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Top 100 Aerospace Engineering Universities In The World (2023)

Looking over a city from the cockpit as you make your final landing approach is a dream- one that brings a feeling of satisfaction. The top aerospace engineering universities are the best places to make that dream a reality; they are the best places to receive training in aviation- key to the development of flying as a science.

These institutions also training in maintenance of planes and other aircraft, as well as aircraft designs and construction. Because pilots carry the lives of their passengers in their hands, the training they receive is rigorous and extensive. Some of these prestigious institutions have very stringent entry requirements; they want to ensure that they accept the best qualified students who have the capacity to match the academic work required for these important courses.

While some are full universities with a diverse range of study options, others are dedicated to aviation and related studies.

Top 100 Aerospace Engineering Universities In The World

1. California Institute Of Technology

The California Institute of Technology has the head-seat when it comes to aviation in the world today. For a long time this has been one of the world’s most important places for the development of science and technology. This is a private research university, and it is located in Pasadena, California, USA.

This institution is responsible for many of the technological breakthroughs that have brought advancement to human society. The institution manages NASA’s jet propulsion laboratory.

Members of faculty of this institution have won all kinds of awards and presidential medals; this is the most decorated institution in terms of research and development of aeronautics technology. The acceptance rate is quite low, but students often go on to bag PhDs and become authorities in aviation.

2. Massachusetts Institute Of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology was established in 1861. It was the training ground for Buzz (Lightyear) Aldrin. The institution is one of the most notable in the world in terms of its contributions to science and technology- it has produced 100 Nobel laureates, 26 Turing Award winners, and 8 Fields Medalists, as well as numerous other award winners have been affiliated with MIT as alumni, faculty members, or otherwise.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT has a long history of working with the United States Air Force; it is a place where students can study the science of flying in an environment that motivates them through its rich history of the development of aviation.

3. Georgia Institute Of Technology

Georgia Institute of Technology was established in October 13, 1885. It is one of America’s renowned institutions of higher learning, and one of the best known aerospace engineering universities in the world. This institution has satellite campuses in France, China, and Singapore.

An important aspect of this institution’s antecedents is that a vast number of startups have been created through the research work which has been carried out in its laboratories. This is because the institution pays special attention to entrepreneurship; it gives students the knowledge and training to help them start successful ventures.

Therefore students who wish to study aeronautics for the purpose of starting some flying related venture should find this institution more than adequate.

4. University Of Michigan

The University of Michigan was established in 1817. It is a leading institution when it comes to science and technology; the school has received 26 Nobel Prizes, and six Turing Awards, as well as several other awards. The awards have been received by the institutions’ alumni, members of faculty, researchers and so on.

This is a notable place for the study of aerospace and aeronautical engineering. The university also ranks highly in the areas of Electrical, Electronics, and Communications; Engineering; Entrepreneurship, and Biomedical Studies.

5. Stanford University

Stanford University is a prestigious center for learning; this private research university was founded 1891. This is a renowned institution that has made several important discoveries and contributions, as humanity has marched forward. This institution has received several awards, including Nobel Prizes for research in the fields of Nuclear Physics, Physiology, Medicine, and the development of vaccines.

Stanford University is where the original design of the internet was done; and it is the birthplace of several top internet based companies.

Stanford University has an excellent aeronautics department; it is very highly rated as a place to study the engineering principles that make flight possible.

6. University Of Maryland – College Park

University Of Maryland is a top institution of learning; it was established in 1856. As a top research institute for the development of flight technology, this institution receives funding from NASA, as well as from several other government bodies. The University of Maryland recently spent over $1.1 billion (as reported by the National Science Foundation) on research in a single year.

This is a great place for the study of flight; design of aircraft, as well as maintenance and operation of all kinds of flying machines.

7. Purdue University

Purdue University is one of the world’s highest ranking institutions for the study of Aerospace Engineering. This institution was established in 1869, and has grown to be one of the finest in the world. The stature of this university is proven by the number of accolades it has garnered over the years:

This institution is affiliated with 13 Nobel laureates, 1 Turing Award laureate, and 3 Pulitzer Prize winners. The university has also produced several distinguished personalities in many different fields of endeavor.

This university also has a broad range of other courses including agriculture, education, engineering, health sciences, and so on.  Purdue University has produced 18 Olympic medalists, 2 heads of state, 3 U.S. governors, 3 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients, and 3 National Medal of Technology and Innovation recipients.

8. Beihang University

Beihang University is the premier university for the study of flight techniques in China, and the whole of Asia. This is a national public research university located in Beijing, which was established in 1952. The main emphasis of this university is aeronautical and astronautical engineering; the institution is dedicated to meeting the manpower needs of China in the area of civil aviation, and the engineering aspect of it.

The institution has a high enrollment rate; which means that students will be given a chance to prove themselves, rather than be turned away, as some institutions prefer to do.

9. Delft University Of Technology

Delft University of Technology is the foremost university for aviation related engineering in The Netherlands, and Europe as a whole. This university was established in 1842, and it is a public research university. This university was established to provide technical knowledge so as to develop industry in the country, and it has done remarkably well in this regard.

This university has received a few Nobel Prizes in its time. The university has done tremendous work in the area of developing flying vehicles, as well as electric cars, humanoid robots, and so many other things.

10. University Of Illinois  (Urbana – Champaign)

The University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign is rated as one of the best places to learn how to fly, or maintain a plane. It is a public research university located in Illinois, USA. This institution was established in 1867, and has grown to fame and importance in the area of science and technology.

This is the home of Yahoo, Caterpillar, and so many other tech giants. The university has produced at least 30 Nobel Laureates, and 27 Pulitzer Prize awardees, among other accolades. The same fervor with which other courses are taught is applied to the aeronautical engineering department.

The following is a list of the top 100 institutions in the field of Aerospace Engineering in the world.

Position Institution Country Acceptance Rate Average SAT
1 California Institute of Technology United States 7% 1555
2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology United States 7% 1545
3 Georgia Institute of Technology United States 21% 1450
4 University of Michigan United States 26% 1430
5 Stanford University United States 5% 1495
6 University of Maryland – College Park United States 51% 1375
7 Purdue University United States 67% 1295
8 Beihang University China Enrolment 37,500
9 Delft University of Technology Netherlands 65% Enrollment

24,703

10 University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign United States 63% 1330
11 Pennsylvania State University United States 55% Enrollment

40,363

12 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University United States 66% 1270
13 University of Cambridge United States 21% Enrollment

22,500

14 Northwestern Polytechnical University China 47% Enrollment

29,000

15 Ohio State University United States 68% 1320
16 Tohoku University Japan 41% Enrollment

17,831

17 University of Texas at Austin United States 32% 1340
18 National University of Defense Technology China Enrollment

17,500

19 University of Colorado Boulder United States 84% 1240
20 University of Florida United States 31% 1375
21 Naval Postgraduate School United States Enrollment

2,866

22 University of Washington – Seattle United States 56% 1327
23 University of California United States 14% Enrollment

44,589

24 Cranfield University United Kingdom 68% Enrollment

4,500

25 University of Tokyo Japan 35% Enrollment

28,171

26 Princeton University United States 6% 1510
27 Harbin Institute of Technology China 45% Enrollment

45,000

28 Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics China 25% Enrollment

29,000

29 Cornell University United States 11% 1470
30 Texas A&M University – College Station United States 63% 1270
31 University of Southampton United Kingdom 84% Enrollment 21,335
32 United States Air Force Academy – Colorado Springs United States 13% 1325
33 University of California – Berkeley United States 17% 1420
34 University of Glasgow United Kingdom Enrollment

32,500

35 University of Minnesota – Twin Cities United States 70% 1350
36 Imperial College London United Kingdom 15% Enrollment

17,565

37 University of New South Wales Australia Enrollment

45,000

38 Tsinghua University China Enrollment

48,739

39 University of Stuttgart Germany 71% Enrollment

26,457

40 Johns Hopkins University United States 11% 1515
41 Iowa State University United States 88% 1160
42 Technical University of Denmark Denmark 45% Enrollment

7,500

43 University of Queensland Australia Enrollment

48,771

44 Indian Institute of Science India Enrollment

2,500

45 Old Dominion University United States 95% 1065
46 Air Force Institute of Technology – Graduate School of Engineering & Management United States 45% Enrollment

1,129

47 North Carolina State University at Raleigh United States     46%     1320
48 San Jose State University United States 67% 1125
49 Shanghai Jiao Tong University China Enrollment

47,000

50 Brigham Young University United States 69% 1305
51 University of Virginia United States 23% 1415
52 University of Sheffield United Kingdom 14% Enrollment

32,500

53 University of Notre Dame United States 19% 1475
54 Technical University of Madrid Spain Enrollment

37,500

55 Sapienza University of Rome Italy Enrollment

100,155

56 Arizona State University – Tempe United States 88% 1210
57 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute United States 57% 1400
58 Kyushu University Japan 42% 15,959
59 University of Sydney Australia 30% Enrollment

63,602

60 George Washington University United States 43% 1360
61 University of California – Davis United States 46% 1280
62 Technion – Israel Institute of Technology Israel Enrollment

12,500

63 Harvard University United States 5% 1520
64 Braunschweig University of Technology Germany     45% Enrollment

20,037

65 Polytechnic University of Milan Italy Enrollment

43,965

66 KTH Royal Institute of Technology Sweden 45% Enrollment

12,500

67 University of Cincinnati United States 76% 1225
68 University of Oxford United Kingdom 18% Enrollment

27,500

69 University of Alabama in Huntsville United States 77% 1300
70 Beijing Institute of Technology China Enrollment

27,000

71 University of Arizona United States 85% 1220
72 Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne Switzerland Enrollment

11,449

73 University of Pisa Italy 25% Enrollment

49,108

74 Utah State University United States 91% 1200
75 University of Southern California United States 16% 1435
76 University of Toronto Canada 43% Enrollment

95,055

77 Carnegie Mellon University United States 17% 1510
78 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Daytona Beach United States 61% 1225
79 RMIT University Australia Enrollment

45,000

80 University of Surrey United Kingdom 65% Enrollment

16,900

81 Technical University of Munich Germany 8% Enrollment

44,000

82 University of Texas – Arlington United States 88% 1150
83 Nanyang Technological University Singapore Enrollment

33,000

84 Missouri University of Science and Technology United States 81% 1314
85 Auburn University United States 85% 1240
86 Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich Switzerland 27% Enrollment

23,420

87 Australian National University Australia 35% Enrollment

22,500

88 Polytechnic University of Turin Italy Enrollment

32,500

89 California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo United States 38% 1315
90 Loughborough University United Kingdom 68% Enrollment

17,500

91 University of Wisconsin – Madison United States 57% 1360
92 KAIST South Korea Enrollment

10,249

93 RWTH Aachen University Germany 10% Enrollment

44,517

94 McGill University Canada 47% Enrollment

40,036

95 University of Alabama United States 80% 1200
96 University of Kansas United States 91% 1195
97 Federico II University – Naples Italy Enrollment

78,324

98 University of California – Irvine United States 30% 1330
99 University of Tennessee – Knoxville United States 78% 1222
100 University of Nottingham United Kingdom     11% Enrollment

32,500

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Closing

The best aerospace engineering universities in the world are spread all over the world. This is a good thing because it ensures that institutions maintain their competitive edge; it allows them to follow different approaches in their research, so as to drive humanity forward through the discovery of new ways of doing things.