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Aerospace Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public · Bachelor's Degree · Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
74 /100
DegreeOutlook Score (Base Case) — assumes in-state tuition
74
Optimistic
74
Base Case
71
Pessimistic
Earnings $75,859/yr (4% vs median)
AI Risk High (41% exposed)
Job Market Medium (25,800 openings/yr)
ROI 16.4x earnings multiple (7.6x out-of-state)
Ranked #18 of 57 Aerospace programs Top 50%

How AI Changes the Outlook

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

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $1,082K $1,052K $897K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 16.9x 16.4x 14.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 7.8x 7.6x 6.5x
Probability of Field Employment 85% 81% 61%
DegreeOutlook Score 74 74 71

10-Year Earnings Projection

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

4-Year Tuition, In-State (Sticker)
$64,016
Out-of-state: $138,004 (7.6x ROI)
4-Year Net Price (After Aid)
$60,804
5% less than sticker · See by income
Median Debt at Graduation
$23,888
3.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$109,503
44% growth from Year 1

About University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

With a 44% acceptance rate, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is moderately selective, with 34,623 students enrolled in Champaign, IL.

See all programs and financial aid at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign →

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 Engineering →

Aerospace Engineering at Other Schools

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ($85,509) 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) University of Maryland-College Park ($78,631) California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ($78,320)

Other Majors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Computer Science ($124,530) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($113,503) Mathematics and Computer Science ($109,843) Computer Engineering ($103,123) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($86,483) Systems Engineering ($81,785) Nuclear Engineering ($81,134) Mechanical Engineering ($80,187)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Aerospace Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
This program scores 74/100 — placing it among the stronger programs for Aerospace Engineering nationally. The score reflects above-average earnings, manageable AI risk, and solid financial return.
Will AI replace Aerospace Engineering careers?
With 41% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $897,136 in decade earnings vs $1,082,246 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.
Scores use College Scorecard earnings, BLS employment projections, and AI task-exposure research. See full methodology →