Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at San Jose State University

San Jose State's aerospace engineering program comes with estimated debt around $22,000—roughly 20% below the national median for this major—paired with first-year earnings that peer California programs typically produce of about $72,000. That 0.31 debt-to-earnings ratio suggests manageable financial pressure, with graduates needing roughly four months of gross income to cover their educational borrowing.

The trajectory looks stronger by year four, when actual reported earnings hit $99,511, placing this program competitively despite an 80% admission rate that makes it more accessible than many California alternatives. While similar programs at Cal Poly SLO command higher starting salaries around $85,000, San Jose State's location in the heart of Silicon Valley—where aerospace overlaps with tech, defense, and emerging space companies—offers geographic advantages that salary figures alone don't capture. The 35% Pell grant rate indicates this pathway serves economically diverse students without pricing them out.

The uncertainty here is real: we're estimating early earnings from other California aerospace programs because this cohort was too small to report separately. But the four-year earnings are actual data, and they show graduates reaching six figures relatively quickly. For families weighing cost against opportunity, the combination of modest debt, strong mid-career numbers, and an accessible admission process makes this a defensible choice—particularly if staying in the Bay Area matters for internships and eventual employment.