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Fighter pilot education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a fighter pilot. Fighter pilots usually study aerospace engineering, business, or history. 86% of fighter pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 101 real fighter pilot resumes to see exactly what fighter pilot education sections show.
The most common colleges for fighter pilots are the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Air Force Academy.
There are also many online fighter pilot courses to help get the education required to be a fighter pilot.
What education do you need to become a fighter pilot?
What degree do you need to be a fighter pilot?
- Bachelor's, 86%
- Master's, 11%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a fighter pilot?
Most common colleges for fighter pilots
| Fighter pilot common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| United States Air Force Academy | 31.43% |
| Central Washington University | 5.71% |
| Norwich University | 5.71% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.71% |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach | 5.71% |
Best majors for fighter pilots
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aerospace Engineering | 14.9% |
| 2 | Business | 13.4% |
| 3 | History | 7.5% |
| 4 | Aviation | 7.5% |
| 5 | Electrical Engineering | 7.5% |
Best colleges for fighter pilots
The best colleges for fighter pilots are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
A fighter 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 fighter 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 fighter pilots.
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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
5. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
6. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
7. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon
Bayamon, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$5,940
Enrollment
4,169
8. Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$3,926
Enrollment
9,835
9. Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mankato, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$8,184
Enrollment
11,675
10. Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ • Private
In-state tuition
$10,822
Enrollment
42,529
20 best online courses for fighter pilots
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Top 10 most affordable universities for fighter pilots
The most affordable schools for fighter pilots are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for fighter 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 fighter pilots.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez
Mayaguez, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
14,302
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for fighter pilots
The hardest universities for fighter pilots to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for fighter 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 fighter 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
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
7. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
8. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for fighter pilots
The easiest schools for fighter pilots to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, oregon institute of technology, and capitol technology university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a fighter 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 fighter pilots.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
3. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
4. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
8. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
9. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)
Lemont Furnace, PA • Private
Admissions rate
80%
SAT average
1,067
10. Pennsylvania State University - DuBois
DuBois, PA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,079
Average fighter pilot salary by education level
| Fighter pilot education level | Fighter pilot salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $105,836 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $103,056 |
Fighter pilot education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025