Best University with flight program?
 

Hi, I'm looking at Unviersitys to go to to get my Bachelors degree in perso and work up to masters online. With a flight school also to get all my certs and ratings. I was looking at Embry-Riddle Prescott. However, I see that not alot of people like there. So what are some good ones that are FAA approved?

The one that has been named the best offically is Embry Riddle Daytona Campus then US Air Force Academy. I still think University of North Dakota is the best when it comes to Academics and the study for Aviation. Embry Riddle is over-rated... I mean its a good school and all but for the price it just isnt worth it. University of North Dakota is a very good school... alot of people complain about the snow and the weather but think of it as better training. Purdue has a good aviation program too. as far as the best goes take your pick Embry Riddle - Airforce Academy - UND

DON'T GET AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!!

Pick a good school that offers both aviation and a degree in another field that is of interest to you. Get a "real" degree and do your flight training through the university. This way you have something else to fall back on in the event your aviation career hits a dead end. And as the previous poster stated, varied weather is your friend. It will make you a better pilot.


Purdue and UND both offer a wide variety of degree programs and have superb aviation departments. Remember that one of the great advantages of certain schools are the connections the have, such as internships, etc...

Here is a link to a listing of schools with aviation programs. Good luck!

University Aviation Association default

University of Alaska Anchorage

DON'T GET AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!!

Pick a good school that offers both aviation and a degree in another field that is of interest to you. Get a "real" degree and do your flight training through the university. This way you have something else to fall back on in the event your aviation career hits a dead end. And as the previous poster stated, varied weather is your friend. It will make you a better pilot.

That's exactly what i'm doing, except i'm getting the real degree and flight training through a community college so it is even cheaper than a university. Plus, even though it is out of county for me my designated community college does not offer aviation so I get to pay in county tuition. It also is close enough to home so that I can commute and still be a non-rent-paying/freeloading off my parents house kinda guy. After i'm done with the community college i'll transfer to one of the 4 year colleges around here for business admin (the real degree). I recommend trying to do something similiar if at all possible because this has been working out pretty well for me so far

Florida Tech...Florida Institute of Technology

Although I wouldn't think of the USAFA as a Aviation University; in the post above, did you really list ERAU ABOVE the Air Force Academy?

You say that "it has been named". Do you know WHO named it that and have a link or something to the article or study?

USMCFLYR

YHGTBSM...

First off, they have different purposes.

USAFA: Prepare future military officers to serve in the AF. As an aside, a lot of them get flight training and flying careers out of the deal. Full scholarship with allowance.

ERAU: Separate naive young people from their parent's money. ERAU no longer has any favorable reputation in the aviation industry...if anything people wonder about your judgement for getting scammed.

US News does the rankings each year for Universities and Embry Riddle Daytona Campus has held the #1 in aviation for about as long as they have been ranking. USAF Academy is #2 and ERAU AZ Campus is #3
Top Schools for Aeronautics, Aviation and Aerospace Science

What I have herd is the USAF Academy flight training is mediocre, The government contracted out the flight training to a place called Doss Aviation in Pueblo Colorado. The CFI standards are low for a job at doss teaching cadets Employment

Keep in mind when the Government contracts civillians for anything the contract goes to the lowest bidder. You should know that being in the Marines and all. What gives the USAF Academy such a good name is dispite their hands on flight training they do have a really good academic standard. Plus add the 6 years of active duty and experience.

You and the news media are both seriously confused...the flight training provided to service academy cadets by contractors is for introductory purposes only and is used to help screen candidates for REAL military flight training.

That occurs AFTER graduation and is conducted by military instructors in high-performance turbine powered military aircraft and is generally regarded as the best in the world.

US news is obviously clueless about the process, and Riddle flight training in no way compares to USAF flight training.

As I said - and I see that Rickair already beat me too it - the USAFA isn't a Flight Training Academy the likes of ERAU :eek:

I do appreciate that you provided the source of your statement though and I can see where some (and I include the author of the article) get confused.

I do find it interesting to note the qualifications that this very article attributes to the two schools:
Although I hear that ERAU does have a fairly respected engineering department (I only know about it via these forums), I'm willing to say that I'd expect that a Engineering degree from one of the service academies is probably a very well respected degree too ;) Even looking at the general statistics presented I'm still trying to figure out exactly what criteria was used by the author to rate these schools.
Maybe it was percentage of graduates who get an corporate engineering job with one of the major aeronautical firms immediately after graduation :D

USMCFLYR

I could have shown up to ERAU with checkbook in hand and gotten accepted right away to the "number 1" school, but for two years the USAFA wouldn't take me.

Oh wait, DoDMERB is a *****. Unless you have never been to a doctor in your life, they will find something to reject you.

Rant aside... you might consider Illinois. Big State school with all the benefits that brings, plus an excellent flight program that allows you to get a slightly more useful aviation degree (Human Factors) OR it has a nice program that allows you to major in something else while still taking the flight courses (private through CFI/II/MEI). Its a 141 school FWIW.

Seconded. Huge Big Ten school with 40,000 students. Great education for the dollar in any area. Some are extremely competitive like Engineering and Business. You'll still get the small time feeling from the Institute of Aviation. I believe the school is less than 200 students and you'll never get that feeling. The equipment, while not glass except for one Arrow, is excellent quality!

I would not change where I received my flight training if I had to do it again.

Chief Illiniwek will live on forever

Illini

I'm biased, but Purdue is an excellent option, much along the lines of U of I.

Big 10 (12?) school, large campus & student population, and a multitude of other academic programs one might get a minor or second major in, including the very highly-ranked business school in Krannert & the obvious choice when most think of Purdue, the School of Engineering.

That's before you get to the aviation program, which has a long & rich history and is purposefully kept small to ensure scheduling of aircraft & classes. This fall they'll have a brand new fleet, which they also had when I started (new Warriors) but the flight fees charged are IMO very reasonable compared to the cost of the same aircraft at a local FBO. The professors generally are getting up in age but have been teaching a long time and are FANTASTIC - they really make the program work and go out of their way to help students succeed in their professional, and even sometimes personal, lives.

Out of state tuition at Purdue is a *****, and Purdue offers next to no academic scholarships for out-of-staters...something to keep in mind.

I could have attended Kentucky for free due to high school academics and done all my ratings in LEX for a fraction of what Purdue ended up costing...but I absolutely would not trade my experiences in West Lafayette to have less student loan debt.

There are lots of good options out there - choose wisely, as your bottom line should be considered just as much, if not more, than the school's reputation...

COULDNT AGREE MORE!!!

Don't get an aviation degree. It is absolutely worthless in regards to a backup career. I have and aviation degree and wish I had a degree in something useful like finance or criminal justice. Do what the others are saying, get a real degree and fly on the side.

As for schools:

If you can get into the USAF Academy, do that. You have to convince Uncle Sam to pay for your education and flight training.

Otherwise I can recommend University of North Dakota. If you are looking to save money go to UND over ERAU. UND is a public school, ERAU is not. If you live in a Western state you can reduced tuition at UND. By all means don't let a recruiter talk you into an aviation degree. UND has a lot of other good programs to look into and you can take advantage of the flying courses while there as well.

I went to UND. It gets VERY cold and there is almost nothing to do there other than what most college students do with any spare time. I did however have a lot of fun there and I can only speak of great things about the training and the people in Grand Forks. Very professional and standardized and you will pay a lot less at UND than ERAU.

Also, make sure flying is something you really NEED to do for a living. The quality of life and pay has been decreasing with time. It does become a job sooner than you might think. The glory days of being a pilot are over. I tell most wannabe pilots. Go make money, and buy your own plane and keep it fun.

Also, don't go into ridiculous debt to be a pilot. If someone else is paying, by all means take advantage of it, but you need to consider the responsibility of paying off debts with food-stamp like wages. You may be living your dream, but your life will become a nightmare if you can't afford your student loans. this should take PRIORITY over any decisions you make.

Criminal justice degree? For what - so you can be a law enforcement officer?

That's like saying you MUST have an aviation degree to become an airline pilot.

Finance degree? To make "real" money, eh?

Did you guys notice the number of banking/investment/finance-related jobs that were lost the last 18 months? And how many recent finance major graduates are STILL looking for work these days with no near-term career potential other than bank teller?

Folks with an aviation degree who have never worked professionally outside of the aviation industry often think a degree in ANYTHING but aviation would be their key to a successful job hunt outside of airplanes...but the reality is most any degree, without employment experience in the field using said degree (especially recent experience), is one step above useless when finding a job.

I know people with aviation degrees that have found successful, gainful employment outside of aviation in the fields of (among other things) business, retail management, and entrepreneurship.

You wanna make decent money over your career? You want some semblance of job security? Start your own business or go into nursing - other than that, the closest technical profession I can think of (and have experience with) is engineering - competent PEs are still fairly in demand.

Boiler makes a good point. It doesn't really matter what degree you have for the most part. Some careers is does matter. I put down criminal justice or finance because that is what I am interested in, and yes a degree in criminal justice does help you in other law enforcement related jobs, not just a doughnut eating cop gig.

I say get a degree in something else so at least you have some knowledge in some other area you may enjoy so when you fail your medical you can have an easier start in a different career.

Another option that goes with the USAFA, is a possible enlistment. Free training in a aviation related field or any field for that matter. Free schooling, potential for reduced flying costs if there is an aero club on base. I have my associates now with minimal college classes. Mostly AF mandatory education. Guard or Reserves are options as well. You still get the Active duty style training and education but with working "weekends only" it frees up time to go to school full time using the states tuition assistance if your guard. Just a few more options. Individual unit recruiters are better to talk to. They have more specifics on job open and benefits available.

I myself am finishing up an active duty commitment and am looking into the guard/reserves as possible part time employment as well as geographical stability for the family. Over all you cant beat guarnteed pay check, and free education and training in todays economy.

Shameless plug here for my Alma Mater, Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. It is a small school, more in line with a community college as far as enrollment. I had a great experience there, and would certainly reccomend it to anyone asking my opinion. They (at least used to) have an internship with Pinnacle and Fedex. At one time, you could walk into a crew room of Pinnacle's, and it would be like a Delta State reunion. Lots of guys I went to DSU with are now flying there.

Which only tells me that US Snooze has no idea what they are talking about. As has previously stated, Riddle is NOT well regarded any more, which isn't to say some good people don't come out of there (I've flown with a couple). I do think those guys would have been successful almost any place they went, and I think they paid way too much for what they received.

If at all possible find a good in state school, pay in state tuition and get your degree there. Get a degree in something other than aviation (double major if you feel compelled to get an aviation degree).

All that said, I too am a Purdue grad (yes, in Aviation Technology - Flight and A&P). With the signing of the new aviation safety act pending, Purdue (with it's new fleet and existing program) seems to be somewhat uniquely positioned to fill the squares for the updated ATP requirements and/or the option to credit academic training hours towards the ATP. Not that other schools don't or won't find ways to do so as well, but Purdue has always been a bit unique in what their program has offered (generally in a good way in my opinion).

you can pick and choose which school you think is the best but I know idiots who train with the AF Academy and ERAU.

Also, when you're looking for a flight school to go to, keep in mind to always get a feel for not only the school itself, but the city/town the school is in. Let's be honest, you're not going to be doing aviation stuff 24/7, otherwise you'd burn yourself out. Make sure you get a taste of what the city is like, what the people are like, what the culture is like, and so on. Since you're essentially living there for the time you're going to school/instructing, the last thing you want is to be stuck in a place where you can't do the non-aviation things you love to do. I love to do things like write music, surf, go see other bands play, and ride hills on my longboard. Can't do any of that here. :(

There's plenty of great flight schools to choose from, and like everyone here says, AIRLINES DO NOT CARE WHERE YOU WERE TRAINED!!!! Good luck to you in picking a school out.

There goes your answer you are looking for :)

University of North Dakota has a great Aviation Program and Off-course Embry Riddle if you have that kind of money to wash off. I found Riddle is a rip off after being their for a semester :( Only reason I am continuing with them is because of their world-wide online.

you have already got your answers form other aviators from this form, with that said, am going to stay that again, Do Not get a degree in Aviation...

?
 

Is their any different between taking commecial pilot degree from community college and taking from university? And what other options do i have towards my career in aviation field? anybody have any idea?

I attended ERAU at Daytona. All major Universities with flight programs are all, at a minimum, good and highly regarded in the industry. Picking a university based on a technical degree is confusing. Pick a school that fits your personality and career trajectory as best you can with what you know. So, learn as much as you can about your choices and go forward.

I'm from Illinois. My choices back in the day were ERAU, UND, Parks College at SLU, SIU and Lewis University. At 18 I wanted to be as far away from where I grew up and be a pilot.

I'd go to Riddle all over again. My connections to the ERAU network and AHP have helped me get nearly all of my flying jobs. I'm sure, without a doubt, that the same can be said for any other major university. Good luck!

Tailwinds...

The best benefit of going to an aviation related school is the connections and aviation related experiences. You would be surprised at the schools that have aviation programs. You can go to a very small school that is mostly aviation, like I did, or a huge school that is only a fraction aviation, like I should have (Purdue, SIU, UND). What is going to matter at those schools is the people you meet through clubs, organizations (fellow AHPer), classes and anything else. Like g159 said... I, too, have found most my aviation related jobs through connections I made through school. Don't make yourself fit the school, pick a region and school that fits you, and then hopefully they have aviation.

I love how ERAU grads think they attended the "Harvard of the skies""! It seriously cracks me up. I was a CFI, CFII, did 61, 91, 141 stuff, and have been employed by part 91, 135, and now 121 carriers. I also attended Ohio University (currently number 2 party school in the nation). The strange thing is that every GLEIM test I ever took was either A, B, or C.

Personally, I'm glad I didn't have to write a 40 plus page thesis on the degrading economics of the secondary health industry in developing countries. I was happy just going to ground schools for whatever rating i was going for, and taking the same test everyone else takes to get to the very same place. Ohhhh, and living next to the largest all girl dormitory in the midwest didnt hurt my social life either.

Congradulations, if you went to ERAU, you overpaid for less of a life experiance. But hey, you attended Harvard, and got better training than the military pilots!!! Hooray!!!

Find the best school for whatever degree you are seeking. After you get settled down at school go to the closest municipal airport and check out the flight schools. You see every college in america offers flight training they just don't know it. Plus when you get done you will have more money in your pocket or less debt. Just depends on how you are paying for school. JMHO

I agree with those who say not to get an aviation degree. I would also advise to stay away from private aviation universities.

In the end it is all about bang for the buck. I would recommend a public state university, preferably in-state. There have been several studies over the last few years and state universities end up being ranked for best value - quality of education, earning potential after graduation at lowest cost.

If you are totally set on getting an aviation degree, there are plenty of state schools with good solid programs. Do not let titles like "Harvard of the Skies" and fancy brochures con you into spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, because in the end you get furloughed based on seniority, not alma mater. And when walking the unemployment line the lower the student loan debt, the better off you will be.

Throwing my vote in for OU.

Wow, a forum that is actually trying to mentor the next generation of pilots. I don't usually take place in these discussions but I could not resist this one, so, here is two cents from me, a current active duty USAF T-1 Instructor Pilot who is about to retire and join Delta Airlines as I was recently hired. Also, I currently fly and work with graduates from all of the aforementioned universities and schools to include USAFA, West Point, and the Naval Academy and all of these Military Academies were listed in the top ten schools from which you can receive the best education possible, right up there with Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Brown, Duke, etc...

Credentials:
BSBA - Finance Auburn University
MAS - ERAU (paid for by USAF)
USAF Air Command and Staff College
Flight Experience- 5000 hrs of military (C-9A, C-141B, T-37B student/IP, T-1 IP, T-38A student time); 300 hours of civilian flying time at a USAF Aeroclub in college
USAF Flight Safety School
USAF Advanced Instruments School

First and foremost, you can't compare USAFA with ERAU (Watermelon to Oranges) The Air Force Academy does not offer flight training (neither does AFROTC), rather, it merely uses it's fleet of aircraft to screen pilot candidates for aptitude and potential in whether or not the government should continue to invest millions of dollars in training and developing that person into becoming one of the world's best pilots by sending him/her to USAF, Navy, or Army helo pilot training. I know a lot of you civilian pilots will take this personnally (please don't), but hands down, you won't find better pilot training anywhere in the world outside of the USAF, Navy, or Army. That does not mean that we are better pilots, just that we have better training, equipment, more highly trained instructors, and probably more highly educated people. The U.S. government spends money on it's warriors for a reason and that is to develop them into the best trained leaders, rescuers, killers, fighters, and contingency force in the world in order to protect this country, and let me tell you, we are masters of our craft (just ask Al Qaeda, the Taliban, and every third world country we rescue from disaster when we show up). Hands down, the best training in the world. It sounds like your desires and goals do not lend itself to this dedicated lifestyle, so, the USAFA or AFROTC is probably not an option for you anyway, besides, it is very competitive to get into the military flying brotherhood and we breed some of the most intelligent folks I have ever had the privilege to serve with, fly with, flight instruct with, live with, celebrate with, party with, cry with, and learn from. ERAU or any other institution really are poor comparisons. Always consider the sources of magazines......those authors are usually uncredentialed and use words for entertainment and to make a living/sell magazines.

Second, in addition to academy grads, I work with tons of folks that got their degrees from ERAU, Perdue, Illinois, Illinois Carbondale, North Dakota, Auburn University, and many other aviation programs and I agree with the previous posts that say, get a degree in something other than aviation. Develop a diverse educational background which will serve your potential future marketability and needs. This way, if you ever lose your medical, you will have a backup plan. I'm paraphrasing but I saw the one post where the guy said that "a Finance degree would not be helpful due to the recent turmoil in the financial industry...", this is hogwash, their will always be a need for those who understand the nuances of the financial industry, banking, etc.... Also, if you would like to fly for the DEA (for whom I once interviewed with), FBI, CIA, Border Patrol, etc...they all require a 4 year Accredited UNIVERSITY degree in a technical field such as engineering, advanced mathematics, accounting, foreign language studies, and criminal justice just to name a few. So, if all you want to do is become an airline pilot one day, just go to any myriad of dedicated 141 flight schools in the united states and just dedicate yourself to being the best, most expert pilot you can possibly be. Due to the demise of general aviation since 911 with rising fuel costs, the aviation industry is forecasting a world-wide pilot shortage by 2015. Why do you think companies like Delta, FedEx, SW, Air Emirates, and others are ginning up their hiring/training departments very rapidly. Just make yourself marketable by diversifying your backround. Get as many ratings, type ratings, flying hours, and degrees that you can so that you make all other applicants pale in comparison when the Chief pilot of company XXXXX holds you application next to 10,000 other ones.

Finally, I would like to put in a plug for my Alma Mater......If you like flying, beautiful women, and college football, all located in a fair weather environment where you are close to both the Gulf of Mexico, the East Coast and you are interested in getting a degree in almost any field of study you want to include Aviation Mangement, Aviation Operations, engineering, mathematics, foreign language, criminal justice, then I've got two words for you buddy........WAR EAGLE!!!!!!

However, the average ACT score to get in as an udergrad is 26.5.

God Bless in your future flying career.

Cheese -

That was a very informative post, but are you sure about this sentence?
I know quite a few who have interviewed and looked into some of these jobs (including myself) who don't have a technical degree, and I was not told that I didn't qualify. I'll agree that those degrees make you look better - especially since you might have a special power that they are very interested in (like speaking Pashto for example :eek:), but not "require[d]".

USMCFLYR

I'd be looking at a science degree from Embry-Riddle, particularly if you can score it on Uncle Sam's tab. All of the people who tell me they "don't need no college" are E-5's, I mean how far do you want to go, all the way right?

I went to Riddle in the 80's and now fly for AA. Military training is always the best as described by previous posts but in the case of AA an awful lot of guys that were civilian trained went to ERAU. More so than any other school. I think Perdue comes in a close second. Is ERAU worth the money? Probably not. It is, however, well known with recruiters and still enjoys a good reputation for good, standardized fight training within the various Flight Departments. So if you want to spend a fortune to get a job with little pay, no pension (in most cases), and no future then by all means, knock yourself out! For what it's worth..

University of Minnesota @ Crookston Learn to spray from the best.

I am involved in the hiring process at a Major and I can tell you that the degree from ERAU is something that you will have get beyond during the interview. It is actually strike one for me unless you answer some of the questions correctly right out of the box.

That is really a shame that you discriminate someone based on them going to any school, some ERAU alumni must have really left a bad impression on you. Most of the interviewers I have known try to remain indiferent on what University someone went to just as long as they did well and were involved in a Aviation program or not. I am sure you have your reasons, I would be interested in why you don't like the ERAU degree. Feel free to PM me if you don't want to post it on here.

Ockham isn't with SWA, FEDEX, or UAL since they happen to like the ERAU degree, in fact
they tend to be safer pilots as history has shown us.

And the evidence for this claim (vs. other university flight programs)?