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Military aircraft designer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a military aircraft designer. Military aircraft designers usually study aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or graphic design. 65% of military aircraft designers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 38 real military aircraft designer resumes to see exactly what military aircraft designer education sections show.
The most common colleges for military aircraft designers are the New Mexico State University and the New Mexico State University.
There are also many online military aircraft designer courses to help get the education required to be a military aircraft designer.
What education do you need to become a military aircraft designer?
What degree do you need to be a military aircraft designer?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 18%
- High School Diploma, 12%
- Diploma, 6%
What should I major in to become a military aircraft designer?
- Graphic Design, 10%
- Education, 10%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for military aircraft designers
| Military aircraft designer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| New Mexico State University | 8.33% |
| New York University | 8.33% |
| Colorado State University | 8.33% |
| Seattle University | 8.33% |
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 8.33% |
Best majors for military aircraft designers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerospace Engineering | 15.0% |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering | 15.0% |
| 3 | Graphic Design | 10.0% |
| 4 | Education | 10.0% |
| 5 | Management | 5.0% |
Best colleges for military aircraft designers
The best colleges for military aircraft designers are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
A military aircraft designer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for military aircraft designers. 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 military aircraft designers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
10. SUNY at Buffalo
Buffalo, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,099
Enrollment
21,404
20 best online courses for military aircraft designers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for military aircraft designers
The most affordable schools for military aircraft designers are California State University - Long Beach, university of florida, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for military aircraft designers 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 military aircraft designers.
1. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
7. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for military aircraft designers
The hardest universities for military aircraft designers to get into are Northwestern University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for military aircraft designers 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 military aircraft designers 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
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
7. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
8. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for military aircraft designers
The easiest schools for military aircraft designers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, gwynedd mercy university, and barry university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a military aircraft designer 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 military aircraft designers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
3. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
4. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
7. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
8. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
9. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
10. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
Average military aircraft designer salary by education level
| Military aircraft designer education level | Military aircraft designer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,065 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $82,690 |
| Doctorate Degree | $99,526 |
Military aircraft designer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common architecture and engineering questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025