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Airplane pilot education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an airplane pilot. Airplane pilots usually study business, aviation, or aerospace engineering. 62% of airplane pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 34 real airplane pilot resumes to see exactly what airplane pilot education sections show.
The most common colleges for airplane pilots are the Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo and the Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo.
There are also many online airplane pilot courses to help get the education required to be an airplane pilot.
What education do you need to become an airplane pilot?
What degree do you need to be an airplane pilot?
- Bachelor's, 62%
- Master's, 19%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Associate, 10%
What should I major in to become an airplane pilot?
- Business, 22%
- Aviation, 13%
- Management, 4%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for airplane pilots
| Airplane pilot common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico Arecibo | 7.69% |
| Northwest Missouri State University | 7.69% |
| University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus | 7.69% |
| George Mason University | 7.69% |
| Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon | 7.69% |
Best majors for airplane pilots
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 21.7% |
| 2 | Aviation | 13.0% |
| 3 | Aerospace Engineering | 8.7% |
| 4 | Management | 4.3% |
| 5 | Computer Applications | 4.3% |
Best colleges for airplane pilots
The best colleges for airplane pilots are Saint Louis University, Purdue University, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
An airplane pilot with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for airplane pilots. 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 airplane pilots.
1. University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH • Private
In-state tuition
$11,000
Enrollment
25,973
2. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
3. Montana State University - Bozeman
Bozeman, MT • Private
In-state tuition
$7,277
Enrollment
14,566
4. Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$22,584
Enrollment
45,370
5. University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$8,580
Enrollment
10,482
6. Eastern New Mexico University
Portales, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$6,326
Enrollment
3,347
7. University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$6,657
Enrollment
4,657
8. Baker College
Owosso, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$9,800
Enrollment
8,319
9. Utah State University
Logan, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$8,138
Enrollment
21,658
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for airplane pilots
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16. Aerospace Engineering: Aircraft Systems and Avionics
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17. Safety Management System for Civil Aviation (SMS)
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18. Become a master drone pilot in 2 weeks and start a business
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20. Customer Service Basics: Improve your Service now
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Top 10 most affordable universities for airplane pilots
The most affordable schools for airplane pilots are SUNY Farmingdale, brigham young university - idaho, and california state university - los angeles.
If the best universities for airplane pilots 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 airplane pilots.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
In-state tuition
$4,118
Cost of attendance
12,223
3. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
4. Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,194
Cost of attendance
14,934
5. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College
Tifton, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$3,503
Cost of attendance
12,843
6. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
7. University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK • Private
In-state tuition
$6,657
Cost of attendance
18,510
8. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla
Aguadilla, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,902
Cost of attendance
13,284
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Cost of attendance
13,508
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for airplane pilots
The hardest universities for airplane pilots to get into are Saint Louis University, Purdue University, and Rochester Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for airplane pilots 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 airplane pilots 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. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
2. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
3. Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
66%
SAT average
1,319
4. Baylor University
Waco, TX • Private
Admissions rate
39%
SAT average
1,307
5. Louisiana Tech University
Ruston, LA • Private
Admissions rate
63%
SAT average
1,219
6. University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, OH • Private
Admissions rate
73%
SAT average
1,269
7. Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,133
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,091
9. Florida Institute of Technology
Melbourne, FL • Private
Admissions rate
65%
SAT average
1,264
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
Admissions rate
37%
SAT average
1,289
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for airplane pilots
The easiest schools for airplane pilots to get into are Bridgewater State University, saint cloud state university, and metropolitan state university of denver.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an airplane pilot 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 airplane pilots.
1. Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,073
2. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
3. Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,016
4. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
Admissions rate
46%
SAT average
1,091
5. Westminster College
Salt Lake City, UT • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,185
6. Salem State University
Salem, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,065
7. Averett University
Danville, VA • Private
Admissions rate
61%
SAT average
953
8. University of Alaska Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK • Private
Admissions rate
76%
SAT average
1,128
9. Brigham Young University - Idaho
Rexburg, ID • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,140
10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Carbondale, IL • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,124
Average airplane pilot salary by education level
| Airplane pilot education level | Airplane pilot salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $107,110 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $104,306 |
Airplane pilot education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025