Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

RPI's aerospace engineering graduates start at $73,213—slightly above the national median but not dramatically so. More concerning is where this program sits relative to its $90,000 annual price tag: at the 60th percentile among New York's four aerospace programs, it trails only Clarkson by a small margin while charging significantly more than SUNY Buffalo. The 15% earnings growth to $84,061 by year four is solid but unremarkable for engineering.

The $25,000 median debt figure looks manageable on paper, yielding a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.34. But that relatively modest debt burden likely reflects RPI's high concentration of students from affluent families (only 19% receive Pell grants) rather than affordable pricing. Many families are likely covering costs through current income or other resources, meaning the total financial commitment far exceeds what the debt numbers suggest.

For a school with a 1415 average SAT and strong engineering reputation, these outcomes feel middling. You're paying near-Ivy prices for mid-pack aerospace results—earnings that barely edge out the national median. Unless your child has substantial merit aid or specific reasons to choose Troy over alternatives, this represents a steep premium for outcomes that don't clearly justify the investment. Buffalo offers comparable aerospace outcomes at a fraction of the cost for New York residents.