Corporate pilot education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a corporate pilot. Corporate pilots usually study aviation, business, or aerospace engineering. 71% of corporate pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 363 real corporate pilot resumes to see exactly what corporate pilot education sections show.

The most common colleges for corporate pilots are the Louisiana Tech University and the Louisiana Tech University.

There are also many online corporate pilot courses to help get the education required to be a corporate pilot.

There are certain corporate pilot certifications that you should consider. These corporate pilot certifications include Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).

What education do you need to become a corporate pilot?

What degree do you need to be a corporate pilot?

The most common degree for corporate pilots is bachelor's degree, with 71% of corporate pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 7%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 7%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a corporate pilot?

You should major in aviation to become a corporate pilot. 43% of corporate pilots major in aviation. Other common majors for a corporate pilot include business and aerospace engineering.

Aviation, 43%

Business, 15%

Aerospace Engineering, 12%

Criminal Justice, 3%

Other Majors, 27%

Most common colleges for corporate pilots

Corporate pilots often get their degrees at Louisiana Tech University, University of North Dakota, and University of Central Missouri. Here are the most common colleges for corporate pilots in the US based on their resumes.

Corporate pilot common college	Percentages
Louisiana Tech University	7.41%
University of North Dakota	7.41%
University of Central Missouri	7.41%
Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology	7.41%
Kent State University	7.41%

Show more common corporate pilot colleges

Best majors for corporate pilots

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aviation	42.7%
2	Business	14.6%
3	Aerospace Engineering	12.1%
4	Criminal Justice	3.0%
5	Management	2.5%

Show more common corporate pilot majors

Best colleges for corporate pilots

The best colleges for corporate pilots are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A corporate 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 corporate 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 corporate pilots.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

5. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

7. Arizona State University

Tempe, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$10,822

Enrollment

42,529

8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Worcester, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,530

Enrollment

4,571

9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

20 best online courses for corporate pilots

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Top 10 most affordable universities for corporate pilots

The most affordable schools for corporate pilots are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for corporate 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 corporate pilots.

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. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for corporate pilots

The hardest universities for corporate pilots to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for corporate 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 corporate 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,415

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 corporate pilots

The easiest schools for corporate pilots to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a corporate 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 corporate pilots.

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Capitol Technology University

Laurel, MD • Private

Admissions rate

69%

SAT average

1,070

7. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

8. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

9. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

10. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

Average corporate pilot salary by education level

According to our data, corporate pilots with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $91,464 annually. Corporate pilots with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $88,706.

Corporate pilot education level	Corporate pilot salary
Master's Degree	$91,464
Bachelor's Degree	$88,706

Corporate pilot education FAQs

What is the best college for Corporate Pilots?

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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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