Specialized Aviation High Schools
Why Aviation High Schools Exist
Most students don't discover aerospace until college — if they discover it at all. Aviation high schools flip that timeline. These are full high schools built entirely around aerospace: students learn to fly, build aircraft, earn FAA certifications, and work with NASA — all before they turn 18.
The 18 schools profiled here span the full range: a 90-year-old school in Queens with a Boeing 727 on the tarmac, a charter school in Alabama founded to bring Black students into aviation, a public academy in Virginia where students build ISS hardware, the largest in the country at 2,300 students in Palmdale, and early-college programs in Houston and Michigan that let students earn associate degrees alongside their diploma.
What they share is a belief that aerospace isn't an elective — it's the curriculum. Every student, every day, is learning through the lens of aviation.
Nearly all of these schools are free. Most are public schools, magnet programs, or public charter schools. Aviation High School Miami is private but covered by Florida vouchers for most students. You don't need money to attend an aviation high school.
School Directory
| School | Location | Grades | Cost | Students | What Makes It Different |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aviation Career & Technical Education HS | Queens, NY | 9-12 (+5th year) | Free | ~2,080 | Oldest aviation HS in the U.S. (1936). FAA A&P certification in 5th year at JFK Airport annex. Boeing 727 classroom. 96% graduation rate. |
| Raisbeck Aviation HS | Tukwila, WA | 9-12 | Free | ~400 | Adjacent to Museum of Flight and Boeing Field. 100% graduation rate. Washington's #5 high school. State-designated STEM lighthouse school. |
| Newport News Aviation Academy | Newport News, VA | 9-12 | Free | ~275 | Virginia's only aviation magnet. Dual campus with airport facility. 50-ft wind tunnel. Students build real aircraft and ISS hardware through NASA HUNCH. |
| Alabama Aerospace & Aviation HS | Bessemer, AL | 9-12 | Free | ~146 | Alabama's first aviation charter. 90% Black enrollment. Students can solo, earn mechanic licenses, and get drone certifications. $20M campus under construction. |
| St. Augustine Academy of Aviation | St. Augustine, FL | 9-12 | Free | — | Partnership with Embry-Riddle. Up to 15 ERAU college credits. NCATT certification. Professors teach on campus. Saves up to $10,000 in university tuition. |
| West Cabarrus Aviation Academy | Concord, NC | 9-12 | Free | — | Opened 2019 from scratch using free AOPA curriculum and Redbird simulators. Proves any district can build an aviation pathway. IB program alongside. |
| Aviation High School Miami | Miami, FL | 9-12 | $11,600/yr* | — | Private but free through FL vouchers. STEM.org accredited. Pilot and drone pathways. Dual enrollment at Miami Dade College. In-person, hybrid, or virtual. |
| AeroSTEM Academy | Yuba City, CA | 5-12 | Free | ~107 | On active airport campus. Grades 5-12 (one of few starting in middle school). 10:1 student-to-staff ratio. AOPA + Project Lead The Way curricula. |
| West Michigan Aviation Academy | Grand Rapids, MI | 9-12 | Free | ~608 | Public charter founded by Dick DeVos. Students can solo and earn a private pilot license before graduation. Strong dual enrollment with GVSU and GRCC. 95%+ graduation rate. |
| Rancho HS Aviation Magnet | Las Vegas, NV | 9-12 | Free | — | Aviation magnet program within Rancho High School (CCSD). FAA ground school, flight simulators, and drone technology. Students can earn Part 107 UAS certification. |
| Palmdale Aerospace Academy | Palmdale, CA | K-12 | Free | ~2,300 | Largest aerospace-focused school in the country. K-12 public charter in the heart of Edwards AFB and Skunk Works country. Project Lead The Way STEM and aviation pathways. |
| Sterling Aviation Early College HS | Houston, TX | 9-12 | Free | ~1,611 | Houston ISD early-college aviation high school. Students can earn up to 60 college credits (associate degree) through Houston Community College while completing high school. |
| Oklahoma Aviation Academy | Norman, OK | 9-12 | Free | ~100+ | Public charter on Max Westheimer Airport (University of Oklahoma). Ground school, flight training, and aircraft maintenance. Partnership with OU School of Aviation. |
| Davis Aerospace Technical HS | Detroit, MI | 9-12 | Free | ~100 | Detroit Public Schools aviation magnet. FAA A&P certification pathway. On-campus aircraft lab with real aircraft for hands-on maintenance training. |
| Davis Aerospace & Maritime HS | Cleveland, OH | 9-12 | Free | ~232 | CMSD aviation and maritime magnet. Aviation maintenance and drone technology tracks. Partnerships with NASA Glenn Research Center and local aviation industry. |
| EVIT Aviation & STEM Academy | Mesa, AZ | 11-12 | Free | — | East Valley Institute of Technology CTE program. Students from 10+ school districts attend half-day aviation classes. FAA ground school and Part 107 drone certification. |
| DuVal AEAT Program | Lanham, MD | 9-12 | Free | — | DuVal High School's Aviation, Engineering, and Aerospace Technology academy. PGCPS magnet. Near Joint Base Andrews. PLTW engineering + aviation curriculum. |
| Greenville Tech Charter HS | Greenville, SC | 9-12 | Free | — | Aviation maintenance program with Greenville Technical College dual enrollment. Located near major aerospace employers (GE Aviation, Lockheed Martin). Students work toward A&P certification. |
*Aviation HS Miami: most students attend free through Florida scholarship programs (FTC, FES-EO, Hope Scholarship).
How to Choose — and What If There Isn't One Near You
These 18 schools represent the best-documented aviation high schools in the country, but they're in 18 specific locations. If you don't live near one, here's what matters:
If you're near one of these schools — apply. The free public options are extraordinary opportunities. The application windows are typically fall through early spring. Some are lottery-based (Newport News), some are screened (Queens), some are open enrollment (AeroSTEM, Palmdale). Check each school's website for current enrollment procedures.
If you're not near one — you can build a comparable experience yourself:
- Ask your school to adopt the AOPA curriculum. It's completely free. West Cabarrus built their entire program from it in a single year. Any school can do this.
- Join Civil Air Patrol. 1,500+ squadrons nationwide. Free flight training, leadership development, and a direct path to a private pilot license.
- Apply to NASA HUNCH. Any high school with a shop or makerspace can participate. You'll build hardware that goes to the ISS.
- Take dual-enrollment aerospace courses. Many community colleges offer aviation courses that high school students can take for credit.
- Use online resources. Khan Academy (free), MIT OpenCourseWare (free), and Brilliant (paid) can give you the math and physics foundation that every aerospace career requires.
The school matters less than the student. Aviation high schools give you a head start, but they're not the only path. A student who joins CAP, volunteers at a local airport, takes AP Physics, and completes Khan Academy calculus has built an aerospace foundation just as strong as any high school graduate from this list.