Traffic control specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a traffic control specialist. Traffic control specialists usually study aviation, business, or criminal justice. 38% of traffic control specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 26% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 3,394 real traffic control specialist resumes to see exactly what traffic control specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for traffic control specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online traffic control specialist courses to help get the education required to be a traffic control specialist.

There are certain traffic control specialist certifications that you should consider. These traffic control specialist certifications include Flagger (Instructor) and Traffic Control Design Specialist (TCDS).

What education do you need to become a traffic control specialist?

What degree do you need to be a traffic control specialist?

The most common degree for traffic control specialists is bachelor's degree, with 38% of traffic control specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are high school diploma degree at 26% and high school diploma degree at 21%.

Bachelor's, 38%

High School Diploma, 26%

Associate, 21%

Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 9%

What should I major in to become a traffic control specialist?

You should major in aviation to become a traffic control specialist. 21% of traffic control specialists major in aviation. Other common majors for a traffic control specialist include business and criminal justice.

Aviation, 21%

Business, 21%

Criminal Justice, 7%

General Studies, 6%

Other Majors, 45%

Most common colleges for traffic control specialists

Traffic control specialists often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach, and Thomas Edison State University. Here are the most common colleges for traffic control specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Traffic control specialist common college	Percentages
University of Phoenix	10.92%
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach	10.34%
Thomas Edison State University	8.05%
Middle Tennessee State University	7.47%
Miami Dade College	6.90%

Show more common traffic control specialist colleges

Best majors for traffic control specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Aviation	21.4%
2	Business	20.9%
3	Criminal Justice	6.7%
4	General Studies	6.3%
5	Aerospace Engineering	6.1%

Show more common traffic control specialist majors

Best colleges for traffic control specialists

The best colleges for traffic control specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A traffic control specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for traffic control specialists. 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 traffic control specialists.

1. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$15,094

Enrollment

32,974

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Baylor University

Waco, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$45,542

Enrollment

14,159

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. Bowling Green State University

Bowling Green, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$11,105

Enrollment

13,729

8. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

9. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for traffic control specialists

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4. Applied Control Systems 3: UAV drone (3D Dynamics & control)

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Modeling + state space systems + Model Predictive Control + feedback control + Python simulation: UAV quadcopter drone...

5. Control Systems: From Mathematical Modelling to PID Control

4.2

(791)

Learn the mathematics that will allow you to model and control any engineering system. Make machines do what you want!...

6. PID Controllers - Intro to Control Design

4.2

(338)

Learn to write your own control software while learning fundamental control theory...

7. Facebook Marketing: Drive Highly Targeted Facebook Traffic

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8. Airline Operations: Flight Planning and Flight Dispatch

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13. Model, Simulate and Control a Drone in MATLAB & SIMULINK

4.3

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Simulate a DJI Mavic Pro in Matlab & SIMULINK and design your own PID controllers for altitude and attitude control...

14. Applied Control Systems 1: autonomous cars: Math + PID + MPC

4.6

(1,142)

Modeling + state space systems + PID + Model Predictive Control + Python simulation: lateral control for autonomous cars...

15. Facebook Marketing: Next Level Traffic Generation Strategies

4.2

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Deploy these proven & tested Facebook advertising hacks and drive thousands of visitors to your website every day!...

16. Project Schedule: Monitor & Control Specialist (Accredited)

4.6

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Schedule Management: Monitor & Control Schedule, Analyze Schedule, Solve Project Schedule Problems Earn CPDs & PDUs...

17. Inventory Management: Safety Stock Calculation and Control

4.6

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Optimize your Supply Chain Safety Stock. Simple to Advanced Methods. Reduce Costs and Risk in your Business Operations...

18. Bank Reconciliations & Cash Internal Controls

4.5

(645)

Mastering Internal Controls and Cash Management: Safeguarding Business Assets and Ensuring Financial Accuracy...

19. SAP Controlling

4.4

(293)

SAP Controlling...

20. Advanced Process Control & Safety Instrumented Systems SIS

4.5

(783)

Learn how the main process equipment such as chemical reactors , pumps , compressors & heat exchangers are controlled...

Top 10 most affordable universities for traffic control specialists

The most affordable schools for traffic control specialists are Baruch College of the City University of New York, suny farmingdale, and california state university - bakersfield.

If the best universities for traffic control specialists 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 traffic control specialists.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

3. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for traffic control specialists

The hardest universities for traffic control specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for traffic control specialists 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 traffic control specialists 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for traffic control specialists

The easiest schools for traffic control specialists to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, wayland baptist university, and barry university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a traffic control specialist 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 traffic control specialists.

1. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

2. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

3. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

6. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

7. Ottawa University

Ottawa, KS • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,024

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

10. University of Baltimore

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

78%

SAT average

1,020

Average traffic control specialist salary by education level

According to our data, traffic control specialists with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $45,620 annually. Traffic control specialists with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $39,039.

Traffic control specialist education level	Traffic control specialist salary
High School Diploma or Less	$37,325
Bachelor's Degree	$45,620
Some College/ Associate Degree	$39,039

Traffic control specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Traffic Control Specialists?

Have more questions? See all answers to common transportation questions.

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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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