Aerospace Engineering
Types of Degrees Aerospace Engineering Majors Are Getting
The following table lists how many aerospace & aeronautical engineering graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.
Education Level | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Bachelor’s Degree | 6,195 |
Master’s Degree | 2,402 |
Doctor’s Degree | 428 |
Graduate Certificate | 105 |
Associate Degree | 47 |
Basic Certificate | 43 |
What Aerospace Engineering Majors Need to Know
People with careers related to aerospace engineering were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.
Knowledge Areas for Aerospace Engineering Majors
This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:
- Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
- Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
- Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Skills for Aerospace Engineering Majors
The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to aerospace engineering:
- Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Abilities for Aerospace Engineering Majors
As you progress with your aerospace engineering degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:
- Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
- Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
What Can You Do With a Aerospace Engineering Major?
People with a aerospace engineering degree often go into the following careers:
Job Title | Job Growth Rate | Median Salary |
---|---|---|
Aerospace Engineers | 6.0% | $115,220 |
Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $140,760 |
Engineering Professors | 14.7% | $101,720 |
Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Aerospace Engineering?
Racial-Ethnic Diversity
At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of aerospace engineering majors is as follows:
Race/Ethnicity | Number of Grads |
---|---|
Asian | 721 |
Black or African American | 165 |
Hispanic or Latino | 851 |
White | 3,626 |
International Students | 398 |
Other Races/Ethnicities | 434 |
Geographic Diversity
Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Aerospace Engineering. About 6.4% of those with this major are international students.
Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Aerospace Engineering
Some degrees associated with aerospace engineering may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.
Find out what the typical degree level is for aerospace engineering careers below.
Education Level | Percentage of Workers |
---|---|
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) | 3.1% |
Bachelor’s Degree | 46.7% |
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master. | 4.9% |
Master’s Degree | 27.1% |
Post-Master’s Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Master’s degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees at the doctoral level. | 3.4% |
Doctoral Degree | 11.4% |
Post-Doctoral Training | 3.4% |
Online Aerospace Engineering Programs
The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.
Degree Level | Colleges Offering Programs | Colleges Offering Online Classes |
---|---|---|
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | 0 |
Certificate (2-4 Years) | 0 | 0 |
Associate’s Degree | 1 | 1 |
Bachelor’s Degree | 8 | 2 |
Post-Baccalaureate | 0 | 0 |
Master’s Degree | 72 | 12 |
Post-Master’s | 5 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Research) | 51 | 1 |
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) | 0 | 0 |
Doctor’s Degree (Other) | 0 | 0 |
Explore Major by State
Alabama
California
District of Columbia
Idaho
Kansas
Maryland
Mississippi
Nevada
New York
Oklahoma
South Carolina
Utah
West Virginia
Alaska
Colorado
Florida
Illinois
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Missouri
New Hampshire
North Carolina
Oregon
South Dakota
Vermont
Wisconsin
Majors Related to Aerospace Engineering
You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to aerospace engineering.
References
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
- College Factual
- College Scorecard
- National Center for Education Statistics
- O*NET Online
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
- Image Credit: By Ian3055 under License
More about our data sources and methodologies.