2026 Best Air Transportation Schools in Illinois
Air Transportation programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for air transportation students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Air Transportation in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall air transportation education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Air Transportation
No school ranked higher than Lewis University this year for air transportation. Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Lewis University graduates 67% of students within six years. There were roughly 151 air transportation students who graduated with this degree at Lewis University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their air transportation degree from Lewis University earn around $39,228 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,873 to complete this degree.
Get the full air transportation details for Lewis University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in air transportation, ranking #2. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. Roughly 60% of students complete a degree within six years here. Southern Illinois University Carbondale awarded about 211 air transportation degrees in the most recent data year. Air Transportation graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $42,010 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $20,750.
Read more about the air transportation program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Students looking for a strong air transportation program will find one at Parkland College, which ranked #3. Parkland College is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of Champaign. There were roughly 76 air transportation students who graduated with this degree at Parkland College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, air transportation degree recipients from Parkland College generally make around $40,409. Students borrow a median of $10,168 to complete this degree.
See the full air transportation program report for Parkland College
Southwestern Illinois College came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best air transportation schools. Located in the suburb of Belleville, Southwestern Illinois College is a large public university. There were roughly 17 air transportation students who graduated with this degree at Southwestern Illinois College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, air transportation degree recipients from Southwestern Illinois College generally make around $44,345. Students borrow a median of $10,388 to complete this degree.
Get the full air transportation details for Southwestern Illinois College
More Air Transportation Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 10 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.
