BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Air Transportation worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 59 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$133,165 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
6.5 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+53%Estimated return after 10 years
$83,283Observed earnings · year 4
$50,708Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $33,291 per year below this threshold.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$202,830
$14,000Annual price+$146,830
$17,000Current college-wide context+$134,830
$28,000Annual price+$90,830
$42,000Annual price+$34,830
$56,000Annual price−$21,170
$70,000Annual price−$77,170
Outcomes at a glance
$83,283Typical earnings four years after completion
$75,519Average earnings five years after completion
$24,500Typical federal student debt
78thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
74Degrees awarded in 2024–25
54College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 6 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Air Transportation
How much do Air Transportation bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $83,283 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $24,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Air Transportation?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $75,469 to $91,081 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Air Transportation?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 8 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,061
- Federal debt
- $6,333
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $75,637
- Federal debt
- $14,803
- Programs in the comparison
- 18
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,283
- Federal debt
- $24,500
- Programs in the comparison
- 59
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $113,161
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 7
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$75,469National median$83,28375th percentile$91,081
54 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Utah Valley University
$106,001 four years after completionOrem, UT · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtEastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
$17,108 among completer borrowersPortales, NM · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach
586 reported awards in 2024–25Daytona Beach, FL · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$103,989Observed year-4 earnings$81,394
Utah Valley University$6,376 price · $106,001 earningsUniversity of North Dakota$18,551 price · $104,472 earningsUtah State University$14,936 price · $103,989 earningsMinnesota State University-Mankato$19,139 price · $103,858 earningsEastern New Mexico University-Main Campus$4,904 price · $103,617 earningsLiberty University$29,357 price · $102,096 earningsOhio University-Eastern Campus$3,925 price · $99,701 earningsOhio University-Chillicothe Campus$5,755 price · $99,701 earningsOhio University-Southern Campus$5,993 price · $99,701 earningsOhio University-Lancaster Campus$5,650 price · $99,701 earningsOhio University-Main Campus$21,637 price · $99,701 earningsOhio University-Zanesville Campus$5,746 price · $99,701 earningsMiddle Georgia State University$12,361 price · $93,627 earningsEastern Michigan University$15,407 price · $91,648 earningsUniversity of Oklahoma-Norman Campus$15,300 price · $91,081 earningsEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott$40,287 price · $90,495 earningsEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$41,272 price · $90,495 earningsEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide$18,725 price · $90,495 earningsWestern Michigan University$15,273 price · $89,564 earningsLewis University$17,028 price · $87,197 earningsEverglades University$27,371 price · $86,730 earningsPurdue University-Main Campus$14,600 price · $86,161 earningsUniversity of Dubuque$23,386 price · $86,081 earningsKansas State University$19,406 price · $85,147 earningsSaint Louis University$24,398 price · $83,903 earningsWestminster University$27,094 price · $83,574 earningsLouisiana Tech University$11,864 price · $83,323 earningsFlorida Institute of Technology$35,639 price · $83,243 earningsSouthern Illinois University-Carbondale$13,297 price · $81,394 earningsUniversity of Alaska Anchorage$15,301 price · $80,981 earnings
$4,904Annual college-wide average net price$35,639
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
30 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 25 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Utah Valley University$106,0012University of North Dakota$104,4723Utah State University$103,9894Minnesota State University-Mankato$103,8585Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus$103,6176Liberty University$102,0967Ohio University-Eastern Campus$99,7018Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus$99,7019Ohio University-Southern Campus$99,70110Ohio University-Lancaster Campus$99,701Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers$232,140 median wage103,560 jobs nationwide+8.3% projected growth through 2035 · 11,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$106,710–$463,830 typical wage rangeCommercial Pilots$123,220 median wage47,630 jobs nationwide+5.2% projected growth through 2035 · 5,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Postsecondary nondegree award$58,850–$266,620 typical wage rangeTransportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$107,230 median wage221,180 jobs nationwide+6.1% projected growth through 2035 · 18,300 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$65,120–$194,900 typical wage rangeAir Traffic Controllers$148,080 median wage22,510 jobs nationwide+1.7% projected growth through 2035 · 2,100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$78,420–$215,610 typical wage rangeFlight Attendants$63,580 median wage131,650 jobs nationwide+8.8% projected growth through 2035 · 18,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,110–$136,430 typical wage rangeAirfield Operations Specialists$56,850 median wage15,190 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 1,500 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$35,870–$102,120 typical wage rangeFirst-Line Supervisors of Passenger AttendantsUnreported jobs nationwideNO MATCHUnreported jobs nationwide
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
Where this degree has enough data to compare
State pages are published only when at least five operating colleges report year-4 earnings for this exact field and credential.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.