Test pilot education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a test pilot. Test pilots usually study aviation, aerospace engineering, or business. 61% of test pilots hold a bachelor's degree, and 17% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 498 real test pilot resumes to see exactly what test pilot education sections show.

The most common colleges for test pilots are the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach and the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach.

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

There are certain test pilot certifications that you should consider. These test pilot certifications include Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) and Commercial Pilot (CP).

What education do you need to become a test pilot?

What degree do you need to be a test pilot?

The most common degree for test pilots is bachelor's degree, with 61% of test pilots earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 17% and master's degree degree at 15%.

Bachelor's, 61%

Master's, 17%

Associate, 15%

High School Diploma, 4%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a test pilot?

You should major in aviation to become a test pilot. 20% of test pilots major in aviation. Other common majors for a test pilot include aerospace engineering and business.

Aviation, 20%

Aerospace Engineering, 19%

Business, 11%

General Studies, 6%

Other Majors, 44%

Most common colleges for test pilots

Test pilots often get their degrees at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach, United States Naval Academy, and Excelsior College. Here are the most common colleges for test pilots in the US based on their resumes.

Test pilot common college	Percentages
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach	15.52%
United States Naval Academy	8.62%
Excelsior College	6.90%
University of Phoenix	6.90%
City University of Seattle	5.17%

Show more common test pilot colleges

Best majors for test pilots

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aviation	20.4%
2	Aerospace Engineering	19.5%
3	Business	10.9%
4	General Studies	6.3%
5	Liberal Arts	5.4%

Show more common test pilot majors

Best colleges for test pilots

The best colleges for test pilots are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

A test 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 test 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 test 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 test pilots

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Top 10 most affordable universities for test pilots

The most affordable schools for test pilots are SUNY Farmingdale, university of florida, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for test 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 test 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 test pilots

The hardest universities for test pilots to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for test 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 test 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

SAT average

1,497

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

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

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 test pilots

The easiest schools for test 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 test 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 test 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 test pilot salary by education level

According to our data, test pilots with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $100,747 annually. Test pilots with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $97,346.

Test pilot education level	Test pilot salary
Master's Degree	$100,747
Bachelor's Degree	$97,346

Test pilot education FAQs

What is the best college for Test 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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