2026 Best Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew Schools in California
Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew students pursuing a degree.
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Featured Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
Best Schools for Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew
Leading the list is California Baptist University, our #1 school for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew. Set in the city of Riverside, California Baptist University is a large private not-for-profit institution. About 62% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 18 airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew students who graduated with this degree at California Baptist University in the most recent data year. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates of California Baptist University earn a median of $48,989 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $28,169 to complete this degree.
See the full airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew program report for California Baptist University
Orange Coast College is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew, ranking #2. Orange Coast College is a very large public school located in the city of Costa Mesa. Orange Coast College awarded about 36 airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degrees in the most recent data year. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates of Orange Coast College earn a median of $46,306 early in their careers. Orange Coast College graduates carry a median of $8,978 in student loans.
More information about a degree in airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew from Orange Coast College
A rank of #3 makes Cypress College one of the top schools for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew. Cypress College is a very large public school located in the city of Cypress. Cypress College awarded about 41 airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degrees in the most recent data year.
See the full airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew program report for Cypress College
Students looking for a strong airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew program will find one at San Diego Miramar College, which ranked #4. Set in the city of San Diego, San Diego Miramar College is a very large public institution. San Diego Miramar College awarded about 21 airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degree from San Diego Miramar College earn around $41,038 in the first couple years of their career. San Diego Miramar College graduates carry a median of $8,098 in student loans.
See the full airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew program report for San Diego Miramar College
Students looking for a strong airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew program will find one at Mt San Antonio College, which ranked #5. Set in the suburb of Walnut, Mt San Antonio College is a very large public institution. Mt San Antonio College awarded about 51 airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degree recipients from Mt San Antonio College generally make around $44,391. Mt San Antonio College graduates carry a median of $9,384 in student loans.
Read more about the airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew program at Mt San Antonio College
Fullerton College ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew schools. Fullerton College is a very large public school located in the suburb of Fullerton. There were roughly 10 airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew students who graduated with this degree at Fullerton College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew from Fullerton College
Santa Barbara Business College Ventura placed #7 among the best airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew schools. Located in the suburb of Bakersfield, Santa Barbara Business College Ventura is a small private for-profit university. About 30% of students finish within six years. Santa Barbara Business College Ventura awarded about 46 airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degree from Santa Barbara Business College Ventura earn around $52,656 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $30,024 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew from Santa Barbara Business College Ventura
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 12 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
