Best Transportation Colleges in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 53 Transportation programs in the United States by median earnings of Transportation graduates four years after completing. Texas A&M University-College Station leads the list at $124,645, followed by Massachusetts Maritime Academy at $119,916 and Cal Poly Maritime Academy at $117,176.
Across the 49 schools with a reported completion median, median earnings range from $124,645 to $26,353, with a median of $81,394. For 4 of the listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions make up 77% of the list, with 41 public and 12 private nonprofit schools. CUNY York College posts the lowest average net price at $4,456, while Ohio State University-Main Campus reports the highest six-year completion rate at 88%.
Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking among the 1,467 public and private nonprofit four-year institutions Azimuth ranks nationally.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Median Transportation Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $124,645 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station reports $124,645 in median earnings for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, and ranks 25th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Marine Transportation (63 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Marine Transportation ($124,645) | |||||
| 2 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy · Buzzards Bay, MA | $119,916 | $21,582 | $8,757 | 94.7% |
| With a six-year completion rate of 74%, Massachusetts Maritime Academy posts median earnings of $119,916 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Marine Transportation (49 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Marine Transportation ($119,916) | |||||
| 3 | Cal Poly Maritime Academy · Vallejo, CA | $117,176 | $20,555 | $13,552 | 95.0% |
| Cal Poly Maritime Academy admits 95% of applicants and its Transportation graduates earn a median of $117,176 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Marine Transportation (66 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Marine Transportation ($117,176) | |||||
| 4 | SUNY Maritime College · Throggs Neck, NY | $115,831 | $22,367 | $11,726 | 72.4% |
| SUNY Maritime College carries an average net price of $22,367, and its Transportation graduates report median earnings of $115,831 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Marine Transportation (167 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Marine Transportation ($115,831) | |||||
| 5 | United States Merchant Marine Academy · Kings Point, NY | $107,654 | $6,174 | $1,773 | 34.2% |
| United States Merchant Marine Academy posts an admission rate of 34% and its Transportation graduates earn a median of $107,654 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Marine Transportation (113 graduates) | |||||
| 6 | University of North Dakota · Grand Forks, ND | $104,472 | $18,551 | $13,126 | 76.9% |
| University of North Dakota reports median earnings of $104,472 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 60%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (298 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($104,472) | |||||
| 7 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $103,858 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato shows an average net price of $19,139, and its Transportation graduates earn a median of $103,858 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (75 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($103,858) | |||||
| 8 | Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus · Portales, NM | $103,617 | $4,904 | $3,663 | 91.7% |
| Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus posts median earnings of $103,617 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $4,904. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (30 graduates) | |||||
| 9 | Maine Maritime Academy · Castine, ME | $103,417 | $23,414 | $9,511 | 54.1% |
| Maine Maritime Academy admits 54% of applicants and its Transportation graduates report median earnings of $103,417 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Marine Transportation (49 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Marine Transportation ($103,417) | |||||
| 10 | Liberty University · Lynchburg, VA | $102,096 | $29,357 | $30,667 | 99.0% |
| Liberty University reports median earnings of $102,096 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, and ranks 79th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (440 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($102,096) | |||||
| 11 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $99,701 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
| Ohio University-Main Campus shows a six-year completion rate of 65%, and its Transportation graduates earn a median of $99,701 four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (33 graduates) | |||||
| 12 | Middle Georgia State University · Macon, GA | $93,627 | $12,361 | $10,668 | 99.7% |
| Middle Georgia State University posts median earnings of $93,627 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, with an admission rate of 100%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (114 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($93,627) | |||||
| 13 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $91,648 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University reports median earnings of $91,648 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, alongside a six-year completion rate of 46%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (31 graduates) | |||||
| 14 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $91,081 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| With an admission rate of 77%, University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus ranks 14th on this list and posts an average net price of $15,300. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (45 graduates) | |||||
| 15 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $89,564 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
| Western Michigan University carries an average net price of $5,263 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 353rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (214 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($89,564) | |||||
| 16 | Lewis University · Romeoville, IL | $87,197 | $17,028 | $10,382 | 71.3% |
| A private nonprofit university, Lewis University graduates 67% of its students within six years and reports median earnings of $87,197 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (104 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($87,197) | |||||
| 17 | Everglades University · Boca Raton, FL | $86,730 | $27,371 | $25,556 | 81.5% |
| Everglades University ranks 17th on this list, with an average net price of $27,371 and an admission rate of 81%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (64 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($86,730) | |||||
| 18 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $86,161 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus posts a six-year completion rate of 83% and median earnings of $86,161 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (115 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($86,161) | |||||
| 19 | University of Dubuque · Dubuque, IA | $86,081 | $23,386 | $18,106 | 88.6% |
| With an admission rate of 89%, University of Dubuque reports an average net price of $18,106 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 1010th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (73 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($86,081) | |||||
| 20 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $85,147 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
| Kansas State University ranks 20th on this list, with median earnings of $85,147 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing and a six-year completion rate of 71%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (56 graduates) | |||||
| 21 | Saint Louis University · Saint Louis, MO | $83,903 | $24,398 | $22,501 | 75.0% |
| A private nonprofit university, Saint Louis University admits 75% of applicants and reports an average net price of $24,398. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (33 graduates) | |||||
| 22 | Westminster University · Salt Lake City, UT | $83,574 | $27,094 | $22,972 | 66.6% |
| Westminster University graduates 64% of its students within six years and posts median earnings of $83,574 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (19 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($83,574) | |||||
| 23 | Louisiana Tech University · Ruston, LA | $83,323 | $11,864 | $7,676 | 86.4% |
| Louisiana Tech University carries an average net price of $7,676 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 428th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (46 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($83,323) | |||||
| 24 | Florida Institute of Technology · Melbourne, FL | $83,243 | $35,639 | $29,108 | 57.7% |
| Florida Institute of Technology reports median earnings of $83,243 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 58%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (89 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($83,243) | |||||
| 25 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $81,394 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale reports median earnings of $81,394 for its Transportation graduates four years after completing, and its six-year completion rate is 62%. | |||||
Largest programs by graduates in the earnings cohort: Air Transportation (150 graduates) Highest four-year median earnings by program: Air Transportation ($81,394) | |||||
How this list is ordered
Schools are ordered by the median earnings of their Transportation graduates four years after completing, or two years for programs that report only a two-year figure, highest first. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided Transportation graduates who were working and not enrolled, measured after completing. For 4 of the 53 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The figures cited on this page cover the 49 schools with a reported completion median. Texas A&M University-College Station leads Massachusetts Maritime Academy by $4,729, and the spread from top to bottom reaches $98,292.
Job market context in the United States
The occupations linked to Transportation in the United States include such as Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, Light Truck Drivers, and Industrial Truck and Tractor Operators. The median annual wage across those occupations is $58,925, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $48,047. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 4.4% higher, with 489,900 projected openings a year, or about 8,014 openings a year for every hundred graduates, suggesting more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses the median earnings of Transportation graduates four years after completing, which is a separate measure from the occupational wage and demand figures described here.
Related rankings
- Transportation Colleges for Social Mobility