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Airline manager education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an airline manager. Airline managers usually study business, hospitality management, or journalism. 46% of airline managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 21% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 56 real airline manager resumes to see exactly what airline manager education sections show.
The most common colleges for airline managers are the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
There are also many online airline manager courses to help get the education required to be an airline manager.
What education do you need to become an airline manager?
What degree do you need to be an airline manager?
- Bachelor's, 46%
- Associate, 21%
- High School Diploma, 13%
- Master's, 13%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become an airline manager?
- Business, 26%
- Journalism, 6%
- Accounting, 6%
- Other Majors, 53%
Most common colleges for airline managers
| Airline manager common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Michigan - Ann Arbor | 10.00% |
| Michigan State University | 10.00% |
| Bryn Mawr College | 5.00% |
| Western Washington University | 5.00% |
| Florida Institute of Technology | 5.00% |
Best majors for airline managers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 26.5% |
| 2 | Hospitality Management | 8.8% |
| 3 | Journalism | 5.9% |
| 4 | Accounting | 5.9% |
| 5 | Aviation | 5.9% |
Best colleges for airline managers
The best colleges for airline managers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
An airline manager 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 managers. 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 managers.
1. University of Minnesota - Crookston
Crookston, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$11,822
Enrollment
1,834
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,105
Enrollment
13,729
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
8. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
20 best online courses for airline managers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for airline managers
The most affordable schools for airline managers are SUNY Farmingdale, usf sarasota-manatee, and florida state university.
If the best universities for airline managers 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 managers.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
6. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
7. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
10. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for airline managers
The hardest universities for airline managers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for airline managers 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 managers 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
9. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
10. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for airline managers
The easiest schools for airline managers to get into are University of North Texas at Dallas, oklahoma wesleyan university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an airline manager 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 managers.
1. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
3. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
4. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
5. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
8. Cleary University
Howell, MI • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,039
9. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
10. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
Average airline manager salary by education level
| Airline manager education level | Airline manager salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $93,303 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $65,936 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $78,643 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $68,509 |
Airline manager education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common executive management questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025