by our College Data Analytics Team
[Air Transportation](/majors/transportation-materials-handling/air-transportation/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. A top-earning program sends graduates into careers with strong starting pay.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 11 schools on the early-career earnings of their air transportation graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose air transportation graduates go on to earn the most.
Our analysis ranked Ohio University Main Campus the top school for air transportation graduate earnings in the Great Lakes Region. Ohio University Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Athens. After graduating, air transportation degree recipients from Ohio University Main Campus typically earn about $75,280 annually.
Purdue University Main Campus came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying air transportation schools. Purdue University Main Campus is a public school located in the city of West Lafayette. Students who complete the air transportation program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,095.
Strong graduate earnings at Kent State University At Kent earned it the #3 place for air transportation. Set in the suburb of Kent, Kent State University At Kent is a public institution. Air Transportation graduates of Kent State University At Kent earn a median of about $78,760 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in air transportation will find them at Ohio State University Main Campus, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Columbus, Ohio State University Main Campus is a public institution. Early-career air transportation graduates from Ohio State University Main Campus make a median of around $79,569 per year.
Strong graduate earnings at Lewis University earned it the #5 place for air transportation. Lewis University is a private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Romeoville. After graduating, air transportation degree recipients from Lewis University typically earn about $78,785 annually.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #6 spot for air transportation salaries this year. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution. Air Transportation graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of about $70,846 a year early in their careers.
Western Michigan University landed the #7 spot for air transportation salaries this year. Located in the city of Kalamazoo, Western Michigan University is a public institution. Early-career air transportation graduates from Western Michigan University make a median of around $77,215 per year.
Indiana State University earned the #8 position for air transportation graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Terre Haute, Indiana State University is a public institution. After graduating, air transportation degree recipients from Indiana State University typically earn about $64,669 annually.
Eastern Michigan University earned the #9 position for air transportation graduate earnings this year. Eastern Michigan University is a public school located in the suburb of Ypsilanti. Early-career air transportation graduates from Eastern Michigan University make a median of around $40,846 per year.
Northwestern Michigan College came in at #10 for air transportation graduate earnings this year. Northwestern Michigan College is a public school located in the city of Traverse City. Early-career air transportation graduates from Northwestern Michigan College make a median of around $37,988 per year.
Bowling Green State University Main Campus earned the #11 position for air transportation graduate earnings this year. Bowling Green State University Main Campus is a public school located in the town of Bowling Green. Early-career air transportation graduates from Bowling Green State University Main Campus make a median of around $33,172 per year.
The ranking above is published by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries air transportation graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 11 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.