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# Best Astronautical Engineering Programs in the South (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Engineering Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-south/)

Regional list from [Best Astronautical Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-astronautical-engineering-programs/)

This page ranks the 21 Astronautical Engineering programs in the South by the median earnings of Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing. [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $106,633 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $106,633 to $55,338, with a median of $94,375.

Public institutions account for 18 of the 21 programs, alongside 3 private nonprofit schools. University of Florida posts the lowest average net price on the page at $6,541.

The University of Texas at Arlington ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

21 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $106,633 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
|  | [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, reporting [median earnings of $106,633](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $104,422 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Austin](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/majors/) posts an [admission rate of 27%](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/admissions/) and median earnings of $104,422 for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | Auburn University · Auburn, AL | $102,756 | $24,323 | $16,681 | 45.9% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $21,000](/school/auburn-university/outcomes/) in federal loans at [Auburn University](/school/auburn-university/majors/), where Astronautical Engineering completers earn a median of $102,756 four years after completing. |
| 4 | Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA | $102,415 | $12,116 | $7,666 | 14.1% |
|  | [Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/majors/) [admits 14% of applicants](/school/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus/admissions/) and reports median earnings of $102,415 for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 5 | The University of Texas at Arlington · Arlington, TX | $99,239 | $13,951 | $11,893 | 79.9% |
|  | [The University of Texas at Arlington](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/majors/) [ranks 8th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/the-university-of-texas-at-arlington/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Astronautical Engineering graduates earn a median of $99,239 four years after completing. |
| 6 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $98,044 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
|  | [University of Maryland-College Park](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/majors/) reports [median earnings of $98,044](/school/university-of-maryland-college-park/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $15,678. |
| 7 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $97,227 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
|  | [Texas A&M University-College Station](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) [ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Astronautical Engineering graduates earn a median of $97,227 four years after completing. |
| 8 | Florida Institute of Technology · Melbourne, FL | $97,015 | $35,639 | $29,108 | 57.7% |
|  | A private nonprofit university in Melbourne, [Florida Institute of Technology](/school/florida-institute-of-technology/majors/) reports [median earnings of $97,015](/school/florida-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 9 | University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL | $96,972 | $10,411 | $5,816 | 40.1% |
|  | [University of Central Florida](/school/university-of-central-florida/majors/) reports [median earnings of $96,972](/school/university-of-central-florida/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $10,411. |
| 10 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $94,750 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
|  | [West Virginia University](/school/west-virginia-university/majors/) [admits 89% of applicants](/school/west-virginia-university/admissions/), and its Astronautical Engineering graduates earn a median of $94,750 four years after completing. |
| 11 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $94,375 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
|  | [University of Florida](/school/university-of-florida/majors/) reports [median earnings of $94,375](/school/university-of-florida/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing, and an average net price of $6,541. |
| 12 | The University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL | $91,999 | $22,420 | $19,169 | 76.7% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a [median of $22,750](/school/the-university-of-alabama/outcomes/) in federal loans at [The University of Alabama](/school/the-university-of-alabama/majors/), where Astronautical Engineering completers earn a median of $91,999 four years after completing. |
| 13 | Oklahoma State University-Main Campus · Stillwater, OK | $91,249 | $17,447 | $12,243 | 75.0% |
|  | [Oklahoma State University-Main Campus](/school/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [median earnings of $91,249](/school/oklahoma-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,243 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 14 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC | $89,932 | $17,303 | $6,382 | 41.7% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/majors/) left with a [median of $20,121](/school/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh/outcomes/) in federal loans, and the school ranks 99th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 15 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $89,714 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
|  | [University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus](/school/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus/majors/) [admits 77% of applicants](/school/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus/admissions/) and shows median earnings of $89,714 for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing. |
| 16 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $89,015 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
|  | Ranking 16th on this list, [The University of Tennessee-Knoxville](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/majors/) posts an [average net price of $18,976](/school/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville/cost/) and a 54-graduate earnings cohort for Astronautical Engineering. |
| 17 | Mississippi State University · Mississippi State, MS | $88,444 | $17,595 | $14,332 | 77.6% |
|  | [Mississippi State University](/school/mississippi-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $88,444](/school/mississippi-state-university/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a school-wide median federal debt of $22,142 across all borrowers who completed. |
| 18 | University of Alabama in Huntsville · Huntsville, AL | $87,339 | $18,796 | $16,192 | 68.6% |
|  | With an [admission rate of 69%](/school/university-of-alabama-in-huntsville/admissions/), [University of Alabama in Huntsville](/school/university-of-alabama-in-huntsville/majors/) ranks 249th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports 121 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 19 | University of Virginia-Main Campus · Charlottesville, VA | $85,681 | $21,565 | $8,174 | 16.8% |
|  | [University of Virginia-Main Campus](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/majors/), a public university in Charlottesville, shows [median earnings of $85,681](/school/university-of-virginia-main-campus/outcomes/) for its Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $8,174 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 20 | University of Miami · Coral Gables, FL | $71,015 | $37,244 | $15,978 | 18.9% |
|  | An [average net price of $37,244](/school/university-of-miami/cost/) coincides with median earnings of $71,015 for Astronautical Engineering graduates at [University of Miami](/school/university-of-miami/majors/) four years after completing. |
| 21 | Tuskegee University · Tuskegee, AL | $55,338 | $35,013 | $34,324 | 48.7% |
|  | Ranking 21st on this list, Tuskegee University posts an average net price of $34,324 for families earning under $30,000 and an 8-graduate earnings cohort. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Astronautical Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the South appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled. For 2 of the 21 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University to the bottom of the list is $51,295.

## Job market context in the South

Graduates of Astronautical Engineering programs in the South enter a labor market that links to occupations such as Aerospace Engineers and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. The median annual wage across those occupations is $126,437, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $94,674. Projections for 2024 to 2034 show about 8,170 openings a year, or about 373 openings a year for every hundred graduates, which means more projected openings than graduates. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 9.2% higher. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of program graduates four years after completing, which is a different measure from the occupational wage figures described here.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Astronautical Engineering Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-astronautical-engineering-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-south/)
-   [Top Astronautical Engineering Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-astronautical-engineering-programs-in-the-midwest/)
-   [Best Astronautical Engineering Programs in the Northeast](/rankings/best-astronautical-engineering-programs-in-the-northeast/)
-   [Best Astronautical Engineering Programs in the West](/rankings/best-astronautical-engineering-programs-in-the-west/)
-   [Best Engineering Colleges in the South](/rankings/best-engineering-colleges-in-the-south/)