Regional airline pilot education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a regional airline pilot. Regional airline pilots usually study aviation, general sales, or marketing. 65% of regional airline pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 32 real regional airline pilot resumes to see exactly what regional airline pilot education sections show.

The most common colleges for regional airline pilots are the Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

There are also many online regional airline pilot courses to help get the education required to be a regional airline pilot.

What education do you need to become a regional airline pilot?

What degree do you need to be a regional airline pilot?

The most common degree for regional airline pilots is bachelor's degree, with 65% of regional airline pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 15% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Associate, 15%

Master's, 8%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a regional airline pilot?

You should major in aviation to become a regional airline pilot. 23% of regional airline pilots major in aviation. Other common majors for a regional airline pilot include general sales and marketing.

Aviation, 23%

General Sales, 14%

Marketing, 9%

Aerospace Engineering, 9%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for regional airline pilots

Regional airline pilots often get their degrees at Metropolitan State University of Denver, Hannibal-LaGrange University, and Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Here are the most common colleges for regional airline pilots in the US based on their resumes.

Regional airline pilot common college	Percentages
Metropolitan State University of Denver	7.69%
Hannibal-LaGrange University	7.69%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale	7.69%
Indiana State University	7.69%
Excelsior College	7.69%

Show more common regional airline pilot colleges

Best majors for regional airline pilots

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aviation	22.7%
2	General Sales	13.6%
3	Marketing	9.1%
4	Aerospace Engineering	9.1%
5	Management	4.5%

Show more common regional airline pilot majors

Best colleges for regional airline pilots

The best colleges for regional airline pilots are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Boston University.

A regional airline 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 regional airline 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 regional airline pilots.

1. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

2. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

4. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

5. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

7. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

8. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

9. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

20 best online courses for regional airline pilots

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20. Introduction to Human Resource Concepts

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Top 10 most affordable universities for regional airline pilots

The most affordable schools for regional airline pilots are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for regional airline 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 regional airline pilots.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

8. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. University of Houston - Victoria

Victoria, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$6,491

Cost of attendance

19,075

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for regional airline pilots

The hardest universities for regional airline pilots to get into are Northwestern University, Washington University in St Louis, and Boston University.

Some great schools for regional airline 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 regional airline 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

3. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

7. Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA • Private

Admissions rate

28%

SAT average

1,429

8. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

9. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN • Private

Admissions rate

18%

SAT average

1,502

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for regional airline pilots

The easiest schools for regional airline pilots to get into are Felician University, kean university, and the university of texas permian basin.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a regional airline 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 regional airline pilots.

1. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

2. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

5. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

6. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

9. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

10. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

Average regional airline pilot salary by education level

According to our data, regional airline pilots with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $94,752 annually. Regional airline pilots with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $92,475.

Regional airline pilot education level	Regional airline pilot salary
Master's Degree	$94,752
Bachelor's Degree	$92,475

Regional airline pilot education FAQs

What is the best college for Regional Airline Pilots?

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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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