Home Schools University of Michigan Aerospace Engineering
Engineering · Aerospace Engineering Rank #19 of 57

Aerospace Engineeringat University of Michigan-Ann Arbor

Graduates earn $80,225/yr in their first year — about 10.0% above the national Aerospace Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $1,076K; scenarios range from $915K to $1,107K depending on AI disruption.

Ann Arbor, MI Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
74 STRONG
75
Optimistic
71
Pessimistic
Earnings
$80,225
1-year post-graduation
ROI
15.4x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$1,076K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
High
47% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at University of Michigan

Your strong earnings potential from Michigan's aerospace program stems from its deeply embedded industry connections and a national reputation for producing top-tier engineering talent. Major defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing, alongside innovative space companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, actively recruit from Ann Arbor, valuing the program's rigorous curriculum and extensive research opportunities. This robust pipeline, extending beyond traditional aerospace into advanced manufacturing and R&D, underpins your career trajectory. While the data flags a high AI risk, this signifies an evolving landscape, not a diminishing one; you'll be entering a field increasingly leveraging AI for design and simulation. Therefore, focus on developing critical problem-solving skills and interdisciplinary knowledge that enable you to effectively manage and innovate with these powerful new tools.

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
$915K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score71/100
Earnings Multiple13.3x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$1,076K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score74/100
Earnings Multiple15.6x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$1,107K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score75/100
Earnings Multiple16.1x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to University of Michigan'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 Michigan 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
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
76
DW Score
$79K
1-yr earn
20.7x
ROI
University of Southern California
CA · Private nonprofit
63
DW Score
$79K
1-yr earn
3.2x
ROI
Also at University of Michigan

Other top programs at University of Michigan

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

FAQ

Frequently asked about Aerospace Engineering at University of Michigan

What does a 74/100 DegreeOutlook Score mean for Aerospace Engineering at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor?

At 74/100, this is a high-performing program. The DegreeOutlook Score combines earnings, AI resilience, and ROI — and this program delivers on all three.

Should I worry about AI if I study Aerospace Engineering at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor?

The 41% AI task exposure score is above average. Our model shows this affecting job availability more than salaries — graduates may face stiffer competition for fewer positions.