University of Salford • Salford
Aeronautics beside the North West aerospace cluster — the UK’s largest concentration of aircraft manufacturing, twenty minutes from campus.
Our take
The North West builds Britain’s aircraft — the region hosts the UK’s largest aerospace manufacturing concentration, from wing plants to defence primes and their supplier web — and Salford’s aeronautical BEng trains inside its commuting orbit. That geography converts directly: placement years, graduate schemes and the sponsored engineering roles the sector runs on all recruit locally. Salford’s band opens at £16,000 with Greater Manchester’s reasonable living costs, and the discipline’s standing economics apply — aerospace engineering sponsors heavily, pays above the graduate median, and rewards the named specialism over generic engineering.
| Duration | 3 years full-time (BEng); placement and MEng progression options typically available |
| Intake | September |
| Accreditation | Professional-accreditation pathways toward Incorporated/Chartered Engineer status — confirm the current position with us |
| Tuition | Within Salford’s 2026/27 international undergraduate band of £16,000–£22,140; exact fee confirmed in your offer. The £5,500 deposit is deducted from tuition. |
Where this leads: An accredited-pathway engineering degree. Chartership follows through professional review; the North West’s aerospace employers sponsor internationals readily.
September entry via UCAS for engineering.
Why Salford
The UK’s aircraft-building heartland — wings, defence platforms and the supplier web — recruits within commuting range of campus.
A band from £16,000 makes Salford the lowest-opening aerospace-family degree on our list.
The second city’s living costs and student life sit ten minutes away — three years that stay affordable and liveable.
Aerospace engineering sits among the most Skilled-Worker-sponsored occupations — the visa-durable specialism.
What you study
Entry requirements
English language
Salford expects a formal English test from most international applicants. Salford's published exemptions are narrow: qualifications from majority English-speaking countries and a short list of named institutions (for example, certain Malaysian colleges, with a letter confirming teaching and assessment in English). For Pakistani, Indian and UAE qualifications an approved test is normally required. Nigerian applicants are the useful exception — WAEC or NECO English at grade C6 or above usually removes the need for a separate test at bachelor's and master's level.
Also accepted: PTE Academic 59 overall (minimum 59 in each skill), Oxford ELLT 6 (for courses asking IELTS 6.0), LanguageCert Academic SELT, WAEC/NECO English C6+ (Nigerian applicants, degree-level courses). Pre-sessional English is available if you fall short.
Careers
Your country
Salford publishes clear Pakistan requirements and has a recruitment advisor based in-country. Undergraduate entry typically needs HSSC at 75% or above (FA Humanities is not accepted); students below that can route through the International Foundation Year with HSSC or DAE at around 50-60%. For master's entry, a 4-year bachelor at 2.5/4.0 CGPA or 55% is the usual benchmark, a 3-year honours degree needs around 3.0/4.0 or 75%, and a 2-year bachelor plus 2-year master combination needs around 60%. Plan for IELTS 6.0 (5.5 per band) or PTE — an MOI letter will not normally replace a test.
Full guide for PakistanSalford sets Standard XII requirements by board: typically 70% for CBSE and CISCE, 60% for West Bengal, and 75% for other state boards (roughly BBC-ABB equivalent). For taught master's courses the benchmark is a three- or four-year bachelor degree at around 55% (or 5.8 CGPA); applicants slightly below may still be considered with relevant work experience. The university has regional representatives based in Mumbai, and strong grades qualify automatically for the Gold or Silver Excellence Scholarships.
Full guide for IndiaNigeria is one of Salford's better-served markets. WAEC or NECO English at grade C6 or above usually means no separate English test for bachelor's or master's study — a genuine cost saver. Master's entry typically needs a 4-year bachelor degree at second class lower (2:2) or above from a recognised Nigerian university; undergraduate applicants are considered with an OND, HND, recognised foundation or year one of a Nigerian degree. Salford has an in-country advisor and, given naira volatility, suggests the super priority visa service once your CAS is issued.
Full guide for NigeriaSalford does not publish a dedicated UAE requirements page, so treat this as a guide: students with A Levels, IB or strong CBSE grades from UAE schools are typically considered for direct undergraduate entry, while those with the UAE secondary school certificate usually route through the International Foundation Year first. For master's courses a recognised bachelor degree at a good standard (typically a 2:2 equivalent or above) is usually required. The January intake in business, engineering and construction suits Gulf-based professionals who miss September — ask us to pre-check your documents at /contact/.
Full guide for the UAEFAQ
The UK’s largest concentration of aerospace manufacturing — commercial wing production, defence aircraft programmes and hundreds of suppliers across Lancashire and Greater Manchester. For an aeronautics student it means placements and graduate employers recruit from your doorstep.
Largely naming: aeronautical traditionally emphasises aircraft within the atmosphere, aerospace adds spacecraft. Curricula overlap heavily and employers treat the titles as siblings — our compare band links the Brighton and Hertfordshire aerospace pages for the family view.
Fees sit in the £16,000–£22,140 band for 2026/27 — the family’s lowest opening price — with the exact figure in your offer, the £5,500 deposit deducted, and Salford rents below central Manchester’s.
Some require UK security clearance that internationals rarely hold early — we flag this honestly. The commercial side (wings, MRO, suppliers) hires and sponsors internationals routinely, which is where we point most clients first.
Fees, entry requirements, English-language policies and intake dates are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown, but universities review them every cycle and immigration rules change. Always treat figures as a guide — we confirm the exact, current requirements with the university before you apply. Facts on this page last checked July 2026.
Intakes shown are for this course specifically; Salford runs other intakes for other programmes — see the full Salford profile.
Free consultation
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