Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering at University of California-Irvine

UC Irvine's aerospace engineering program starts graduates nearly $5,000 below the national median—a significant gap in a field where early earnings typically run strong. While the program ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally, its position looks less alarming within California's competitive aerospace market, where it lands near the middle of the pack. Still, graduates trail peers from Cal Poly SLO by $18,000 and even nearby Cal State Pomona by $11,000 in first-year earnings, raising questions about whether UCI's brand advantage materializes in this particular field.

The debt picture offers genuine relief: at $18,950, graduates carry about $6,000 less than California's median for aerospace programs and significantly below the national benchmark. This creates a manageable 0.28 debt-to-earnings ratio, and the 31% earnings growth to $88,000 by year four shows the program does lead somewhere. That trajectory suggests the lower starting salary reflects market timing rather than fundamental preparation gaps.

For families, this boils down to whether UCI's selectivity and campus experience justify a middle-tier outcome in aerospace earnings. If your student has admission offers from Cal Poly or the Cal State Polys—schools with stronger industry placement in this field—the earnings data suggests those might deliver better return on investment. The low debt keeps this program viable, but it's not the obvious choice for aerospace specifically.