Best Colleges?
 

Hi, I'm in High School and I was looking at Aviation schools. I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on which are the best ones and if airlines are most likely to hire someone coming from a certain college?

Get a degree in something other than aviation so you will have a backup if something happens in the industry. Pick something you enjoy studying.

Pick one that has a warm climate and a high ratio of women.

If you want to like never be unemployed, get a 4-year degree in Computer Science or similar field in IT. Healthcare fields are good too, but many require more than 4-year degree.

Assuming two equal candidates, it could give you an edge, but for the cost of going to one of these schools, you could gain an edge elsewhere and do it cheaper. Hours, pilot in command time, type ratings, experience, and so on, these are what the airlines look at first. Rarely are two candidates ever equal. Everything else being equal, they'll take the guy with more experience. The requirement to have a degree is a box-checking item, there is no specific requirement. The "aviation schools" will try to convince you that you need to go to their school and you need to get through their program "as fast as possible" because "right now is the best time to get into aviation" and a "huge hiring spree" is forecast, but they always say that stuff, constantly. They just want you to come and spend money. Many of them do have good programs, but the problem is the cost and that program doesn't have any real tangible benefit. It's not like where you go and get an MD and then are on a path to earn doctor-money because of your required medical schooling. If there was some way to go right into a 737 as a first officer right out of college, there might be some benefit, but that's not how aviation works, it works on experience, and that experience that you get working up to that job in the 737 will be a lot more recent than a few college classes years ago, so it's hard to find a lot of benefit in it. If you have hundreds of thousands of dollars to burn and do not have to take out loans, what the heck, go for it. If not, that money is better used elsewhere, like for living on while you are getting experience flying.

Unless you are independently wealthy, get a degree in something that has a broad value base. Be an accountant, start a plumbing company, and fly for fun. You will be semi retired around the time your pilot buddies find a decent paying job.

It doesn't matter where you go to school, unless you're going to work on Wall Street in a firm which caters their hiring to specific Ivy League colleges.

DO NOT get a degree in aviation science, like others have already suggested. Do something else which can be used as a fallback should your aviation career stall.

DO NOT use loans to go to school. DO NOT use loans to go to school.

Go to a local community college and work your way through your non-aviation degree (PAY YOUR WAY THROUGH SCHOOL). Then transfer to a larger state college and complete your non-aviation degree.

Go discuss flying with the local Reserve or Guard unit (Guard preferred). Apply to go to USAF Undergraduate Pilot Training through the Reserve or Guard.

Work in the Reserve/Guard (enlisted probably) as you complete your degree. After graduating, go to UPT.

Post UPT, fly with the Guard and apply to regionals. Build time.

Apply to your dream aviation job.

Win.

DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!
DO NOT GO INTO DEBT FOR AN AVIATION DEGREE!!!

What PTB said, proven winning route to the destination you are aiming for!

GF

Proven?
PTB Is this what you did?
Is the purpose for enlisting in the guard during college mainly for tuition funds, gaining connections, or something else?
Thanks

Oh brother. Don't use loans to go to school? That's seriously your advice?

I can get behind getting a non-aviation related degree. But if loans get you where you need to be faster, than you just need to weigh whether or not the time saved is worth it.

Debt is a powerful tool that is at your disposal. Don't abuse it and don't take be stupid with it, and it can greatly benefit you.

If I had to choose between taking out loans to finish flying in a year, or not utilizing debt and taking 4 years to work and fly to get to the same point, I'd go debt without hesitation.

I don't know how long the military route would take you, but if it got you there in the same amount of time, then sure, go that route.