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Airline dispatcher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an airline dispatcher. Airline dispatchers usually study aviation, business, or education. 52% of airline dispatchers hold a bachelor's degree, and 38% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 45 real airline dispatcher resumes to see exactly what airline dispatcher education sections show.
The most common colleges for airline dispatchers are the Oklahoma State University and the Oklahoma State University.
There are also many online airline dispatcher courses to help get the education required to be an airline dispatcher.
What education do you need to become an airline dispatcher?
What degree do you need to be an airline dispatcher?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 38%
- Diploma, 5%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an airline dispatcher?
- Aviation, 31%
- Business, 8%
- Education, 8%
- Accounting, 8%
- Other Majors, 45%
Most common colleges for airline dispatchers
| Airline dispatcher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Oklahoma State University | 18.75% |
| University of Central Missouri | 6.25% |
| Miami Dade College | 6.25% |
| Henderson State University | 6.25% |
| DeVry University | 6.25% |
Best majors for airline dispatchers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviation | 30.8% |
| 2 | Business | 7.7% |
| 3 | Education | 7.7% |
| 4 | Accounting | 7.7% |
| 5 | Automotive Technology | 7.7% |
Best colleges for airline dispatchers
The best colleges for airline dispatchers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
An airline dispatcher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for airline dispatchers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become airline dispatchers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
4. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
5. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
6. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
7. University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$8,580
Enrollment
10,482
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
10. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$45,542
Enrollment
14,159
20 best online courses for airline dispatchers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for airline dispatchers
The most affordable schools for airline dispatchers are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for airline dispatchers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for airline dispatchers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
10. York College of the City University of New York
Jamaica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,158
Cost of attendance
14,204
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for airline dispatchers
The hardest universities for airline dispatchers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Some great schools for airline dispatchers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for airline dispatchers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
10. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for airline dispatchers
The easiest schools for airline dispatchers to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an airline dispatcher without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for airline dispatchers.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,031
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
Average airline dispatcher salary by education level
| Airline dispatcher education level | Airline dispatcher salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $39,260 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,677 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $48,231 |
Airline dispatcher education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025