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International flight attendant education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an international flight attendant. International flight attendants usually study business, psychology, or communication. 71% of international flight attendants hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 720 real international flight attendant resumes to see exactly what international flight attendant education sections show.

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

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

What education do you need to become an international flight attendant?

What degree do you need to be an international flight attendant?

The most common degree for international flight attendants is bachelor's degree, with 71% of international flight attendants earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 14% and associate degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 71%
  • Associate, 14%
  • Master's, 7%
  • Diploma, 3%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an international flight attendant?

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

Most common colleges for international flight attendants

International flight attendants often get their degrees at University of Iowa, Florida State University, and University of Central Florida. Here are the most common colleges for international flight attendants in the US based on their resumes.
International flight attendant common collegePercentages
University of Iowa9.76%
Florida State University7.32%
University of Central Florida6.10%
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler6.10%
Georgia State University6.10%

Best majors for international flight attendants

RankMajorPercentages
1Business23.4%
2Psychology10.0%
3Communication9.4%
4Hospitality Management6.3%
5English5.6%

Best colleges for international flight attendants

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

An international 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 international 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 international 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 international flight attendants

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5. Medical Emergencies: CPR, Toxicology, and Wilderness

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17. Introduction to International Relations

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Top 10 most affordable universities for international flight attendants

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

If the best universities for international 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 international 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 international flight attendants

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

Some great schools for international 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 international 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

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

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

8%

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 international flight attendants

The easiest schools for international 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 an international 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 international 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 international flight attendant salary by education level

According to our data, international flight attendants with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $31,156 annually. International flight attendants with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $30,907.
International flight attendant education levelInternational flight attendant salary
High School Diploma or Less$30,685
Bachelor's Degree$31,156
Some College/ Associate Degree$30,907

International flight attendant education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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