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Rotary wing line pilot education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a rotary wing line pilot. Rotary wing line pilots usually study kinesiology, electrical engineering, or business. 50% of rotary wing line pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 29% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 23 real rotary wing line pilot resumes to see exactly what rotary wing line pilot education sections show.

The most common colleges for rotary wing line pilots are the Naval Postgraduate School and the Naval Postgraduate School.

There are also many online rotary wing line pilot courses to help get the education required to be a rotary wing line pilot.

What education do you need to become a rotary wing line pilot?

What degree do you need to be a rotary wing line pilot?

The most common degree for rotary wing line pilots is bachelor's degree, with 50% of rotary wing line pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 29% and associate degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 50%
  • Associate, 29%
  • High School Diploma, 14%
  • Master's, 7%

What should I major in to become a rotary wing line pilot?

You should major in kinesiology to become a rotary wing line pilot. 14% of rotary wing line pilots major in kinesiology. Other common majors for a rotary wing line pilot include electrical engineering and business.

Most common colleges for rotary wing line pilots

Rotary wing line pilots often get their degrees at Naval Postgraduate School, College of Charleston, and Tarleton State University. Here are the most common colleges for rotary wing line pilots in the US based on their resumes.
Rotary wing line pilot common collegePercentages
Naval Postgraduate School11.11%
College of Charleston11.11%
Tarleton State University11.11%
Southeastern University11.11%
California University of Pennsylvania11.11%

Best majors for rotary wing line pilots

RankMajorPercentages
1Kinesiology14.3%
2Electrical Engineering14.3%
3Business14.3%
4Management7.1%
5Legal Studies7.1%

Best colleges for rotary wing line pilots

The best colleges for rotary wing line pilots are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A rotary wing line 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 rotary wing line 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 rotary wing line 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. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

4. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. University of Wisconsin - Madison

Madison, WI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,555

Enrollment

30,360

10. University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$10,595

Enrollment

30,184

20 best online courses for rotary wing line pilots

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Top 10 most affordable universities for rotary wing line pilots

The most affordable schools for rotary wing line pilots are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for rotary wing line 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 rotary wing line pilots.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

5. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

10. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for rotary wing line pilots

The hardest universities for rotary wing line pilots to get into are Northwestern University, Stanford University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for rotary wing line 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 rotary wing line 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. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

8. Rice University

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. Cornell University

Ithaca, NY • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,471

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for rotary wing line pilots

The easiest schools for rotary wing line pilots to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a rotary wing line 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 rotary wing line pilots.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

5. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

8. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

9. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

10. Albertus Magnus College

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

931

Average rotary wing line pilot salary by education level

According to our data, rotary wing line pilots with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $107,023 annually. Rotary wing line pilots with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $104,270.
Rotary wing line pilot education levelRotary wing line pilot salary
Master's Degree$107,023
Bachelor's Degree$104,270

Rotary wing line pilot 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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