Air Transportation: is this bachelor's degree worth it?
National picture across 59 reporting college programs.
MODELED SCENARIO · 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.
This is a positive modeled result. Price, time to finish and future earnings can still change the outcome.
6.5 yrsModeled economic break-even
+53%Modeled 10-year ROI
$83,283Observed earnings · year 4
Observed national outcomes
$83,283Median reported earnings · year 4
$75,519Average reported earnings · year 5
$24,500Median federal debt
78thYear-4 earnings percentile at this credential
59Reporting programs
54With year-4 earnings
The same field can produce a different equation.
Keep the federal field fixed and compare observed outcomes at every reportable credential level. These are separate graduate cohorts—not a promise that more schooling causes the difference.
OPEN PROFILE
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $41,061
- Federal debt
- $6,333
- Reporting programs
- 4
Associate's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $75,637
- Federal debt
- $14,803
- Reporting programs
- 18
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $83,283
- Federal debt
- $24,500
- Reporting programs
- 59
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $113,161
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Reporting programs
- 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.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
Related occupations
Official CIP–SOC links add career context without claiming that every graduate enters the same job.
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight EngineersSOC 53-2011 · 2 crosswalk linksCommercial PilotsSOC 53-2012 · 2 crosswalk linksTransportation, Storage, and Distribution ManagersSOC 11-3071 · 2 crosswalk linksAir Traffic ControllersSOC 53-2021 · 1 crosswalk linksAirfield Operations SpecialistsSOC 53-2022 · 1 crosswalk linksFirst-Line Supervisors of Passenger AttendantsSOC 53-1044 · 1 crosswalk linksFlight AttendantsSOC 53-2031 · 1 crosswalk linksNO MATCHSOC 99-9999 · 1 crosswalk links
Same degree, different outcomes
Compare reported outcomes using the same federal field and credential. ROI uses each institution’s average net price as a scenario—not an individual aid offer.
| # | College | Location | Earnings, year 4 | Federal debt | 10-year ROI | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Utah Valley UniversityBachelor's Degree | Orem, UT | $106,001 | $23,500 | +197% | Strong payoff |
| 2 | University of North DakotaBachelor's Degree | Grand Forks, ND | $104,472 | $22,769 | +134% | Strong payoff |
| 3 | Utah State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Logan, UT | $103,989 | $25,500 | +146% | Strong payoff |
| 4 | Minnesota State University-MankatoBachelor's Degree | Mankato, MN | $103,858 | $20,500 | +129% | Strong payoff |
| 5 | Eastern New Mexico University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Portales, NM | $103,617 | $17,108 | +194% | Strong payoff |
| 6 | Liberty UniversityBachelor's Degree | Lynchburg, VA | $102,096 | $24,874 | +92% | Positive payoff |
| 7 | Ohio University-Eastern CampusBachelor's Degree | Saint Clairsville, OH | $99,701 | $25,000 | +180% | Strong payoff |
| 8 | Ohio University-Chillicothe CampusBachelor's Degree | Chillicothe, OH | $99,701 | $25,000 | +169% | Strong payoff |
| 9 | Ohio University-Southern CampusBachelor's Degree | Ironton, OH | $99,701 | $25,000 | +168% | Strong payoff |
| 10 | Ohio University-Lancaster CampusBachelor's Degree | Lancaster, OH | $99,701 | $25,000 | +170% | Strong payoff |
| 11 | Ohio University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Athens, OH | $99,701 | $25,000 | +105% | Strong payoff |
| 12 | Ohio University-Zanesville CampusBachelor's Degree | Zanesville, OH | $99,701 | $25,000 | +169% | Strong payoff |
| 13 | Middle Georgia State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Macon, GA | $93,627 | $22,700 | +112% | Strong payoff |
| 14 | Eastern Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ypsilanti, MI | $91,648 | $29,750 | +93% | Positive payoff |
| 15 | University of Oklahoma-Norman CampusBachelor's Degree | Norman, OK | $91,081 | $25,250 | +91% | Positive payoff |
| 16 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-PrescottBachelor's Degree | Prescott, AZ | $90,495 | $22,000 | +33% | Positive payoff |
| 17 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona BeachBachelor's Degree | Daytona Beach, FL | $90,495 | $22,000 | +32% | Positive payoff |
| 18 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-WorldwideBachelor's Degree | Daytona Beach, FL | $90,495 | $22,000 | +78% | Positive payoff |
| 19 | Western Michigan UniversityBachelor's Degree | Kalamazoo, MI | $89,564 | $27,000 | +85% | Positive payoff |
| 20 | Lewis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Romeoville, IL | $87,197 | $24,873 | +70% | Positive payoff |
| 21 | Everglades UniversityBachelor's Degree | Boca Raton, FL | $86,730 | $42,750 | +44% | Positive payoff |
| 22 | Purdue University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | West Lafayette, IN | $86,161 | $21,250 | +73% | Positive payoff |
| 23 | University of DubuqueBachelor's Degree | Dubuque, IA | $86,081 | $26,250 | +50% | Positive payoff |
| 24 | Kansas State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Manhattan, KS | $85,147 | $21,500 | +56% | Positive payoff |
| 25 | Saint Louis UniversityBachelor's Degree | Saint Louis, MO | $83,903 | $27,000 | +40% | Positive payoff |
| 26 | Westminster UniversityBachelor's Degree | Salt Lake City, UT | $83,574 | Not available | +34% | Positive payoff |
| 27 | Louisiana Tech UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ruston, LA | $83,323 | $20,375 | +68% | Positive payoff |
| 28 | Florida Institute of TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Melbourne, FL | $83,243 | $27,000 | +19% | Positive payoff |
| 29 | Southern Illinois University-CarbondaleBachelor's Degree | Carbondale, IL | $81,394 | $20,500 | +56% | Positive payoff |
| 30 | University of Alaska AnchorageBachelor's Degree | Anchorage, AK | $80,981 | $25,000 | +49% | Positive payoff |
| 31 | Middle Tennessee State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Murfreesboro, TN | $80,424 | $21,992 | +52% | Positive payoff |
| 32 | Arizona State University Campus ImmersionBachelor's Degree | Tempe, AZ | $79,821 | $22,421 | +45% | Positive payoff |
| 33 | LeTourneau UniversityBachelor's Degree | Longview, TX | $79,277 | $27,000 | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 34 | Ohio State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Columbus, OH | $79,114 | $24,842 | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 35 | University of North TexasBachelor's Degree | Denton, TX | $78,166 | $23,573 | +37% | Positive payoff |
| 36 | Rocky Mountain CollegeBachelor's Degree | Billings, MT | $77,374 | $27,000 | +25% | Positive payoff |
| 37 | Vaughn College of Aeronautics and TechnologyBachelor's Degree | Flushing, NY | $76,979 | $24,500 | -6% | Negative payoff |
| 38 | Kent State University at KentBachelor's Degree | Kent, OH | $76,501 | $24,730 | +20% | Positive payoff |
| 39 | Bowling Green State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Bowling Green, OH | $75,845 | $25,000 | +12% | Positive payoff |
| 40 | Oklahoma State University-Main CampusBachelor's Degree | Stillwater, OK | $75,469 | $19,924 | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 41 | University of Nebraska at OmahaBachelor's Degree | Omaha, NE | $75,314 | $21,000 | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 42 | Central Washington UniversityBachelor's Degree | Ellensburg, WA | $74,997 | $19,500 | +18% | Positive payoff |
| 43 | Metropolitan State University of DenverBachelor's Degree | Denver, CO | $72,846 | $24,356 | +15% | Positive payoff |
| 44 | California Baptist UniversityBachelor's Degree | Riverside, CA | $72,629 | Not available | -3% | Negative payoff |
| 45 | Farmingdale State CollegeBachelor's Degree | Farmingdale, NY | $72,195 | $22,500 | +22% | Positive payoff |
| 46 | Indiana State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Terre Haute, IN | $71,254 | $24,500 | +17% | Positive payoff |
| 47 | California State University, Los AngelesBachelor's Degree | Los Angeles, CA | $70,508 | $15,132 | +30% | Positive payoff |
| 48 | Bridgewater State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bridgewater, MA | $70,215 | $26,939 | +3% | Positive payoff |
| 49 | Texas A&M University-Central TexasBachelor's Degree | Killeen, TX | $70,147 | Not available | +36% | Positive payoff |
| 50 | Eastern Kentucky UniversityBachelor's Degree | Richmond, KY | $66,943 | $23,781 | -2% | Negative payoff |
| 51 | University of Maryland Eastern ShoreBachelor's Degree | Princess Anne, MD | $62,080 | $27,000 | -27% | Negative payoff |
| 52 | CUNY York CollegeBachelor's Degree | Jamaica, NY | $57,665 | Not available | -36% | Negative payoff |
| 53 | Inter American University of Puerto Rico-BayamonBachelor's Degree | Bayamon, PR | $49,222 | $10,000 | -81% | Negative payoff |
| 54 | Auburn UniversityBachelor's Degree | Auburn, AL | Not available | $21,875 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $24,323 |
| 55 | Jacksonville UniversityBachelor's Degree | Jacksonville, FL | Not available | $25,125 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $25,180 |
| 56 | Delta State UniversityBachelor's Degree | Cleveland, MS | Not available | $21,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $13,540 |
| 57 | University of Central MissouriBachelor's Degree | Warrensburg, MO | Not available | $21,500 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $14,462 |
| 58 | California Aeronautical UniversityBachelor's Degree | Bakersfield, CA | Not available | $30,024 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | $36,126 |
| 59 | Florida Institute of Technology-OnlineBachelor's Degree | , | $83,243 | $27,000 | WithheldPrice-proxy sensitive | Not available |
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.