Best Aviation Management Schools Near Wilmington, NC (2026)

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

Wilmington, North Carolina has 1 accredited school offering aviation management programs. Wilmington has a population of about 118,578. Median household income is $63,900 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 45.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Wilmington, NC metro area, the top-earning aviation management-related role is Commercial Pilots at a median $172,320 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Aviation Management Schools to Wilmington

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

University of Mount Olive

Mount Olive, NC 69.7 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
48.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,139
Avg net price $18,853/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 74%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Elizabeth City State University

Elizabeth City, NC 171.2 miles from Wilmington
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 44%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,026
Avg net price $6,364/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 23

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Aviation Management Wages Near Wilmington

Wilmington is part of the Wilmington, NC metro area (BLS area code 48900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to North Carolina statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers $151,540 NC statewide $157,199
Commercial Pilots $172,320 Wilmington, NC $178,755
Air Traffic Controllers $129,230 NC statewide $134,056
Airfield Operations Specialists $45,820 NC statewide $47,531
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers $97,080 Wilmington, NC $100,705
Logisticians $77,850 Wilmington, NC $80,757
Aircraft Cargo Handling Supervisors $59,130 NC statewide $61,338
Flight Attendants N/A NC 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.

Wilmington at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 118,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $63,900 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 45.8% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wilmington-Area Cities With Aviation Management Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited aviation management schools are near Wilmington, NC?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering aviation management programs near Wilmington. The closest is University of Mount Olive in Mount Olive, NC (69.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Mount Olive (69.7 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying aviation management-related roles near Wilmington are: Commercial Pilots ($172,320), Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers ($151,540), Air Traffic Controllers ($129,230). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with North Carolina statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Jacksonville instead of Wilmington?

Jacksonville, NC is 45.6 miles from Wilmington 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 Wilmington an affordable place to study aviation management?

Wilmington’s median household income of $63,900 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wilmington while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and North Carolina 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 Wilmington

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

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.

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