Aviation Week has released results from its 2011 Workforce and Young Professionals/Student Study, a mainstay for aerospace and defense (A&D) planning and trend analysis since 1997. The study reviewed industry hiring and retirement rates and also ranked the top universities, with the Georgia Institute of Technology as the most preferred school for the aerospace & defense industry.

The key rationale provided for selection of universities focuses on the academic reputation of the institutions coupled with the success of previous hires from the school by the corporation. According to Aviation Week, "As a group, the top schools are following the path laid by the Carnegie Foundation's recent study, “Educating Engineers." These institutions are changing the traditional model of a curriculum of basic sciences, technical subjects and the humanities into a program that integrates hands-on application with theoretical knowledge."

This year's top schools, as identified by the Aviation Week Workforce Study, are implementing aggressive plans to align themselves and their students with industry. Georgia Tech, a consistent top school in the Aviation Week rankings for the past six years, was No. 2 on last year's list. Georgia Tech has a long track record in offering highly structured cooperative education and intern programs for engineers, placing 25% of its students in coop jobs with companies during the course of their studies.