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Private pilot education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a private pilot. Private pilots usually study aviation, business, or aerospace engineering. 67% of private pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 13% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 225 real private pilot resumes to see exactly what private pilot education sections show.
The most common colleges for private pilots are the Arizona State University and the Arizona State University.
There are also many online private pilot courses to help get the education required to be a private pilot.
What education do you need to become a private pilot?
What degree do you need to be a private pilot?
- Bachelor's, 67%
- Associate, 13%
- High School Diploma, 10%
- Master's, 7%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a private pilot?
Most common colleges for private pilots
| Private pilot common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 10.26% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 7.69% |
| Texas A&M University | 7.69% |
| University of Florida | 5.13% |
| University of Kansas | 5.13% |
Best majors for private pilots
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aviation | 21.4% |
| 2 | Business | 18.4% |
| 3 | Aerospace Engineering | 11.2% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 5.1% |
| 5 | Education | 5.1% |
Best colleges for private pilots
The best colleges for private pilots are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
A private 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 private 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 private pilots.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
5. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
7. Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ • Private
In-state tuition
$10,822
Enrollment
42,529
8. Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,530
Enrollment
4,571
9. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Enrollment
33,495
20 best online courses for private pilots
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Top 10 most affordable universities for private pilots
The most affordable schools for private pilots are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.
If the best universities for private 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 private pilots.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
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. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
10. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for private pilots
The hardest universities for private pilots to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for private 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 private 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Troy, NY • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,415
9. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
10. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for private pilots
The easiest schools for private pilots to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a private 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 private 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. 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. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Capitol Technology University
Laurel, MD • Private
Admissions rate
69%
SAT average
1,070
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
9. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
10. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
Average private pilot salary by education level
| Private pilot education level | Private pilot salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $104,735 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $101,790 |
Private pilot education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025