Bachelor's · Chicago, Illinois
Is Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology worth it?
Low confidence Low confidence: fewer than 40 graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 2.4 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $88,616
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $119,180
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $24,687
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $97k (likely $95k – $133k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $81k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in IL
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 2.4 years (likely 1.8–3.2)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $466k (likely $292k – $675k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $1.40M (likely $1.01M – $1.87M)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 71%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Change income, residency or loans Compare Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering at other schools
🏗️ Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward engineering & architecture majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Calculus AB or BC
- AP Physics 1
- AP Physics C: Mechanics
- AP Chemistry
IB Higher Level
- Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL
- Physics HL
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Illinois Institute of Technology
- Design and Applied Arts (Master's)$144,324
- Computer Science (Master's)$131,511
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$129,201
- Computer Science (Bachelor's)$120,953
- Human Computer Interaction (Master's)$120,689
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$119,075
- Psychology, General (Doctoral)$115,482
- Computer Engineering (Bachelor's)$114,930
- Law (First professional)$111,515
- Chemical Engineering (Master's)$111,149
- Mechanical Engineering (Master's)$101,412
- Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's)$98,743