Flight chief education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a flight chief. Flight chiefs usually study criminal justice, business, or automotive technology. 54% of flight chiefs hold a associate degree, and 33% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,426 real flight chief resumes to see exactly what flight chief education sections show.

The most common colleges for flight chiefs are the American University and the American University.

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

There are certain flight chief certifications that you should consider. These flight chief certifications include Security 5 Certification and Certified Professional of Occupancy (CPO).

What education do you need to become a flight chief?

What degree do you need to be a flight chief?

The most common degree for flight chiefs is associate degree, with 54% of flight chiefs earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 33% and bachelor's degree degree at 8%.

Associate, 54%

Bachelor's, 33%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a flight chief?

You should major in criminal justice to become a flight chief. 21% of flight chiefs major in criminal justice. Other common majors for a flight chief include business and automotive technology.

Criminal Justice, 21%

Business, 14%

Automotive Technology, 11%

Aviation, 9%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for flight chiefs

Flight chiefs often get their degrees at American University, Wayland Baptist University, and University of Phoenix. Here are the most common colleges for flight chiefs in the US based on their resumes.

Flight chief common college	Percentages
American University	17.16%
Wayland Baptist University	11.19%
University of Phoenix	11.19%
Park University	8.58%
Ashford University	8.21%

Show more common flight chief colleges

Best majors for flight chiefs

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Criminal Justice	21.0%
2	Business	13.6%
3	Automotive Technology	10.8%
4	Aviation	9.4%
5	Management	5.8%

Show more common flight chief majors

Best colleges for flight chiefs

The best colleges for flight chiefs are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

A flight chief 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 chiefs. 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 chiefs.

1. SUNY College of Technology at Alfred

Alfred, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,570

Enrollment

3,721

2. SUNY College of Technology at Delhi

Delhi, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,360

Enrollment

3,142

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. Siena Heights University

Adrian, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$27,124

Enrollment

2,035

5. SUNY College of Technology at Canton

Canton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,389

Enrollment

3,127

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Lewis-Clark State College

Lewiston, ID • Private

In-state tuition

$6,618

Enrollment

2,787

20 best online courses for flight chiefs

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Top 10 most affordable universities for flight chiefs

The most affordable schools for flight chiefs are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and usf sarasota-manatee.

If the best universities for flight chiefs 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 chiefs.

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. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

7. Minot State University

Minot, ND • Private

In-state tuition

$7,064

Cost of attendance

15,576

8. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

9. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for flight chiefs

The hardest universities for flight chiefs to get into are Boston University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.

Some great schools for flight chiefs 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 chiefs 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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

4. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

5. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

6. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

7. University of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK • Private

Admissions rate

41%

SAT average

1,321

8. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

9. University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,300

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

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

The easiest schools for flight chiefs to get into are Notre Dame College, nyack college, and gwynedd mercy university.

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

1. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

2. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

3. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

7. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

8. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Manor College

Jenkintown, PA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

898

Average flight chief salary by education level

According to our data, flight chiefs with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $77,830 annually. Flight chiefs with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $74,983.

Flight chief education level	Flight chief salary
Master's Degree	$77,830
Bachelor's Degree	$74,983

Flight chief education FAQs

What is the best college for Flight Chiefs?

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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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