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Aerospace at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's Degree · Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
60 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case)
60
Optimistic
60
Base Case
58
Pessimistic
Earnings $73,213/yr (0% vs median)
AI Risk High (41% exposed)
Job Market Medium (25,800 openings/yr)
ROI 3.8x earnings multiple
Ranked #51 of 57 Aerospace programs

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Aerospace graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $957K $934K $808K
Earnings Multiple 3.9x 3.8x 3.3x
Probability of Field Employment 85% 81% 61%
DegreeOutlook Score 60 60 58

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (Sticker)
$247,536
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$132,556
46% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$24,861
4.1 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$98,049
34% growth from Year 1

Program Analysis

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Aerospace program produces graduates earning $73,213/yr — within striking distance of the $73,060 national average for this field.

The 3.8x return on tuition is positive but not overwhelming. Financial outcomes depend on keeping costs close to in-state rates.

AI risk is moderate — 41% task exposure — and the 16% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $24,861 in median debt clears quickly against $73,213 in annual earnings.

At #51 out of 57 programs, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's financial outcomes for Aerospace trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

The five-year earnings trajectory from $73,213 to $98,049 shows 34% growth, reflecting steady but unremarkable salary progression.

About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's 58% acceptance rate reflects moderate selectivity, serving 5,909 students in Troy, NY. After financial aid, the average student pays $132,556 over four years — 46% below sticker price.

See all programs and financial aid at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute →

Top Career Paths

Architectural and engineering managers $167,740/yr
Aerospace engineers $134,830/yr
Engineering teachers, postsecondary $106,120/yr
View all 5 career paths with salary ranges and AI risk →

Compare & Explore

Compare this program → View all 57 schools offering Aerospace →

Aerospace at Other Schools

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($85,509) Case Western Reserve University ($83,639) University of Colorado Boulder ($81,835) University of Notre Dame ($81,057) The University of Texas at Austin ($81,022) University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ($80,225) Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus ($79,300) University of Southern California ($78,980)

Other Majors at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Computer Science ($104,943) Computer Engineering Technologies/Technicians ($94,722) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($85,172) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($83,412) Mathematics ($80,196) Chemical Engineering ($78,263) Nuclear Engineering ($77,014) Industrial Engineering ($74,787)

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Aerospace program score?
A score of 60/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute trails the majority of Aerospace programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.
How vulnerable is Aerospace to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Aerospace careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 41% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →