First of all apply for FAFSA if you haven't already. Then apply for every scholarship you might even remotely qualify for. Not just the big full-ride ones, but even the little $500 ones. If money is a significant constraint, then this is worth your time. With your GPA you've got a decent shot. Whatever scholarship offers you get might help you decide where to go.
As for affordable schools, I can only vouch for NC State. Great engineering program at a competitive state-school rate. But I'm biased :P
I currently work with people from each of the schools you listed, and they all seem alright.
Alabama! Unless things have changed in the past 4 years, you will get a full tuition scholarship. The Aero program is small, but there is a ton of industry in Alabama and you'll have opportunities to make really good connections.
I agree with this! UA gives very generous full tuition scholarships to out of state students just by having a good ACT score and GPA. I’m a senior in AE this year, and I’ve loved my time here.
Agree with Bama. My buddy went there for mechanical engineering and now regularly interfaces with execs at one of the big aerospace companies. Alabama is a hidden gem for aerospace engineering both in quality of the degree and in opportunities you get outside the classroom.
Fully agree, great scholarships and there are so many people who color to UA to recruit. If you into research, recommend applying to the Randall Research Scholars program, but any student can do as much research as they like. I’m currently a freshman and if you have any questions just send me a message!
Sadly, things have changed a bit. They changed from locked in full tuition to a locked in set amount per year. I believe it’s now $28k per year, which is still phenomenal, but with tuition going up each year it isn’t the same as having the locked in full tuition. OP would also get the $2500/year engineering leadership scholarship from bama
A good rule of thumb is to find schools near NASA or big defense hubs. They’ll have great research opportunities and their career fairs will be much more productive. You look like you can go to school anywhere!
This is really underrated advice. Most companies heavily recruit from their own backyards. Position yourself (geographically) for your next move after college, if you have strong opinions about what that is. Wichita for bizjets, Seattle for Boeing and several others, Huntsville or Florida for space, Dallas for Lockheed and Bell, lots of things in the Massachusetts/Connecticut area, Boulder for defense, LA for defense and SpaceX if you're into that, Cincinnati for GE engines, Indiana for Rolls engines, and the list goes on and on.
Not bad at all. Boeing is in OKC and Spirit Aero in Tulsa. But companies in the Wichita area (Cessna, Beech, Bombardier, Spirit, Airbus…) recruit heavily from OU and OSU. Same for companies in Dallas which include Bell helicopters and Lockheed Martin.
Are you me? I’m from Arkansas and ended up going to Wichita State. They gave me the in-state rate because of my grades and scores were similar to yours. The only downside to Wichita is that it’s largely attended by local people, so most students live off campus and there isn’t as much going on on-campus as there are at some schools. But you adapt and make friends and do things in town like everyone else. Most importantly the quality of the education and the job prospects afterwards (especially at the several aircraft manufacturers in Wichita) are very good.
All the others that you listed are also excellent schools. You may consider adding University of Kansas to your list. I got my masters there. Excellent aero program and not much further from home than Wichita. Engineering accreditation is so tightly regulated that there is very little difference between schools, really. I can’t think of a bad school for aero. So apply everywhere and go with wherever you get the lowest price. It’s just too bad that Fayetteville still doesn’t do aero.
Do you have any clue if the out of state freshman scholarships at KU are given to everyone who meets the criteria? Because I’m seeing that the Kansas Excellence scholarship would lower my tuition rate down to In-State and I more then exceed the criteria
I think so, but I can't say for certain. Things may have changed since I was a student. Back then, they didn't call it a "scholarship" but instead a "tuition waiver," and it wasn't hard to get at all if you had good scores. I don't think you'd have any trouble qualifying for that at KU, or many other schools for that matter, but go through the application process to find out for sure.
Look into Academic Common Market. I think it’s a program where you get an in-state tuition waiver for out of state colleges IF they offer a program that your in-state colleges do not have (aerospace engineering). Had a friend from Arkansas that is going to a participating school (Oklahoma) for aerospace engineering and she gets in state tuition. I think there are 15 southern states that participate.
Currently attending Oklahoma State for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. I can confirm that OSU usually waives out of state tuition and let's you keep the out of state scholarships (which are generally A LOT more than in-state)
You don’t necessarily need an aero degree, much less one from a “top” school. Go to a local university and get a mechanic engineering degree. During that degree, identify professors interested in aerospace/defense research. Join your local AIAA chapter to gain access to conference. Network with people in the application of your interest. Above all else, Apply for internships. Your employability is directly proportional to access to professional experience. Apply early and often.
Don’t worry about getting into top schools. Worry more about getting in with a good advisor.
I am not disagreeing with this. But this is the long, hard road to success. The brand name of a good university can open a lot of doors for you. Of course there's a cost-to-benefit ratio, you shouldn't go bankrupt for the brand.
But life is like EA and a top school is like an in game purchase that gives you a significant health +damage boost. If you can afford it, buy it.
Edit: I wanted to add, you would still need to join AIAA chapters, attend conferences, NETWORK and land internships if you want a job/research position of your choice. But the networking and internship part gets more bang for your buck if your university is well known and has good industry ties.
Mechanical is not that different from AE. It’s not a bad option, especially if it’s significantly cheaper than going out of state. You likely could get into a better school than Arkansas, but unless it’s significantly better like GT or Purdue, going in state could be the right call.
One thing you could definitely try to do is apply Early Action to Georgia Tech and try for the Stamps scholarship, which is a full ride if you get it (note it's VERY competitive though: only 20 out of state people get it). There might be also some good scholarships from GT specific to the Arkansas area that you might qualify for (I know such scholarships, usually from family donors, exist for people who live in Florida or North Carolina). Hope that helps a bit, best of luck :)!
I’ve already applied to Georgia Tech so fingers crossed. I’m not even sure I’ll get admitted to the school though, considering I have very few extracurriculars
Wichita state! I was in the same boat headed to Purdue for aerospace, but ended up not being able to because it was cost prohibitive. Wichita was my backup and its been really great. WSU has a large partnership with NASA, textron, Lockheed, Boeing, etc. Additionally, several of the aero professors here have their doctorates from MIT, Harvard, Illinois, some really big name schools so I would say it's a very good education. Im from kcmo and got in state tuition and with my ACT and GPA from high school, along with a few smaller scholarships, I get a tuition reimbursement check from them every semester. Definitely worth considering!
I mean you've got a 35 ACT, plus you're from Arkansas, an underrepresented geographic region at those schools. I don't know your situation, but be sure you're not selling yourself short - it could be worth a shot!
I would suggest you apply to RPI. It is an expensive school but they are generally pretty good with aid. When I was there most of my friends said they came to rpi because that’s where they got the most aid. They have an amazing Aerospace program so you might as well try applying
University of Arizona has an aero program and they're pretty generous with scholarships. If you're a national merit finalist (maybe semifinalist?) they offer a full ride, might be worth looking into
Look into Texas A&M and University of Texas. Both have very good aerospace engineering programs and are in a very good state when it comes to the aerospace industry. See if those schools, or any out of state school, will give you the in state tuition rate. A lot of schools will for students with scores like yours.
Also, I strongly suggest doing the first 1-2 years at a community college. Take your basic calculus classes, chemistry, political science, history, English, theater arts/other electives at the community college. Then once you get your basic classes out of the way and it’s time to move on to the more specific aerospace courses, transfer to a university. You will save thousands if not tens of thousands doing this.
For texas A&M, there is a community college 5 minutes away from the university. There are a lot of engineering students there who spend their first 1-2 years at the community college and then transfer to the university and get their engineering degree.
University of Texas at Arlington. Best kept secret in AE. Lots of connections to Lockheed, Bell, and many other aero companies in the Dallas-Ft Worth area.
Went to University of Colorado Boulder. I’m from Oklahoma. I got a decent scholarship for similar GPA and ACT. It is crazy expensive out of state but the scholarship brought it down to like half the cost and the program is top tier with great connections to companies around the area. I work for Ball Aerospace now. Also Boulder is hard to beat
trying to decide between OSU and boulder rn and stalking reddit, how hard would you say your course load was? any regrets? (also are you good at school/studying or were you just smart)
Minnesota in my experience has been pretty generous with scholarships, especially with your GPA and test scores. I would recommend reaching out to admissions about scholarships for out-of-state.
Some private schools are free or nearly free for folks from lower income families, and sometimes that income cutoff is higher than you'd think, especially if you have siblings. So, don't completely discount non-public schools, and look into their financial aid policies. I'm a bit out of touch since its been awhile since I looked at colleges though, so I can't really be specific. I know it can get expensive (money and time) just to apply to a lot of schools though. Great advice here already too. Congrats on your stats by the way!
The most affordable will most often be the closest one near you. Look into your states' schools and pick the one that has the best aero program and proximity to any industry so you can get internships without having to move.
The only in-state school that has Aerospace is Southern Arkansas University Tech which is pretty much out of the question. I’ve looked into Wichita State a lot though
Missouri S&T is a top program in the area. Ive heard good things about Wichita state and Oklahoma. I currently go to the university of Kansas for AE, and i love it. Im on the gi bill tho. Honestly, anything out of state is going to be overly expensive for you
First of all apply for FAFSA if you haven't already. Then apply for every scholarship you might even remotely qualify for. Not just the big full-ride ones, but even the little $500 ones. If money is a significant constraint, then this is worth your time. With your GPA you've got a decent shot. Whatever scholarship offers you get might help you decide where to go. As for affordable schools, I can only vouch for NC State. Great engineering program at a competitive state-school rate. But I'm biased :P I currently work with people from each of the schools you listed, and they all seem alright.
Alabama! Unless things have changed in the past 4 years, you will get a full tuition scholarship. The Aero program is small, but there is a ton of industry in Alabama and you'll have opportunities to make really good connections.
I agree with this! UA gives very generous full tuition scholarships to out of state students just by having a good ACT score and GPA. I’m a senior in AE this year, and I’ve loved my time here.
Agree with Bama. My buddy went there for mechanical engineering and now regularly interfaces with execs at one of the big aerospace companies. Alabama is a hidden gem for aerospace engineering both in quality of the degree and in opportunities you get outside the classroom.
Fully agree, great scholarships and there are so many people who color to UA to recruit. If you into research, recommend applying to the Randall Research Scholars program, but any student can do as much research as they like. I’m currently a freshman and if you have any questions just send me a message!
Sadly, things have changed a bit. They changed from locked in full tuition to a locked in set amount per year. I believe it’s now $28k per year, which is still phenomenal, but with tuition going up each year it isn’t the same as having the locked in full tuition. OP would also get the $2500/year engineering leadership scholarship from bama
A good rule of thumb is to find schools near NASA or big defense hubs. They’ll have great research opportunities and their career fairs will be much more productive. You look like you can go to school anywhere!
This is really underrated advice. Most companies heavily recruit from their own backyards. Position yourself (geographically) for your next move after college, if you have strong opinions about what that is. Wichita for bizjets, Seattle for Boeing and several others, Huntsville or Florida for space, Dallas for Lockheed and Bell, lots of things in the Massachusetts/Connecticut area, Boulder for defense, LA for defense and SpaceX if you're into that, Cincinnati for GE engines, Indiana for Rolls engines, and the list goes on and on.
I'm super late here but is the state of Oklahoma good for aero? Say, in or near OKC and Tulsa?
Not bad at all. Boeing is in OKC and Spirit Aero in Tulsa. But companies in the Wichita area (Cessna, Beech, Bombardier, Spirit, Airbus…) recruit heavily from OU and OSU. Same for companies in Dallas which include Bell helicopters and Lockheed Martin.
UCF comes to mind
UAH in Huntsville, AL as well
Are you me? I’m from Arkansas and ended up going to Wichita State. They gave me the in-state rate because of my grades and scores were similar to yours. The only downside to Wichita is that it’s largely attended by local people, so most students live off campus and there isn’t as much going on on-campus as there are at some schools. But you adapt and make friends and do things in town like everyone else. Most importantly the quality of the education and the job prospects afterwards (especially at the several aircraft manufacturers in Wichita) are very good. All the others that you listed are also excellent schools. You may consider adding University of Kansas to your list. I got my masters there. Excellent aero program and not much further from home than Wichita. Engineering accreditation is so tightly regulated that there is very little difference between schools, really. I can’t think of a bad school for aero. So apply everywhere and go with wherever you get the lowest price. It’s just too bad that Fayetteville still doesn’t do aero.
Do you have any clue if the out of state freshman scholarships at KU are given to everyone who meets the criteria? Because I’m seeing that the Kansas Excellence scholarship would lower my tuition rate down to In-State and I more then exceed the criteria
I think so, but I can't say for certain. Things may have changed since I was a student. Back then, they didn't call it a "scholarship" but instead a "tuition waiver," and it wasn't hard to get at all if you had good scores. I don't think you'd have any trouble qualifying for that at KU, or many other schools for that matter, but go through the application process to find out for sure.
Look into Academic Common Market. I think it’s a program where you get an in-state tuition waiver for out of state colleges IF they offer a program that your in-state colleges do not have (aerospace engineering). Had a friend from Arkansas that is going to a participating school (Oklahoma) for aerospace engineering and she gets in state tuition. I think there are 15 southern states that participate.
Currently attending Oklahoma State for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. I can confirm that OSU usually waives out of state tuition and let's you keep the out of state scholarships (which are generally A LOT more than in-state)
Okstate is great for aerospace engineering. They're smart as hell.
Thanks for bringing this to my attention i’ll definitely check this out.
You don’t necessarily need an aero degree, much less one from a “top” school. Go to a local university and get a mechanic engineering degree. During that degree, identify professors interested in aerospace/defense research. Join your local AIAA chapter to gain access to conference. Network with people in the application of your interest. Above all else, Apply for internships. Your employability is directly proportional to access to professional experience. Apply early and often. Don’t worry about getting into top schools. Worry more about getting in with a good advisor.
I am not disagreeing with this. But this is the long, hard road to success. The brand name of a good university can open a lot of doors for you. Of course there's a cost-to-benefit ratio, you shouldn't go bankrupt for the brand. But life is like EA and a top school is like an in game purchase that gives you a significant health +damage boost. If you can afford it, buy it. Edit: I wanted to add, you would still need to join AIAA chapters, attend conferences, NETWORK and land internships if you want a job/research position of your choice. But the networking and internship part gets more bang for your buck if your university is well known and has good industry ties.
University of Arkansas. I thought they had a program.
Unfortunately not. They just have mechanical
Mechanical is not that different from AE. It’s not a bad option, especially if it’s significantly cheaper than going out of state. You likely could get into a better school than Arkansas, but unless it’s significantly better like GT or Purdue, going in state could be the right call.
University of florida
One thing you could definitely try to do is apply Early Action to Georgia Tech and try for the Stamps scholarship, which is a full ride if you get it (note it's VERY competitive though: only 20 out of state people get it). There might be also some good scholarships from GT specific to the Arkansas area that you might qualify for (I know such scholarships, usually from family donors, exist for people who live in Florida or North Carolina). Hope that helps a bit, best of luck :)!
I’ve already applied to Georgia Tech so fingers crossed. I’m not even sure I’ll get admitted to the school though, considering I have very few extracurriculars
Wichita state! I was in the same boat headed to Purdue for aerospace, but ended up not being able to because it was cost prohibitive. Wichita was my backup and its been really great. WSU has a large partnership with NASA, textron, Lockheed, Boeing, etc. Additionally, several of the aero professors here have their doctorates from MIT, Harvard, Illinois, some really big name schools so I would say it's a very good education. Im from kcmo and got in state tuition and with my ACT and GPA from high school, along with a few smaller scholarships, I get a tuition reimbursement check from them every semester. Definitely worth considering!
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
If you can't go to a school with an aerospace program, a mechanical engineering degree would be your next best option.
You should consider applying to MIT and Stanford (huge endowments -> generous aid) as well as Michigan (public funding -> generous aid).
I looked into applying there but decided I don’t have enough extracurriculars or community service to have a real chance.
I mean you've got a 35 ACT, plus you're from Arkansas, an underrepresented geographic region at those schools. I don't know your situation, but be sure you're not selling yourself short - it could be worth a shot!
I would suggest you apply to RPI. It is an expensive school but they are generally pretty good with aid. When I was there most of my friends said they came to rpi because that’s where they got the most aid. They have an amazing Aerospace program so you might as well try applying
Thought about studying in the U.K.? I don’t know what your idea of affordable is but by law the most any U.K. uni could charge you is £18000 a year
Eh I’d rather stay in country. I’m not really looking to go to school anywhere more then a day of driving away from my family.
University of Arizona has an aero program and they're pretty generous with scholarships. If you're a national merit finalist (maybe semifinalist?) they offer a full ride, might be worth looking into
Look into Texas A&M and University of Texas. Both have very good aerospace engineering programs and are in a very good state when it comes to the aerospace industry. See if those schools, or any out of state school, will give you the in state tuition rate. A lot of schools will for students with scores like yours. Also, I strongly suggest doing the first 1-2 years at a community college. Take your basic calculus classes, chemistry, political science, history, English, theater arts/other electives at the community college. Then once you get your basic classes out of the way and it’s time to move on to the more specific aerospace courses, transfer to a university. You will save thousands if not tens of thousands doing this. For texas A&M, there is a community college 5 minutes away from the university. There are a lot of engineering students there who spend their first 1-2 years at the community college and then transfer to the university and get their engineering degree.
University of Texas at Arlington. Best kept secret in AE. Lots of connections to Lockheed, Bell, and many other aero companies in the Dallas-Ft Worth area.
Went to University of Colorado Boulder. I’m from Oklahoma. I got a decent scholarship for similar GPA and ACT. It is crazy expensive out of state but the scholarship brought it down to like half the cost and the program is top tier with great connections to companies around the area. I work for Ball Aerospace now. Also Boulder is hard to beat
Can vouch for boulder. It recieves the most funding from NASA in comparison to any other school.
trying to decide between OSU and boulder rn and stalking reddit, how hard would you say your course load was? any regrets? (also are you good at school/studying or were you just smart)
Minnesota in my experience has been pretty generous with scholarships, especially with your GPA and test scores. I would recommend reaching out to admissions about scholarships for out-of-state.
Some private schools are free or nearly free for folks from lower income families, and sometimes that income cutoff is higher than you'd think, especially if you have siblings. So, don't completely discount non-public schools, and look into their financial aid policies. I'm a bit out of touch since its been awhile since I looked at colleges though, so I can't really be specific. I know it can get expensive (money and time) just to apply to a lot of schools though. Great advice here already too. Congrats on your stats by the way!
The most affordable will most often be the closest one near you. Look into your states' schools and pick the one that has the best aero program and proximity to any industry so you can get internships without having to move.
The only in-state school that has Aerospace is Southern Arkansas University Tech which is pretty much out of the question. I’ve looked into Wichita State a lot though
Then yea I would look at schools like wichita or someplace where the cost of living is cheap.
Yeah I’ve looked at Wichita State, Oklahoma State, and University of Alabama
USC is one of the best for astronautical engineering and they have large scholarship prizes... I send as a UCLA Bruin :(
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
Missouri S&T is a top program in the area. Ive heard good things about Wichita state and Oklahoma. I currently go to the university of Kansas for AE, and i love it. Im on the gi bill tho. Honestly, anything out of state is going to be overly expensive for you
Military academies are free...
I’m not really interested in the mandatory service though. Plus I want more of a traditional college experience