Home Schools University of Kansas Aerospace Engineering
Engineering · Aerospace Engineering Rank #48 of 57

Aerospace Engineeringat University of Kansas

Graduates earn $71,244/yr in their first year — about 2.0% below the national Aerospace Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $754K; scenarios range from $672K to $768K depending on AI disruption.

Lawrence, KS Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
60 SOLID
60
Optimistic
58
Pessimistic
Earnings
$71,244
1-year post-graduation
ROI
14.2x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$754K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
47% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Kansas

University of Kansas's Aerospace Engineering program produces graduates earning $71,244/yr — within striking distance of the $73,060 national average for this field.

The 16.1x earnings multiple means ten-year projected earnings exceed tuition cost by an order of magnitude. By pure financial math, this is a standout.

AI risk is moderate — 41% task exposure — and the 12% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.

Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $25,000 in median debt clears quickly against $71,244 in annual earnings.

At #48 out of 57 programs, University of Kansas's financial outcomes for Aerospace Engineering trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$672K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score58/100
Earnings Multiple14.4x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$754K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple16.1x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$768K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score60/100
Earnings Multiple16.4x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Kansas's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Aerospace Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Aerospace engineers
+6.1% 10-yr growth · 4,500 openings/yr
$134,830/yr
High
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Avionics technicians
+8.2% 10-yr growth · 1,800 openings/yr
$81,390/yr
Low
5
Aerospace engineering and operations technologists and technicians
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 900 openings/yr
$79,830/yr
Moderate
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Aerospace Engineering

How University of Kansas stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
77
DW Score
$86K
1-yr earn
24.4x
ROI
University of Notre Dame
IN · Private nonprofit
61
DW Score
$81K
1-yr earn
2.9x
ROI
The University of Texas at Austin
TX · Public
76
DW Score
$81K
1-yr earn
20.5x
ROI
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
MI · Public
74
DW Score
$80K
1-yr earn
15.4x
ROI
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
76
DW Score
$79K
1-yr earn
20.7x
ROI
Also at University of Kansas

Other top programs at University of Kansas

Other highest-scoring programs offered at University of Kansas, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Aerospace Engineering at University of Kansas

How does University of Kansas's Aerospace Engineering program score?

A score of 60/100 reflects decent absolute metrics, but University of Kansas trails the majority of Aerospace Engineering programs on relative rankings. Context matters more than the raw number.

How vulnerable is Aerospace Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Aerospace Engineering 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.