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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
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Edited By: Zach Vasile
MOSAIC defines light sport aircraft by stall speed, not gross weight, making it possible for legacy single-engine trainers like the Cessna 150 to be flown by sport pilots. [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Cessna aircraft [Credit: Meg Godlewski]
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • The U.S. pilot population saw significant growth in 2025, with total active pilots reaching 887,519 and student pilots increasing to 370,286 (nearly tripling since 2020).
  • Demographic trends show the overall pilot population is becoming younger, with the average age dropping to 42.1, and the number of active women pilots surpassing 100,000 for the first time.
  • While active student pilot numbers expanded, the issuance of new student pilot certificates actually declined in 2025, even as original private and commercial certificates increased.
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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.

Ryan Ewing

Ryan is Group President of Firecrown Media’s Aviation Group, overseeing a portfolio that includes FLYING, AirlineGeeks, AVweb, Plane + Pilot, KITPLANES, and AircraftForSale.com. He founded AirlineGeeks.com in February 2013 and has more than a decade of experience across aviation media, airport operations, airline workforce planning, and Part 135 regulatory compliance. His experience ranges from time behind the yoke of a Cessna 172 to interviewing aviation industry executives. Ryan holds a B.S. in Air Transportation Management and an MBA from Arizona State University and is an adjunct instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

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