Flight attendant education requirements

Q: How long is flight attendant school?

Flight attendant school lasts around ten weeks at most schools in the United States. You do not need a traditional college education to become a flight attendant. You do not need a specific degree to be a flight attendant. Most airlines only require a high school diploma or GED for the role. However, a few airlines prefer candidates that have taken college-level courses or have an associate's or bachelor's degree.

Q: How much is flight attendant school?

Flight attendant school costs an average of anywhere between $3,500 to $5,000 to complete. However, there are flight attendant schools that can cost as little as $1,000, and as much as $25,000.

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a flight attendant. Flight attendants usually study business, psychology, or communication. 56% of flight attendants hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 19,013 real flight attendant resumes to see exactly what flight attendant education sections show.

The most common colleges for flight attendants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online flight attendant courses to help get the education required to be a flight attendant.

There are certain flight attendant certifications that you should consider. These flight attendant certifications include Travel and Tourism Professional (TTP) and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).

What education do you need to become a flight attendant?

What degree do you need to be a flight attendant?

The most common degree for flight attendants is bachelor's degree, with 56% of flight attendants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 11%.

Bachelor's, 56%

Associate, 20%

High School Diploma, 11%

Master's, 5%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a flight attendant?

You should major in business to become a flight attendant. 23% of flight attendants major in business. Other common majors for a flight attendant include psychology and communication.

Business, 23%

Psychology, 9%

Communication, 8%

Hospitality Management, 6%

Other Majors, 54%

Most common colleges for flight attendants

Flight attendants often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Georgia State University, and University of Georgia. Here are the most common colleges for flight attendants in the US based on their resumes.

Flight attendant common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	14.56%
Georgia State University	7.98%
University of Georgia	6.58%
Arizona State University	5.83%
Florida State University	5.61%

Show more common flight attendant colleges

Best majors for flight attendants

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	23.4%
2	Psychology	8.8%
3	Communication	8.0%
4	Hospitality Management	6.1%
5	Liberal Arts	4.8%

Show more common flight attendant majors

Best colleges for flight attendants

The best colleges for flight attendants are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and New York University.

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

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

6. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

20 best online courses for flight attendants

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Top 10 most affordable universities for flight attendants

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

If the best universities for flight attendants 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 flight attendants.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

8. York College of the City University of New York

Jamaica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,158

Cost of attendance

14,204

9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

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 flight attendants

The hardest universities for flight attendants to get into are University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and New York University.

Some great schools for flight attendants 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 flight attendants 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

6. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

7. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for flight attendants

The easiest schools for flight attendants to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, d'youville college, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a flight attendant 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 flight attendants.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

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. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

10. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

Average flight attendant salary by education level

Flight attendants with a Bachelor's degree earn more than those without, at $35,030 annually. With a Associate degree, flight attendants earn a median annual income of $34,769 compared to $34,536 for flight attendants with an High School Diploma degree.

Flight attendant education level	Flight attendant salary
High School Diploma or Less	$34,536
Bachelor's Degree	$35,030
Some College/ Associate Degree	$34,769

Flight attendant education FAQs

How long is flight attendant school?

How much is flight attendant school?

What is the best college for Flight Attendants?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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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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