To investigate the differences in the major aroma components between medium- and late-maturing Yantai apple cultivars, headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed . The apple cultivars and their aroma components were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA). The results showed that 59 aroma compounds were identified from 11 apple cultivars, and 21 of these were common to all apple cultivars. Among the common aroma components, acetate esters, butyrate esters, hexanoate esters, hexanal (including 2-hexenal), and some higher alcohols showed higher concentrations. The PCA results indicated that the comprehensive scores of Yang Guang and Dan Xia apples were the highest, while that of the Extremely Precocious Fuji apple was the lowest. The comprehensive score ranking reflected the differences of the major aroma components between the apple cultivars. The CA results showed that 11 apple cultivars could be classified into four clusters. Yantai Fuji 3, Dou Nan, Gan Hong, Extremely Precocious Fuji, Pinova, Yantai Fuji 1, and Best Short Fuji were classified into a cluster; Dan Xia and Yang Guang were classified into a cluster; and Liang Xiang and Hua Shuai were classified into two clusters. Through an effective combination of PCA and CA, the aroma characteristics of four apple cultivars (Dan Xia, Yang Guang, Liang Xiang, and Hua Shuai) were more prominent, providing a basis for parent selection in future apple breeding.