Have We Made Progress? Trends in Minority Participation in Postsecondary Aviation Education

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the trends in participation by minorities who completed professional pilot education programs in the United States. Data concerning the number of students who completed degrees at the associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s levels was collected via the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). It was found that minorities, including women, now make up 30.0 percent of the professional pilot program student body. These participation rates were found to be higher than those found among the pilot population and in the aviation industry in general. The level of involvement of minorities in aviation higher education has shown consistent improvement over the past decade.