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Aviation maintenance technician education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an aviation maintenance technician. Aviation maintenance technicians usually study aviation, automotive technology, or business. 37% of aviation maintenance technicians hold a associate degree, and 30% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,131 real aviation maintenance technician resumes to see exactly what aviation maintenance technician education sections show.
The most common colleges for aviation maintenance technicians are the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology and the Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology.
There are also many online aviation maintenance technician courses to help get the education required to be an aviation maintenance technician.
There are certain aviation maintenance technician certifications that you should consider. These aviation maintenance technician certifications include Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) and Avionics Electronics Technician (AVN).
What education do you need to become an aviation maintenance technician?
What degree do you need to be an aviation maintenance technician?
- Associate, 37%
- Bachelor's, 30%
- High School Diploma, 18%
- Diploma, 7%
- Other Degrees, 8%
What should I major in to become an aviation maintenance technician?
Most common colleges for aviation maintenance technicians
| Aviation maintenance technician common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology | 24.18% |
| University of Phoenix | 16.34% |
| The Art Institute of Pittsburgh | 7.84% |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach | 6.54% |
| DeVry University | 4.58% |
Best majors for aviation maintenance technicians
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviation | 44.1% |
| 2 | Automotive Technology | 10.3% |
| 3 | Business | 9.9% |
| 4 | Aerospace Engineering | 5.1% |
| 5 | General Studies | 3.9% |
Best colleges for aviation maintenance technicians
The best colleges for aviation maintenance technicians are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
An aviation maintenance technician 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 maintenance technicians. 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 maintenance technicians.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
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. Worldwide Campus
Daytona Beach, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$9,360
Enrollment
10,254
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$35,814
Enrollment
5,925
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$12,483
Enrollment
17,519
10. Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$27,124
Enrollment
2,035
20 best online courses for aviation maintenance technicians
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3. Maintenance Planning Basics
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9. Airline Operations: Flight Planning and Flight Dispatch
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10. Garnett Cross Training in the Maintenance of Oil Hydraulics
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12. Part 1 FAA Private Pilot Ground School (Part 61)
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14. Heat Exchangers: Design , Operation & Maintenance
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15. ComputerCavalry: Slow Computer Repair and PC Maintenance
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17. Refresher course of Safety Management Systems
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18. CMRP Exam Prep. Practice Quiz
Get prepped for the Certified Maintenance and Reliability Professional exam quickly using this practice quiz...
19. Flight Mechanics - From Theory to Certification of Aircraft
Modeling theory, aircraft 6DOF simulation, flight dynamics, flight simulators and aircraft certification...
20. Electrical Control & Protection Systems
This course introduces electrical control & protection systems which are a critical part of any electrical substation...
Top 10 most affordable universities for aviation maintenance technicians
The most affordable schools for aviation maintenance technicians are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for aviation maintenance technicians 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 maintenance technicians.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
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 aviation maintenance technicians
The hardest universities for aviation maintenance technicians to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for aviation maintenance technicians 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 maintenance technicians 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for aviation maintenance technicians
The easiest schools for aviation maintenance technicians to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and notre dame college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an aviation maintenance technician 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 maintenance technicians.
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. 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. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
6. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
7. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
8. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
9. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average aviation maintenance technician salary by education level
| Aviation maintenance technician education level | Aviation maintenance technician salary |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or Less | $49,939 |
Aviation maintenance technician education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025