What FAA Data Shows About Student Pilots and a Younger Pilot Population

New 2025 figures show continued growth in the training pipeline and a milestone for women in aviation.

Ryan Ewing

Friday, April 10, 2026 at 12:27 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Zach Vasile

Cessna aircraft [Credit: Meg Godlewski]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. pilot population is growing, with active student pilots increasing significantly to 370,286 in 2025, nearly tripling since 2020.
The overall active pilot population is trending younger, with the average age decreasing to 42.1, signaling an influx of new entrants.
The number of women pilots has surpassed 100,000 for the first time in 2025, reaching 100,704, and women comprise 16.4% of student pilots.
While overall pilot numbers and active student pilots are up, the issuance of new student pilot certificates paradoxically declined in 2025.

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The U.S. student pilot population continued to grow in 2025, according to newly released FAA airmen data, while the overall pilot population trended younger and the number of women pilots continued to increase.

The FAA counted 370,286 active student pilots at the end of 2025, up from 345,495 in 2024 and 222,629 in 2020. Total active pilots also rose to 887,519, compared with 848,770 a year earlier.