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Aviation engineer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an aviation engineer. Aviation engineers usually study mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, or business. 56% of aviation engineers hold a bachelor's degree, and 23% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 52 real aviation engineer resumes to see exactly what aviation engineer education sections show.
The most common colleges for aviation engineers are the Auburn University Main Campus and the Auburn University Main Campus.
There are also many online aviation engineer courses to help get the education required to be an aviation engineer.
What education do you need to become an aviation engineer?
What degree do you need to be an aviation engineer?
- Bachelor's, 56%
- Associate, 23%
- Master's, 13%
- Diploma, 3%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become an aviation engineer?
- Business, 11%
- Other Majors, 48%
Most common colleges for aviation engineers
| Aviation engineer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Auburn University Main Campus | 9.52% |
| Western Washington University | 4.76% |
| Syracuse University | 4.76% |
| New York University | 4.76% |
| University of Florida | 4.76% |
Best majors for aviation engineers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mechanical Engineering | 18.9% |
| 2 | Electrical Engineering | 13.5% |
| 3 | Business | 10.8% |
| 4 | Civil Engineering | 8.1% |
| 5 | Civil Engineering Technologies | 5.4% |
Best colleges for aviation engineers
The best colleges for aviation engineers are Johns Hopkins University, California Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
An aviation engineer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for aviation engineers. 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 aviation engineers.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
8. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
9. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
10. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
20 best online courses for aviation engineers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for aviation engineers
The most affordable schools for aviation engineers are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and florida state university.
If the best universities for aviation engineers 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 aviation engineers.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
4. California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,353
Cost of attendance
21,302
5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
6. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,368
Cost of attendance
21,034
9. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for aviation engineers
The hardest universities for aviation engineers to get into are Johns Hopkins University, California Institute of Technology, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Some great schools for aviation engineers 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 aviation engineers 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
2. California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,566
3. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for aviation engineers
The easiest schools for aviation engineers to get into are Oregon Institute of Technology, capitol technology university, and south dakota state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an aviation engineer 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 aviation engineers.
1. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
2. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
3. South Dakota State University
Brookings, SD • Private
Admissions rate
92%
SAT average
1,149
4. Alabama A & M University
Normal, AL • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
957
5. Cleveland State University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,111
6. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
7. Pennsylvania State University - Altoona
Altoona, PA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,094
8. California State University - Chico
Chico, CA • Private
Admissions rate
65%
SAT average
1,092
9. Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,080
10. Washington State University
Pullman, WA • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,123
Average aviation engineer salary by education level
| Aviation engineer education level | Aviation engineer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $103,436 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $92,993 |
| Doctorate Degree | $109,879 |
Aviation engineer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025