Aviation · Illinois

Aviation colleges in Illinois

CampusPin lists 116 U.S. colleges in Illinois that offer Aviation programs. Compare tuition, acceptance rate, and enrollment in the table below, every figure links back to the institution's official IPEDS data.

Aviation trains students to fly and navigate fixed-wing aircraft, building the cockpit skills and federal certifications needed to work as professional pilots and flight crew.

Schools in Illinois that offer Aviation

Aviation programs in Illinois: by the numbers

A quick comparison of the 50 schools (of 116 total) listed above, drawn from each institution's published IPEDS data.

Schools listed

116

Public / private

21 / 29

Universities / 2-year

32 / 18

Cities represented

33

In-state tuition range

$3,180–$55,704

Median in-state tuition

$18,807

Lowest published in-state tuition

Elgin Community College

$3,180

Most selective

Chicago State University

41% acceptance

Largest by enrollment

Chamberlain University-Illinois

28,871 students

Figures reflect the schools currently listed and each institution's most recent reported data. Verify current tuition and admissions details with the school before applying.

What you'll study in a Aviation program

  • Aircraft systems, controls, and performance fundamentals
  • Aerodynamics and principles of flight
  • Flight crew operations, checklists, and emergency procedures
  • Navigation procedures and onboard navigation systems
  • Radio communications and air traffic control phraseology
  • Aviation weather, meteorology, and flight planning
  • Airspace structure, safety, and federal aviation regulations
  • Instrument flight and multi-engine operations in simulators and the cockpit
  • Crew resource management and aeronautical decision-making

Where a Aviation degree can lead

  • Commercial Pilot
  • Airline First Officer
  • Flight Instructor
  • Corporate Pilot
  • Charter Pilot
  • Aviation Operations Manager

Typical pay: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 commercial pilots median $122,670).

An Aviation major teaches the practical and technical work of operating commercial, cargo, corporate, agricultural, public-service, and rescue fixed-wing aircraft. Students study how aircraft are designed and how they perform, how flight systems and controls behave in the air, and how flight crews run standard and emergency procedures. Coursework covers navigation systems and procedures, radio communications with air traffic control, weather and airspace safety, and the federal rules that govern piloting. Much of the program happens in the cockpit and in simulators rather than only in lecture halls, so learning is built around supervised flight hours that move from basic handling toward complex, instrument-based, and multi-engine operations. This is distinct from aviation management, which centers on running airports and airline operations from the ground, and from aerospace engineering, which centers on designing and analyzing the aircraft themselves.

Aviation is offered as both an academic degree and a structured flight-training pathway, and the credential that actually lets a graduate fly for hire comes from federal pilot certification rather than the diploma alone. Becoming a professional pilot generally requires earning federal certificates and ratings in sequence, accumulating logged flight time, passing written knowledge tests and practical check rides, and holding a medical certificate; programmatic accreditation and these certification requirements should be verified with the relevant federal authority and the program before enrolling. Many students earn instructor credentials to log additional hours while teaching. Graduates fly for passenger and cargo carriers, charter and corporate flight departments, flight schools, agricultural operators, and public-service and emergency aviation, with crew roles that progress from first officer toward captain as experience grows.

In federal data for the closely related occupation of commercial pilots, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $122,670 and projects employment to grow about 5.1% from 2024 to 2034; a postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.

Aviation in other states

Other majors in Illinois

Find more Aviation schools

Use CampusPin's filter-first search to narrow 116+ Aviation programs in Illinois by tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting.

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