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Space operations officer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a space operations officer. Space operations officers usually study business, aerospace engineering, or biology. 70% of space operations officers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 80 real space operations officer resumes to see exactly what space operations officer education sections show.
The most common colleges for space operations officers are the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Air Force Academy.
There are also many online space operations officer courses to help get the education required to be a space operations officer.
What education do you need to become a space operations officer?
What degree do you need to be a space operations officer?
- Bachelor's, 70%
- Master's, 22%
- Associate, 7%
- Doctorate, 1%
What should I major in to become a space operations officer?
- Business, 19%
- Biology, 6%
- Management, 6%
- Other Majors, 61%
Most common colleges for space operations officers
| Space operations officer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| United States Air Force Academy | 17.65% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 11.76% |
| Purdue University | 5.88% |
| Indiana University Bloomington | 5.88% |
| Indiana State University | 5.88% |
Best majors for space operations officers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 18.9% |
| 2 | Aerospace Engineering | 7.5% |
| 3 | Biology | 5.7% |
| 4 | Management | 5.7% |
| 5 | Communication | 5.7% |
Best colleges for space operations officers
The best colleges for space operations officers are New York University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
A space operations officer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for space operations officers. 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 space operations officers.
1. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
2. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
3. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
4. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
6. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
20 best online courses for space operations officers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for space operations officers
The most affordable schools for space operations officers are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for space operations officers 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 space operations officers.
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. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
5. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
8. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
9. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for space operations officers
The hardest universities for space operations officers to get into are New York University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for space operations officers 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 space operations officers 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. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
6. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
43%
SAT average
1,338
9. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
10. Brandeis University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions rate
31%
SAT average
1,398
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for space operations officers
The easiest schools for space operations officers to get into are Wayland Baptist University, life university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a space operations officer 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 space operations officers.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Life University
Marietta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
94%
SAT average
979
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Ottawa University
Ottawa, KS • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,024
5. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
6. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
9. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton
Dunmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,056
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average space operations officer salary by education level
| Space operations officer education level | Space operations officer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $68,924 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,700 |
| Doctorate Degree | $76,621 |
Space operations officer education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025