People who dream of flying planes almost always have a core memory that began the obsession. Sometimes it's their first flight on a commercial jet, sometimes it's the first time they ever saw the Blue Angels, and sometimes it's just when they saw Top Gun, which understandably blew their minds. And seeing as Top Gun: Maverick totally rocked, it seems as good a time as any to rep our favorite aviation schools.
Now, there are a few directions you could take this passion. If you want to join the Air Force, you've got a different path ahead of you than if you want to engineer planes, and we want to give you a number of different options or at least point you where to look further. So without further ado, here are some of our favorite schools for wannabe aviators.
The List: Colleges With Great Aviation Programs
United States Air Force Academy, El Paso County, CO
What a shock! Seeing as we kicked off this article by talking about Top Gun, it's only natural that we start the list with the best school for living that kind of life, and if you want to join the Air Force, it's hardly possible to think of a more perfect college than >. And despite what you might think at first glance, you're not just going to spend four years learning how to pilot supersonic jet fighters (but how cool would that be?). The United States Air Force Academy has some of the nation's top programs for aspiring engineers across a variety of disciplines, as well as-to our surprise-a nationally recognized Liberal Arts College. And to top it all off, this is the best place in the country if you want to get involved in the Space Force, which could prove the most important branch of the US Military.
So how do you get in? The USAFA has a pretty strict admission rate of only 13%, meaning that they only want the best of the best. In other words, make sure those grades are in order, and make sure you're up to all the tasks the world's most powerful military will ask of you. The good news is that this education comes tuition-free, but that means you'll be joining the armed forces right after college. But for many (especially those who wanted to be military pilots in the first place), that only sweetens the deal.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
MIT is a world-renowned technological university, so it's no surprise that they have one of the best Aero/Astrospace Engineering programs in the country. In their program, you can learn all about how to build bigger, better, and safer airplanes as well as be at the cutting edge of research on space flight. And beyond that, they have a number of professors more interested in macro aspects of aviation like the economics and logistics of aerial transportation. If you want to study aviation behind the scenes rather than sit in the cockpit yourself, MIT is a great place to get an education. And if you're a great engineer but realize you're not as interested in aviation once you get there, we've heard rumors that MIT has one or two other great engineering programs as well…
Well, you don't need to hear it from us, but MIT is hard to get into. With an intimidating admission rate of only 7% and tuition hovering around $53,000, getting into MIT and making the decision to attend aren't easy tasks. However, with this low acceptance rate and MIT's commitment to ending legacy admissions, you can bet that everybody who's there really earned it, and if you're there, you're in great company.
Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Located in the American South, this SEC school is a phenomenal place to study the art of flying. has one of the most respected aviation schools in the country, and with the Auburn University Regional Airport located less than three miles from campus, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get hands-on experience as a pilot. And a bit like MIT and the Air Force Academy, Auburn also puts focus on astrospace engineering, and as a recipient of a federal Space Grant, you can be sure they've got the resources to help you pursue this if that's your bag.
Auburn is also a public university, meaning that its acceptance rate is a good bit higher and its tuition rate is a good bit lower than MIT. While $31,000 for out-of-state tuition isn't exactly nothing, Auburn's affordable in-state tuition of around $11,000 and acceptance rate of 85% means that this university should be more than accessible for people looking to pursue a career in aviation, particularly Alabama residents.
The University of Dayton, Dayton, OH
For folks who might wanna call the midwest home, Ohio's offers a unique opportunity. In 2013, the University of Dayton opened their new (otherwise known as the EPISCenter. Clever…), which conducts research principally on aviation power systems. Beyond that, they have a robust Aerospace Engineering program which should attract anybody looking to break into this exciting field, and access to the EPISCenter is really just the cherry on top.
A private Catholic university, an education at the University of Dayton comes with a heftier price-tag than some of its public competitors. At almost $45,000, the tuition might be out of range for many, but with an acceptance rate over 80% and a host of potential scholarships, this could be an extremely accessible option for those looking to study aviation.
How College Rover Can Help
Aviation is pretty specialized, so finding the right school can be a bit tricky. We've outlined a few options for you here, but if you're not totally sold on any of them, we have every college in the country in our database, allowing you to compare all of your top choices on only the metrics that matter to you. Go to College Rover today to make this whole college process a lot simpler.
