Best Universities for Aerospace Engineering in the UK 2027
Northumbria University tops our 2027 aerospace engineering rankings, scoring well across sustainability, academic support, student satisfaction and social life. University of Sheffield is the first Russell Group university to appear, in third place, while Swansea University holds second. We ranked 30 UK universities across eight metrics including graduate earnings, teaching quality, safety, cost of living and sustainability.
Aerospace engineering graduates earn between £28,000 and £37,000 within six months of graduating, a tighter spread than most engineering disciplines. University of Southampton produces the highest earners at £37,000 but sits 9th overall, held back by lower sustainability and cost of living scores. Where you go does not just affect your starting salary. It shapes three years of your life.
To see how these universities compare outside this subject, check the Unifresher best universities overall ranking and our best universities for employability.
Aerospace Engineering University Rankings 2027
| # | University | Grad Earnings | Satisfaction | Teaching Quality | Academic Support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northumbria University, Newcastle Newcastle upon Tyne |
£31,000 | 74% | 86% | 94% | 242 |
| 2 | Swansea University Swansea |
£30,000 | 79% | 91% | 84% | 112 |
| 3 | University of Sheffield Sheffield |
£33,500 | 75% | 87% | 92% | 101 |
| 4 | University of South Wales Pontypridd |
£28,000 | 72% | 89% | 90% | 98 |
| 5 | University of Liverpool Liverpool |
£30,500 | 71% | 86% | 90% | 97 |
| 5 | University of Brighton Brighton |
£30,000 | 72% | 98% | 95% | 97 |
| 6 | University of Leeds Leeds |
£32,000 | 74% | 88% | 80% | 95 |
| 7 | Nottingham Trent University Nottingham |
£30,500 | 76% | 81% | 90% | 92 |
| 7 | Newcastle University Newcastle upon Tyne |
£31,000 | 75% | 82% | 85% | 92 |
| 7 | University of Surrey Guildford |
£35,000 | 78% | 91% | 89% | 92 |
| 7 | University of Bath Bath |
£33,000 | 80% | 92% | 83% | 92 |
| 8 | Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield |
£28,000 | 73% | 83% | 87% | 87 |
| 9 | University of Southampton Southampton |
£37,000 | 76% | 89% | 86% | 84 |
| 10 | University of Bristol Bristol |
£34,000 | 73% | 73% | 73% | 83 |
| 10 | Kingston University Kingston upon Thames |
£32,000 | 71% | 85% | 92% | 83 |
| 11 | Coventry University Coventry |
£30,000 | 72% | 83% | 90% | 82 |
| 11 | University of Nottingham Nottingham |
£33,000 | 74% | 86% | 88% | 82 |
| 12 | Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh |
£32,000 | 75% | 85% | 91% | 78 |
| 13 | University of the West of England, Bristol Bristol |
£31,500 | 74% | 48% | 48% | 76 |
| 14 | University of Hertfordshire Hertfordshire |
£30,000 | 71% | 80% | 85% | 73 |
| 15 | University of Leicester Leicester |
£30,000 | 73% | 81% | 83% | 70 |
| 16 | University of Manchester Manchester |
£32,500 | 70% | 75% | 67% | 69 |
| 17 | University of Glasgow Glasgow |
£33,000 | 75% | 76% | 74% | 67 |
| 18 | University of Birmingham Birmingham |
£32,000 | 72% | 78% | 86% | 64 |
| 19 | Teesside University Middlesbrough |
£30,000 | 78% | 88% | 82% | 63 |
| 20 | Brunel University London Uxbridge |
£31,000 | 68% | 83% | 58% | 55 |
| 21 | University of Central Lancashire Preston |
£31,000 | 71% | 71% | 81% | 51 |
| 21 | Queen Mary University of London London |
£29,000 | 69% | 77% | 75% | 51 |
| 22 | University of Wolverhampton Wolverhampton |
£30,000 | 71% | 83% | 75% | 46 |
| 23 | City St George's, University of London London |
£30,000 | 67% | 73% | 75% | 30 |
What the ranking tells you about studying aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is one of the most technically demanding undergraduate degrees in the UK. Only 30 universities offer it, and programmes differ significantly in industry focus, placement opportunities and accreditation. This ranking scores all 30 across eight metrics: graduate earnings, teaching quality, student satisfaction, academic support, safety, cost of living, social life and sustainability. It does not just measure academic prestige.
Why Northumbria leads and what it means
Northumbria University wins on a combination of safety, sustainability, academic support (94%) and strong graduate earnings of £31,000. It is not a name that dominates traditional aerospace league tables, which typically weight research output and entry tariffs heavily. Northumbria ranks strongly because it delivers a good overall student experience alongside solid course outcomes. Its aerospace and mechanical engineering programmes have well-established industry links with the defence and aviation sectors in the North East.
The Russell Group picture in aerospace engineering
Sheffield (3rd, £33,500 graduate earnings) is the first Russell Group university in this ranking. University of Bath, Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Leeds all appear in the top 30 but none break into the top five. Bath ties for 7th with a strong teaching score (92%) but its cost of living rank is the second-lowest in the dataset (index 82 — expensive). Southampton produces the highest-earning graduates at £37,000 but sits 9th overall because its sustainability score and cost-of-living index pull it down. Manchester ranks 16th despite strong graduate earnings of £32,500, held back by the lowest student satisfaction in this cohort and below-average teaching scores.
University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) ranks 13th overall with reasonable earnings (£31,500) and strong sustainability (68.9 — 2nd highest in the dataset). However, its teaching quality score and academic support rating for aerospace engineering are both 48%, the lowest in this ranking by a significant margin. The city and social life are strong. The course-specific teaching scores are not. This is an important distinction for applicants considering the Bristol area.
Brighton as a value option in aerospace
University of Brighton ties for 5th with 97 points and stands out for course-specific metrics: it has the highest teaching quality score in the entire ranking at 98%, and the second-highest academic support score at 95%. Graduate earnings are £30,000, which is mid-table for aerospace. Brighton's cost of living score is lower than many southern-England alternatives, and its social life score is above average. For students who prioritise teaching experience over institutional brand, it is the strongest course-quality option in this dataset.
For a broader view of how individual universities perform across all subjects, see the Unifresher overall best universities ranking. For data on graduate employment specifically, see the employability ranking.
