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COLLEGE + DEGREE OUTCOMES

Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering bachelor's degree at Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN · Public

What this page covers

Federal data group related majors at the same college and degree level. One record can include several named programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to similar programs.

$875 below the national median for the same field and degree level.

Debt as a share of earnings
22.1% of annual earnings
Highest price with a positive payoff
$85,830 / year
Modeled 10-year payoff
+120% · Strong payoff
Available price data
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$97,332 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+36%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$71,989 → $97,947
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
54Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
167Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
$58,088Awarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
1Recent awardsIPEDS 2024–25 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

501Students receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
145Federal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
93Pell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
281Federal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
56Graduates not recorded as employedHistorical federal cohort, three years after completion
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$35,051Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$97,332$62,281 above the preliminary benchmark

Additional borrowing reported for this category: 57 Parent PLUS borrowers.

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student. Completion and employment measures use older cohorts shown above and are not combined into the payoff estimate.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$14,600

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$21,500

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$97,332

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$228/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

Enter my price →
AVERAGE NET PRICE$14,600Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$24,591Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE49.9%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE83.1%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$71,989Year 1
$97,332Year 4
$97,947Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

2.8% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$8,111
Estimated loan payment$228
167borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$97,332 vs. $98,207

$875 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Architectural and Engineering Managers$155,810 median wageIN estimate · 4,610 jobs · 11-9041$127,360–$178,280 middle 50% of IN wages+5.5% projected U.S. growth · 14,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeAerospace Engineers$107,400 median wageIN estimate · 440 jobs · 17-2011$85,080–$135,450 middle 50% of IN wages+8.3% projected U.S. growth · 3,800 openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$106,010 median wageIN estimate · 1,500 jobs · 25-1032$83,570–$139,380 middle 50% of IN wages+7.8% projected U.S. growth · 3,900 openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeAvionics Technicians$76,770 median wageIN estimate · 60 jobs · 49-2091$65,310–$77,240 middle 50% of IN wages+9.4% projected U.S. growth · 1,700 openings/yrTypical entry: Postsecondary nondegree awardAerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians$62,520 median wageIN estimate · 480 jobs · 17-3021$58,150–$74,600 middle 50% of IN wages+11.9% projected U.S. growth · 1,100 openings/yrTypical entry: Associate's degree
CENSUS EMPLOYMENT DESTINATIONS

Where graduates work five years later

The leading industries employing graduates in this college, broad field and credential group.

01

Manufacturing

about 38.2%
02

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

about 26.8%
03

Wholesale Trade

about 6.7%
04

Construction

about 5.6%
05

Management of Companies and Enterprises

about 4.3%

How to read this: This is an observed industry mix, not a list of job titles or proof that every graduate worked in the field studied. Counts and shares are approximate because Census privacy protections add statistical noise.

Coverage is limited to institutions and states participating in the Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes program. These figures do not affect DegreeVerdict ROI calculations.

Download the official Census source file →
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Notre Dame, IN

University of Notre Dame

$5,690 higher earnings

Earnings
$103,022
Debt
$24,000
Annual net price
$26,780
View outcomes →
Los Angeles, CA

University of California, Los Angeles

$18,374 higher earnings · $2,500 less debt · $2,052 lower annual net price

Earnings
$115,706
Debt
$19,000
Annual net price
$12,548
View outcomes →
Seattle, WA

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

$14,017 higher earnings · $9,500 less debt · $509 lower annual net price

Earnings
$111,349
Debt
$12,000
Annual net price
$14,091
View outcomes →
Irvine, CA

University of California, Irvine

$3,205 higher earnings · $2,550 less debt · $349 lower annual net price

Earnings
$100,537
Debt
$18,950
Annual net price
$14,251
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

54 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →