Flight engineer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a flight engineer. Flight engineers usually study aviation, business, or aerospace engineering. 41% of flight engineers hold a associate degree, and 41% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 2,011 real flight engineer resumes to see exactly what flight engineer education sections show.

The most common colleges for flight engineers are the Southern Illinois University Carbondale and the Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

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

There are certain flight engineer certifications that you should consider. These flight engineer certifications include Flight Engineer (FE) and Certified Aviation Manager (CAM).

What education do you need to become a flight engineer?

What degree do you need to be a flight engineer?

The most common degree for flight engineers is associate degree, with 41% of flight engineers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are bachelor's degree degree at 41% and bachelor's degree degree at 7%.

Associate, 41%

Bachelor's, 41%

High School Diploma, 7%

Master's, 6%

Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become a flight engineer?

You should major in aviation to become a flight engineer. 33% of flight engineers major in aviation. Other common majors for a flight engineer include business and aerospace engineering.

Aviation, 33%

Business, 12%

Aerospace Engineering, 8%

Automotive Technology, 8%

Other Majors, 39%

Most common colleges for flight engineers

Flight engineers often get their degrees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Phoenix, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach. Here are the most common colleges for flight engineers in the US based on their resumes.

Flight engineer common college	Percentages
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	12.12%
University of Phoenix	10.61%
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach	9.09%
Purdue University	8.33%
Columbia Southern University	7.58%

Show more common flight engineer colleges

Best majors for flight engineers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aviation	33.1%
2	Business	12.0%
3	Aerospace Engineering	8.4%
4	Automotive Technology	8.2%
5	Management	4.9%

Show more common flight engineer majors

Best colleges for flight engineers

The best colleges for flight engineers are Saint Louis University, Purdue University, and Baylor University.

A flight engineer 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 engineers. 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 engineers.

1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Enrollment

32,072

3. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Enrollment

9,394

4. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Enrollment

33,495

5. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Enrollment

24,163

7. Worldwide Campus

Daytona Beach, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$9,360

Enrollment

10,254

8. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

9. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$43,884

Enrollment

6,917

10. Minnesota State University - Mankato

Mankato, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$8,184

Enrollment

11,675

20 best online courses for flight engineers

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Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Airplanes - Aerodynamics, Flight Maneuvers, JET Engines...

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Introduction to flight training, Aircraft Structure, Systems and Flight Instruments...

7. Aerospace Engineering: Airplanes, Airlines and Airports

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Understand how Airplanes generate Lift, how Airlines and Airports operate and what is Aerospace Engineering today...

8. Unreal Engine 5: Soulslike Melee Combat System

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Start your career in electrical engineering and power engineering by learning the fundamentals of power system analysis...

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Create a fast-paced, competitive multiplayer shooter in Unreal Engine 5 using C++!...

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Learn Unreal Engine 5 C++ Programming by Creating an Action-RPG Style Open World Game!...

20. Automotive Engineering: Automobile Fundamentals and Advanced

4.5

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Automotive & Vehicle Engineering: Master the Mechanics of Cars including Engine, Dynamics, Transmission, Chassis & More...

Top 10 most affordable universities for flight engineers

The most affordable schools for flight engineers are SUNY Farmingdale, florida state university, and inter american university of puerto rico bayamon.

If the best universities for flight engineers 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 engineers.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

3. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Bayamon

Bayamon, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,940

Cost of attendance

13,508

4. Inter American University of Puerto Rico Aguadilla

Aguadilla, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$5,902

Cost of attendance

13,284

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,992

Cost of attendance

22,430

7. Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, LA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,645

Cost of attendance

20,098

8. Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$3,194

Cost of attendance

14,934

9. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Cost of attendance

24,514

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 flight engineers

The hardest universities for flight engineers to get into are Saint Louis University, Purdue University, and Baylor University.

Some great schools for flight engineers 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 engineers 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. Saint Louis University

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,304

2. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

3. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,307

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

Admissions rate

37%

SAT average

1,289

5. Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL • Private

Admissions rate

65%

SAT average

1,264

6. Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, LA • Private

Admissions rate

63%

SAT average

1,219

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,091

8. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

Admissions rate

55%

SAT average

1,143

9. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

Admissions rate

52%

SAT average

1,359

10. Liberty University

Lynchburg, VA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,133

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

The easiest schools for flight engineers to get into are Bridgewater State University, saint cloud state university, and averett university.

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

1. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,073

2. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

3. Averett University

Danville, VA • Private

Admissions rate

61%

SAT average

953

4. Westminster College

Salt Lake City, UT • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,185

5. Salem State University

Salem, MA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,065

6. Metropolitan State University of Denver

Denver, CO • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,016

7. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

Admissions rate

46%

SAT average

1,091

8. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

9. Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, IL • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,124

10. Delta State University

Cleveland, MS • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,084

Average flight engineer salary by education level

According to our data, flight engineers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $89,879 annually. Flight engineers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $86,360.

Flight engineer education level	Flight engineer salary
Master's Degree	$89,879
Bachelor's Degree	$86,360

Flight engineer education FAQs

What is the best college for Flight Engineers?

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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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