The Best Aeronautical Colleges

California Institute of Technology

• The top aeronautics program in the nation, according to "U.S. News & World Report," is at the California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) in Pasadena, California. In 2010, Cal Tech tied with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for the No. 1 spot in the "U.S. News" rankings. Offering both a master of science and the doctor of philosophy in the field of aeronautics, Cal Tech's program is well-known for its cutting-edge research. In addition to its aeronautics program, Cal Tech sponsors an aerospace engineering program within the same department. The aeronautics programs are interdisciplinary in nature and focus primarily on propulsion, fluid mechanics, materials, solid mechanics and structures. These emphases also carry over into the aerospace engineering program. Further emphasis is also offered in biological fluid dynamics.

  California Institute of Technology
  1200 E. California Blvd.
  Pasadena, CA 91125-4400
  626-395-6346
  caltech.edu

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Also considered a top-rated program and sitting atop the rankings with Cal Tech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT's) department of aeronautics and astronautics leads the way in important aeronautics research. MIT's established reputation in the engineering sciences makes it a logical choice for potential aeronautics students. Like the program at Cal Tech, MIT's aeronautics division works closely with the aerospace division within the same department. MIT offers bachelor's degrees in aerospace engineering and aerospace engineering with information technology. Master of science degrees are offered in multiple fields of study, including technology management and technology and policy. Doctoral degees include the Ph.D. and the Doctor of Science (Sc.D.). Interdisciplinary options are offered in biomedical engineering (the application of aerospace disciplines to medicine and biology) and flight transportation.

  Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  School of Engineering
  77 Massachusetts Ave., Room 1-206
  Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
  617-253-2917
  mit.edu/admissions/graduate

Stanford University

• The division of astronautics and aeronautics at Stanford University ranked third in the 2010 "U.S. News & World Report" rankings. Like the Cal Tech and MIT programs, Stanford allows for an interdisciplinary approach to research in the field of aeronautics and aerospace engineering. Stanford offers five primary areas of emphasis within its program: sustainable aviation, computational-based design, structural health monitoring, control and navigation and space systems. Research within these broader divisions delves into fields such as aero fluid mechanics, unsteady flow physics and aeroacoustics, hybrid systems, aircraft aerodynamics and design and space and systems development.

  Stanford University
  Terman Engineering Center
  Room 214 Stanford, CA 94305-4027
  650-723-4291
  soe.stanford.edu