 9%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an aircraft engineer?
- Aviation, 15%
- Other Majors, 35%
Most common colleges for aircraft engineers
| Aircraft engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 8.00% |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | 8.00% |
| DeVry University | 8.00% |
| Michigan State University | 8.00% |
| United States Naval Academy | 8.00% |
Best majors for aircraft engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerospace Engineering | 19.7% |
| 2 | Aviation | 15.0% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering | 15.0% |
| 4 | Mechanical Engineering | 15.0% |
| 5 | Automotive Technology | 7.9% |
Best colleges for aircraft engineers
The best colleges for aircraft engineers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
An aircraft 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 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 engineers.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
8. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
10. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
20 best online courses for aircraft engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for aircraft engineers
The most affordable schools for aircraft engineers are University of Florida, suny farmingdale, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for aircraft 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 engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for aircraft engineers
The hardest universities for aircraft engineers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for aircraft 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 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
5. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for aircraft engineers
The easiest schools for aircraft engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an aircraft 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 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
10. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
Average aircraft engineer salary by education level
| Aircraft engineer education level | Aircraft engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $76,971 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $71,165 |
| Doctorate Degree | $80,476 |
Aircraft engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025