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Jet pilot education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a jet pilot. Jet pilots usually study aviation, business, or electrical engineering technology. 66% of jet pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 11% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 47 real jet pilot resumes to see exactly what jet pilot education sections show.
The most common colleges for jet pilots are the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Air Force Academy.
There are also many online jet pilot courses to help get the education required to be a jet pilot.
What education do you need to become a jet pilot?
What degree do you need to be a jet pilot?
- Bachelor's, 66%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 11%
- Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 6%
What should I major in to become a jet pilot?
Most common colleges for jet pilots
| Jet pilot common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| United States Air Force Academy | 10.00% |
| Miami Dade College | 5.00% |
| Northwestern Michigan College | 5.00% |
| Colorado State University | 5.00% |
| Auburn University Main Campus | 5.00% |
Best majors for jet pilots
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviation | 20.5% |
| 2 | Business | 17.9% |
| 3 | Electrical Engineering Technology | 7.7% |
| 4 | Geography | 5.1% |
| 5 | Political Science | 5.1% |
Best colleges for jet pilots
The best colleges for jet pilots are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.
A jet pilot with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for jet pilots. 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 jet pilots.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
20 best online courses for jet pilots
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Top 10 most affordable universities for jet pilots
The most affordable schools for jet pilots are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for jet pilots 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 jet pilots.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
3. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for jet pilots
The hardest universities for jet pilots to get into are Northwestern University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Stanford University.
Some great schools for jet pilots 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 jet pilots 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
6. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
7. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
8. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
9. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
10. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for jet pilots
The easiest schools for jet pilots to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and bluefield college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a jet pilot 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 jet pilots.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA • Private
Admissions rate
95%
SAT average
980
4. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
5. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
6. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
7. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
8. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
9. Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,017
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average jet pilot salary by education level
| Jet pilot education level | Jet pilot salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $105,292 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $102,453 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025