Best Aviation Management Schools Near Fort Walton Beach, FL

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Fort Walton Beach, Florida is home to about 20,956 residents. Median household income is $66,556 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 27.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Florida, the top-earning aviation management-related role is Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at a median $225,020 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Aviation Management Schools to Fort Walton Beach

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer aviation management programs near Fort Walton Beach, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Fort Walton Beach city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Fort Walton Beach. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Florida State College at Jacksonville

Jacksonville, FL 295.6 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,244
Avg net price $4,128/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, FL 298.9 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,010
Avg net price $25,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Southeastern University

Lakeland, FL 328.2 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
32.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 53%
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,744
Avg net price $31,942/yr
Tuition
In‑state$32,950
Out‑of‑state$32,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Polk State College

Winter Haven, FL 338.9 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 33%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,624
Avg net price $9,427/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 38

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach, FL 344.7 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
56.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 66%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,131
Avg net price $41,272/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide

Daytona Beach, FL 344.7 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 31%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $84,131
Avg net price $18,725/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 64%
  • Programs offered: 31

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Florida Institute of Technology

Melbourne, FL 396.4 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $43,137
Avg net price $35,639/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Florida Institute of Technology-Online

Melbourne, FL 396.4 miles from Fort Walton Beach
  • 4 year
  • Exclusively online
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida aviation management page.

Aviation Management Wages Near Fort Walton Beach

Fort Walton Beach is part of the Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL metro area (BLS area code 18880). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $225,020 FL statewide $231,979
Commercial Pilots $126,270 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $130,175
Air Traffic Controllers $147,530 FL statewide $152,093
Airfield Operations Specialists $57,650 FL statewide $59,433
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $93,930 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $96,835
Logisticians $100,420 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL $103,526
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $62,240 FL statewide $64,165
Flight Attendants $47,320 FL statewide $48,784

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Fort Walton Beach at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 20,956 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $66,556 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 27.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Fort Walton Beach-Area Cities With Aviation Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying aviation management roles near Fort Walton Beach?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying aviation management-related roles near Fort Walton Beach are: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($225,020), Air Traffic Controllers ($147,530), Commercial Pilots ($126,270). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Crestview instead of Fort Walton Beach?

Crestview, FL is 22.5 miles from Fort Walton Beach and has its own set of local aviation management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Fort Walton Beach an affordable place to study aviation management?

Fort Walton Beach’s median household income of $66,556 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Fort Walton Beach while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Aviation Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Fort Walton Beach

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Fort Walton Beach:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Aviation Management Schools in Florida (2026)