How to Make a Solid Financial Choice for Your Aviation Education

Learn how you can use a new study to get the best return on your investment.

Thursday, February 03, 2022 at 09:40 AM ET

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You should consider a variety of other factors if considering a collegiate aviation program, but value and return on investment are very important things to think about. [File Photo: Adobe Stock]

Key Takeaways:

Aspiring pilots can use Preston Cooper's ROI data for college degrees, specifically "air transportation" programs, to compare costs and potential lifetime earnings for aviation universities.
Key financial factors to consider are net tuition and total education-related spending (including flight costs), aiming for programs that offer a significant return on investment.
Despite the high upfront cost of collegiate aviation programs, the long-term earning potential for professional pilots generally justifies the investment.
School prestige is less important than acquiring the necessary flight ratings and experience; prioritizing programs with lower upfront costs and efficient completion is recommended.

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Of the many paths to professional piloting, college aviation programs are straightforward and efficient. However, many of these programs come with astronomical price tags. How can an aspiring aviator get the most bang for their buck when choosing an aviation university?

Powerful Data

Until recently, it would have been very difficult to compare our options. Thankfully though, an intrepid researcher named Preston Cooper just completed a project for the The Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, and we now have an incredibly powerful tool for comparing aviation universities.