Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics has landed the No. 1 position on Forbes’ 2018 annual list of the nation’s Top Two-Year Trade Schools — which ranks academics, postgrad salary and debt load, citing that PIA alumni out-earn students from two thirds of Forbes’ highest-ranked four-year colleges at a fraction of the price.
In the article titled The Tiny Trade-School Ivy Outperforming Top Four-Year Colleges, Forbes’ Carter Coudriet cites that “in a job market that is only getting more competitive for the growing number of bachelor’s holders, an exemplary institution like PIA is exactly what’s needed by many students who aren’t thrilled by the prospect of spending another four years reading Shakespeare or grinding away at calculus. A top-tier trade school is a better option for lots of high school grads than either community college or a middling four-year program. Both of those paths can leave students mired in debt while pursuing a marginally practical degree.”
Suzanne Markle, President and CEO of the non-profit PIA states “Here we have this technical school that has a program that is attainable by many that, for the return on investment, is amazing. The job opportunities are so plentiful.”
For PIA, the endgame is getting its students jobs in the expanding aviation industry. With top-notch equipment that includes about a dozen aircraft and over 40 engines, the school’s Pennsylvania training ground puts students through a rigorous hands-on associate degree program in either aviation maintenance or electronics.
Employer partnerships play a key role in both education and outcomes for the PIA student who often attend events where hiring employers outnumber available graduates.
About Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics
The school was opened by Glenn Curtiss and Orville Wright in 1927 as Curtiss-Wright Flying Service, and became PIA in 1929. Today, PIA is a non-profit, career-focused family of schools offering programs in Aviation Maintenance and Aviation Electronics.
PIA offers an Associate in Specialized Technology Degree at its West Mifflin, Pa., location and Diploma programs in Youngstown, OH, Hagerstown, Md., and Myrtle Beach, S.C.
PIA’s campuses in Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Hagerstown and Myrtle Beach have been selected as four of approximately 40 aircraft maintenance schools to partner with Delta Air Lines in an effort to find the schools whose graduates are able to meet or exceed their high expectations.
There is open enrollment through the year accompanied with admissions requirements. For more information, call 1-800-444-1440, or visit pia.edu.