First officer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a first officer. First officers usually study aviation, business, or aerospace engineering. 71% of first officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 2,071 real first officer resumes to see exactly what first officer education sections show.

The most common colleges for first officers are the University of North Dakota and the University of North Dakota.

There are also many online first officer courses to help get the education required to be a first officer.

What education do you need to become a first officer?

What degree do you need to be a first officer?

The most common degree for first officers is bachelor's degree, with 71% of first officers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 71%

Associate, 14%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a first officer?

You should major in aviation to become a first officer. 45% of first officers major in aviation. Other common majors for a first officer include business and aerospace engineering.

Aviation, 45%

Business, 14%

Aerospace Engineering, 9%

Criminal Justice, 3%

Other Majors, 29%

Most common colleges for first officers

First officers often get their degrees at University of North Dakota, Purdue University, and Western Michigan University. Here are the most common colleges for first officers in the US based on their resumes.

First officer common college	Percentages
University of North Dakota	11.52%
Purdue University	8.29%
Western Michigan University	8.29%
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach	7.83%
Utah Valley University	6.45%

Show more common first officer colleges

Best majors for first officers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aviation	44.9%
2	Business	14.4%
3	Aerospace Engineering	9.3%
4	Criminal Justice	3.2%
5	Psychology	3.1%

Show more common first officer majors

Best colleges for first officers

The best colleges for first officers are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A first officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for first officers. 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 first officers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

5. University of Minnesota - Crookston

Crookston, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$11,822

Enrollment

1,834

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

8. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

9. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

10. Arizona State University at the Polytechnic Campus

Mesa, AZ • Private

In-state tuition

$9,840

Enrollment

4,495

20 best online courses for first officers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for first officers

The most affordable schools for first officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and california state university - los angeles.

If the best universities for first officers 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 first officers.

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 - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

8. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

10. York College of the City University of New York

Jamaica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,158

Cost of attendance

14,204

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for first officers

The hardest universities for first officers to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for first officers 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 first officers 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 Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for first officers

The easiest schools for first officers 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 a first officer 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 first officers.

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. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

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. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average first officer salary by education level

First officers with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $98,709 annually. With a Doctorate degree, first officers earn a median annual income of $96,267 compared to $91,726 for first officers with an Bachelor's degree.

First officer education level	First officer salary
Master's Degree	$98,709
High School Diploma or Less	$76,490
Bachelor's Degree	$91,726
Doctorate Degree	$96,267
Some College/ Associate Degree	$85,648

First officer education FAQs

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Search for first officer jobs

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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