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Flight surgeon education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a flight surgeon. Flight surgeons usually study medicine, biology, or osteopathic medicine. 41% of flight surgeons hold a doctoral degree, and 34% hold an bachelor's degree. We analyzed 100 real flight surgeon resumes to see exactly what flight surgeon education sections show.
The most common colleges for flight surgeons are the University of the Sciences and the University of the Sciences.
There are also many online flight surgeon courses to help get the education required to be a flight surgeon.
What education do you need to become a flight surgeon?
What degree do you need to be a flight surgeon?
- Doctorate, 41%
- Bachelor's, 34%
- Master's, 10%
- Associate, 4%
- Other Degrees, 11%
What should I major in to become a flight surgeon?
- Medicine, 38%
- Biology, 8%
- Osteopathic Medicine, 8%
- Public Health, 7%
- Other Majors, 39%
Most common colleges for flight surgeons
| Flight surgeon common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of the Sciences | 17.86% |
| George Washington University, The | 7.14% |
| Georgetown University | 7.14% |
| Midwestern University | 7.14% |
| Johns Hopkins University | 7.14% |
Best majors for flight surgeons
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Medicine | 38.3% |
| 2 | Biology | 8.3% |
| 3 | Osteopathic Medicine | 8.3% |
| 4 | Public Health | 6.7% |
| 5 | Health Sciences And Services | 3.3% |
Best colleges for flight surgeons
The best colleges for flight surgeons are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
A flight surgeon 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 surgeons. 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 surgeons.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
In-state tuition
$53,430
Enrollment
5,963
5. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
6. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
7. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA • Private
In-state tuition
$17,653
Enrollment
16,405
8. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$54,104
Enrollment
7,089
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
10. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
20 best online courses for flight surgeons
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18. Intro to Airplane Physics in Unity 3D - 2017 & 2018
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Top 10 most affordable universities for flight surgeons
The most affordable schools for flight surgeons are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.
If the best universities for flight surgeons 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 surgeons.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
6. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
7. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
8. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for flight surgeons
The hardest universities for flight surgeons to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Johns Hopkins University.
Some great schools for flight surgeons 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 surgeons 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
4. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
5. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Georgetown University
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,456
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
9. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
10. Case Western Reserve University
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,443
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for flight surgeons
The easiest schools for flight surgeons to get into are D'Youville College, curry college, and felician university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a flight surgeon 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 surgeons.
1. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
2. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
3. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
6. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. American International College
Springfield, MA • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
1,010
9. Dominican College of Blauvelt
Orangeburg, NY • Private
Admissions rate
77%
SAT average
1,038
10. Marymount University
Arlington, VA • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,065
Average flight surgeon salary by education level
| Flight surgeon education level | Flight surgeon salary |
|---|---|
| Doctorate Degree | $447,202 |
Flight surgeon education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025