Best Aviation Management Schools Near Columbus, IN (2026)

Columbus, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering aviation management programs, with tuition ranging from $5,154 to $22,228 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 51,970. In Indiana, the top-earning aviation management-related role is Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers at a median $171,260 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Aviation Management Schools to Columbus

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer aviation management programs near Columbus, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbus 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 Columbus. 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

Ivy Tech Community College

Indianapolis, IN 43.1 miles from Columbus
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
49.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,186
Avg net price $7,258/yr
Tuition
In‑state$5,154
Out‑of‑state$9,935
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 176

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, IN 81.5 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
47.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $48,387
Avg net price $10,873/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 67%
  • Programs offered: 102

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Indiana Wesleyan University-National & Global

Marion, IN 91.0 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
57.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,986
Avg net price $16,898/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,208
Out‑of‑state$8,208
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 80

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Purdue University-Main Campus

West Lafayette, IN 99.5 miles from Columbus
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $72,424
Avg net price $14,600/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 198

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Aviation Management Wages Near Columbus

Columbus is part of the Columbus, IN metro area (BLS area code 18020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $171,260 IN statewide $184,151
Commercial Pilots $99,250 Columbus, IN $106,720
Air Traffic Controllers $158,810 IN statewide $170,763
Airfield Operations Specialists $37,730 IN statewide $40,570
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $108,720 IN statewide $116,903
Logisticians $100,720 Columbus, IN $108,301
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $75,880 IN statewide $81,591
Flight Attendants N/A IN statewide

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.


Columbus at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 93.0 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Columbus-Area Cities With Aviation Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited aviation management schools are near Columbus, IN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering aviation management programs near Columbus. The closest is Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis, IN (43.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Sinclair Community College (99.3 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying aviation management roles near Columbus?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying aviation management-related roles near Columbus are: Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($171,260), Air Traffic Controllers ($158,810), Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers ($108,720). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Seymour instead of Columbus?

Seymour, IN is 18.0 miles from Columbus 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.

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 Columbus

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Columbus:

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.