Airline pilot/first officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an airline pilot/first officer. Airline pilot/first officers usually study aviation, management, or biology. 67% of airline pilot/first officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 31 real airline pilot/first officer resumes to see exactly what airline pilot/first officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for airline pilot/first officers are the Pacific Union College and the Pacific Union College.

There are also many online airline pilot/first officer courses to help get the education required to be an airline pilot/first officer.

What education do you need to become an airline pilot/first officer?

What degree do you need to be an airline pilot/first officer?

The most common degree for airline pilot/first officers is bachelor's degree, with 67% of airline pilot/first officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 19% and associate degree degree at 10%.

Bachelor's, 67%

Associate, 19%

Master's, 10%

Doctorate, 5%

What should I major in to become an airline pilot/first officer?

You should major in aviation to become an airline pilot/first officer. 32% of airline pilot/first officers major in aviation. Other common majors for an airline pilot/first officer include management and biology.

Aviation, 32%

Management, 14%

Biology, 9%

Mechanical Engineering, 9%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for airline pilot/first officers

Airline pilot/first officers often get their degrees at Pacific Union College, Western Washington University, and University of Maryland - College Park. Here are the most common colleges for airline pilot/first officers in the US based on their resumes.

Airline pilot/first officer common college	Percentages
Pacific Union College	15.38%
Western Washington University	7.69%
University of Maryland - College Park	7.69%
Michigan State University College of Law	7.69%
Utah Valley University	7.69%

Show more common airline pilot/first officer colleges

Best majors for airline pilot/first officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aviation	31.8%
2	Management	13.6%
3	Biology	9.1%
4	Mechanical Engineering	9.1%
5	Public Administration	4.5%

Show more common airline pilot/first officer majors

Best colleges for airline pilot/first officers

The best colleges for airline pilot/first officers are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

An airline pilot/first officer 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 pilot/first officers. 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 pilot/first officers.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

8. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

20 best online courses for airline pilot/first officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for airline pilot/first officers

The most affordable schools for airline pilot/first officers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for airline pilot/first officers 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 pilot/first officers.

1. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

2. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

10. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for airline pilot/first officers

The hardest universities for airline pilot/first officers to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for airline pilot/first officers 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 pilot/first officers 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

5. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

10. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

Admissions rate

23%

SAT average

1,434

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for airline pilot/first officers

The easiest schools for airline pilot/first officers to get into are Barry University, mount saint mary's university, and nyack college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an airline pilot/first officer 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 pilot/first officers.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

3. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

6. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

7. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

8. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Camden

Camden, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,086

9. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average airline pilot/first officer salary by education level

According to our data, airline pilot/first officers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $97,920 annually. Airline pilot/first officers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $95,682.

Airline pilot/first officer education level	Airline pilot/first officer salary
Master's Degree	$97,920
Bachelor's Degree	$95,682

Airline pilot/first officer education FAQs

What is the best college for Airline Pilot/First Officers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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