Air Transportation at Kent State University at Kent

Kent State's Air Transportation program starts below both national and state medians at $40,876, but then something interesting happens: graduates see a 62% earnings jump by year four, reaching $66,019. That's the kind of growth trajectory you want to see from a program where early career often means building flight hours and credentials before moving into higher-paying commercial or corporate aviation roles. Among Ohio's aviation programs, this ranks at the 60th percentile—solidly above the state median and notably ahead of Bowling Green's outcomes.

The $24,730 in median debt is perfectly aligned with national norms for this field, creating a manageable 0.61 debt-to-earnings ratio at graduation. Given that ratio improves dramatically as earnings climb, most graduates should comfortably handle their loan payments within a few years. The program's admission accessibility (87% acceptance rate) means it's reachable for many students, though the moderate sample size suggests it's a smaller program where individual career paths can vary more than at larger aviation schools.

If your child is committed to an aviation career and willing to weather the lower early earnings typical of this industry, Kent State delivers solid outcomes at a reasonable cost, with particularly strong earnings growth potential that outpaces many competing programs in Ohio.