How We Calculated the Tuition Order
We included five U.S. online aerospace or aeronautics-and-astronautics engineering master’s degrees with an official credit requirement and a publicly posted online tuition rate. We multiplied minimum required credits by that rate, without transfer credit, aid, military discounts, or future increases. Purdue uses its nonresident rate. Alabama and Missouri S&T explicitly identify 2026–27 rates; the other figures are the current posted rates checked September 17, 2026. This is a lowest-to-highest tuition comparison within this researched sample, not an exhaustive national cheapest-degree claim. Required fees and personal costs are separate and can change the final order.
Read our program comparison methodology for sourcing and editorial standards.
Published Tuition Baselines and Additional Charges
| Program | Credits × Rate | Calculated Tuition | Additional Cost to Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 30 × $480 | $14,400 | Course and in-person proctoring fees |
| Auburn | 30 × $949 | $28,470 | Domestic application $60; graduation $40 |
| Missouri S&T | 30 × $950 | $28,500 | Miner Book Bundle charge and book choices |
| Illinois Urbana-Champaign | 32 × $1,195 | $38,240 | Confirm fees for the online cohort |
| Purdue, Nonresident | 30 × $1,459 | $43,770 | Confirm the full bursar estimate |
Lowest Tuition in This Comparison
1. The University of Alabama
MS in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics
- 30 Credits
- Calculated Tuition: $14,400
- 2026–27 Rate: $480 per Credit
Alabama offers thesis and non-thesis routes. The non-thesis curriculum combines mechanics and mathematics core study with approved electives and a culminating requirement. Lectures are delivered online, but exams require live, in-person proctoring at arranged locations.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Working engineers who want a comparatively low tuition baseline and can arrange local exam supervision should investigate this program first.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The $14,400 calculation excludes course and proctoring charges. Confirm every required fee, the proctor location, and any prerequisite study. Applicants without an aerospace, mechanical, or civil engineering bachelor’s may need specified calculus-based mechanics courses.
Read The University of Alabama’s MS in Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics Details →Streaming Courses With Space Electives
2. Auburn University
MS in Aerospace Engineering
- 30 Credits Minimum
- Calculated Tuition: $28,470
- Same Rate for Residents and Nonresidents
Auburn posts $949 per credit for its online engineering tuition. Online students normally choose the non-thesis option; thesis study needs special departmental permission. The program lists advanced aerospace coursework such as orbital mechanics, propulsion, and dynamic simulation.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Students with an aerospace or mechanical background who want to combine advanced engineering study with available space-focused electives should compare Auburn’s current online schedule.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The published domestic application and graduation fees add $100, producing a $28,570 tuition-plus-those-fees subtotal. Confirm other course-specific expenses. The $30 tuition difference from Missouri S&T is too small to decide between them without comparing the full bill.
Read Auburn University’s MS in Aerospace Engineering Details →Asynchronous Non-Thesis Study
3. Missouri University of Science and Technology
MS in Aerospace Engineering
- 30 Credits Minimum
- Calculated Tuition: $28,500
- 2026–27 Aerospace Rate: $950 per Credit
Missouri S&T lists an asynchronous online program with a 30-credit non-thesis route and no campus visits. Aerospace engineering is specifically included in the $950 online tuition category, rather than the higher general graduate-online rate.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Students seeking advanced aerospace coursework alongside employment can compare the semester-based schedule and advisor-approved plan.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The tuition page adds a Miner Book Bundle charge. Review its applicable charge and current participation rules alongside your book purchases. Confirm the aerospace-specific curriculum with an advisor, as the lower section of the program page also includes mechanical-engineering wording.
Read Missouri University of Science and Technology’s MS in Aerospace Engineering Details →Breadth Across Aerospace Disciplines
4. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
MS in Aerospace Engineering
- 32 Credits
- Calculated Tuition: $38,240
- Published Online Rate: $1,195 per Credit
Illinois describes its online MS as a non-thesis, non-research program. Students take breadth courses across fluid mechanics, solid mechanics and materials, and dynamics and controls, plus mathematics. Electives can support a deeper aerospace specialty.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Engineers who want a defined breadth requirement before specializing may find this structure useful, particularly when comparing it with a program organized around one major focus.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
Use 32 credits in the budget, not the 30-credit assumption common to the other entries. The Illinois Online cost table gives the same $38,240 estimate; confirm your full fee assessment and elective availability before enrollment.
Read University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s MS in Aerospace Engineering Details →A Major Focus With Supporting Study
5. Purdue University
MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics
- 30 Credits
- Nonresident Tuition Calculation: $43,770
- Indiana-Resident Calculation: $34,170
Purdue’s online plan uses ten courses: four in a major area, two in a secondary area, two in mathematics, and two technical electives. Available focus areas include propulsion, structures, autonomy, and astrodynamics.
Who Should Consider This Program?
Applicants who already know which technical specialty they want to deepen should compare the course rotation and faculty advising for that focus.
What Should You Check Before Applying?
The displayed ranking uses $1,459 per credit for nonresidents. The posted Indiana-resident rate of $1,139 produces $34,170 for 30 credits and would change the order. Confirm residency classification and the bursar’s complete charges.
Read Purdue University’s MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics Details →Turn the Tuition Baseline Into a Personal Budget
Create separate lines for tuition, required program fees, course charges, books, exam supervision, application, and graduation. Then add travel and any reduction in paid work. Do not add a book-bundle charge and the same covered books twice. Ask the school which charges are optional and which depend on the selected courses.
Keep the tuition calculation reproducible. For Alabama, 30 multiplied by $480 equals $14,400. For Illinois, 32 multiplied by $1,195 equals $38,240. Neither calculation predicts future tuition increases or includes an extra prerequisite course.
A Lower Rate Helps Only If the Courses Fit
List the courses needed for your intended specialty and ask when the online sections will run. An elective may appear in the catalog without appearing online in your preferred semester. Confirm whether a substitution is permitted and whether it changes the technical focus you want.
Plan the degree around your work calendar and employer-reimbursement rules. If reimbursement is paid after a passing grade, you still need to cover the initial bill. Ask about the maximum approved transfer credit before paying for a nondegree course.
Choose Aerospace Depth or Systems Integration
Aerospace degree titles can include very different course plans. Propulsion, structures, controls, and mission-level integration are all relevant to space work, but they develop different strengths. Our space systems engineering versus aerospace engineering guide compares the underlying curriculum decisions.
For a broader set of degree types and levels, start with the space studies program rankings. This page keeps its cost comparison to the named online engineering master’s degrees above.
Questions About Graduate Aerospace Tuition Comparison
Are These Total Degree Costs?
No. They are calculated tuition baselines. The table and program cards separate known additional charges, including Alabama proctoring and course fees, Auburn application and graduation fees, and Missouri S&T’s book-bundle charge.
Which Program Has the Lowest Published Tuition Here?
Alabama has the lowest tuition baseline in this five-program sample: 30 credits at $480 equals $14,400. That does not establish the lowest total cost among every U.S. program.
Does Online Mean No In-Person Requirements?
Check the exact program. Alabama requires live, in-person exam proctoring at arranged locations even though no campus visit is required. Missouri S&T describes its program as online with no campus visits.
Official Sources and Review Date
Program and policy sources checked September 17, 2026.