Embry-Riddle Acceptance Rate, Ranking, & Tuition – 2025

Have you ever wanted to fly a plane? Maybe you’ve had the fleeting feeling that one day you could learn—or maybe you’ve given serious thought to becoming a pilot. If you’ve ever imagined yourself donning a pilot’s uniform and seeing the world, you’ll want to consider applying to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). Embry-Riddle is the largest accredited university system specializing in aviation and aerospace. It is arguably the best-known school in the United States for training pilots and has grown into a university focused on all elements of aviation and aeronautics (scroll down for the Embry-Riddle acceptance rates). 

So, if you’ve ever thought about a career in the Air Force, attending Embry–Riddle will put you in contact with one of the most extensive Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) in the country, and the largest Air Force ROTC program in the United States. While participating in the Air Force ROTC at Embry-Riddle won’t automatically guarantee you a career in military aviation, it’s about as close as you can get. 

Applying to Embry-Riddle means choosing between attending classes in Daytona Beach, Florida or Prescott, Arizona. Students can also choose to attend Embry-Riddle online through the school’s worldwide campus. You’ll find more on that in the Where is Embry Riddle University? section below. 

How hard is it to get into Embry–Riddle and what else can you study at this renowned aerospace school? Let’s dive in. 

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Embry-Riddle Acceptance Rate

First-time students apply to either Daytona Beach or Prescott, and the university breaks down its admissions demographics by campus. Here’s how the admissions numbers break out for the fall 2025 semester across both campuses and with the total admissions numbers combined: 

But what are the Embry-Riddle admissions rates?

• Daytona Beach: 62%
• Prescott: 71%
• Both Campuses: 64% 

When it comes to keeping students on campus, ERAU does well. 

• The Fall 2024 retention rate, after one year on campus, was 85.9% for both campuses combined. 
• However, the fall 2019 graduation rate, after six years, was 68.1% for both campuses combined. 

And what kinds of people are attending ERAU? The university has provided the following demographic information: 

The above admissions and demographic information comes from the university itself. 

In terms of diversity, in a recent year, the racial and ethnic incoming class profile for Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus looked like this: 

• American Indian or Alaska Native: n/a
• Asian: 4%
• Black or African American: 5% 
• Hispanic: 31%
• Pacific Islander: <0%
• More than one Race (non-Hispanic): 6%
• White: 58% 
• Race or Ethnicity Unknown: 2.6%
• International: 6.7%

Embry Riddle is an SAT/ACT optional school. Among the 56% of students who submitted scores in fall 2023 for admission to the Daytona Beach campus, the median SAT scores broke down like this: 

• SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 620
• SAT Math: 620

Among the 27% of students who submitted ACT test results, the median scores broke down like this: 

• ACT Composite: 27
• ACT English: 25
• ACT Math: 26 

The median score signifies that 50 percent of students scored higher and 50 percent of students score lower than these numbers.

Embry-Riddle University Ranking

Embry-Riddle is proud of its reputation as a top school for engineering, aerospace, and educating veterans. Take it from them: “A national leader in aviation, aerospace and STEM, we are training the workforce of tomorrow and blazing trails in discovery and exploration. Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University continues to earn top distinctions across all three campuses in U.S. News & World Report.”

What are those rankings, exactly? As sorted by U.S. News & World Report in 2024, E-RAU ranks as the following: 

• #3 Best for Veterans (Regional–South): Daytona Beach Campus 
• #1 Most Innovative Schools (Regional–South): Daytona Beach Campus
• #1 Best Colleges (Regional–West): Prescott Campus 
• #5 Online Bachelor’s Programs for Veterans: Worldwide Campus
• #1 Best Undergraduate for Aerospace Engineering (Schools without Ph.D): Prescott Campus
• #1 Best for Veterans (Regional–West): Prescott Campus

With that kind of traction, it’s no pun to say that the Embry-Riddle Eagles really do soar. 

Embry-Riddle University Tuition

For the 2024–2025 academic year, ERAU tuition is as follows (per credit hour): 

Because ERAU is a private institution, prospective students should expect to see a slightly higher price tag than what they might see at an in-state school. It’s worth considering, however, that the typically higher cost at a private school is often offset by higher private financial aid. This, however, will all depend on your individual economic and academic situation, and the scholarships, grants, and loans for which you qualify. 

So, what does financial aid at ERAU look like? 

In the 2022–2023 year, things broke out like this: 

• Average grant or scholarship awarded: $22,590 
• Average student loan aid: $17,690
• Average federal student loans: $5,402
• Average other/private student loans: $33,225 

Grants and scholarships are types of financial aid that you do not pay back. Loans—both federal and private—must be paid back eventually. Federal student loan aid (otherwise known as student loans from the federal government) have more freedom and flexibility in terms of how you pay them back. There are also options for public student loan forgiveness, depending on the type of field in which you work. 

Private (in this case “other”) student loan aid repayments are much more rigid, and there is currently no discussion or option for private student loan forgiveness at a public or private level. 

So, it’s worth noting that the average student at Embry–Riddle did need to take out a significant amount of private loans to cover the cost of tuition. And remember: these are numbers for one academic year at a time—not all four years (or more) of school. 

Embry-Riddle University Notable Alumni

Where is Embry-Riddle University?

Embry-Riddle has built two substantial campuses to cater to students in both the eastern and western parts of the United States. These physical campuses are in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona. Embry-Riddle also boasts an extensive online university and a series of smaller campuses around the world, its “Worldwide Campus.” 

How do you know which campus is right for you? The best way is to schedule a campus tour. In the meantime, check out more about each campus below. 

Daytona Beach, Florida Campus

Daytona Beach is the university’s oldest residential campus and was constructed in 1965, adjacent to the Daytona Beach International Airport. This has enabled the campus to connect to an aircraft ramp owned by the university for flight training. 

At Daytona Beach, students will find the student center and Jack R. Hunt Aviator Park, surrounded by an aviation complex, academic quad, and residence halls. There are seven residence halls on campus, and one off-campus housing complex. 

Prescott, Arizona Campus

The Prescott campus opened in 1978 and is 100 miles north of Phoenix, where students enjoy nearly 300 days of sunshine a year. That means plenty of time to get to the flight training center at nearby Ernest A. Love Field. Along with its four academic colleges and 19 bachelor’s degrees and two master’s programs, the Prescott campus offers the only Global Security and Intelligence Studies program in the United States. 

Worldwide Campus

With more than 22,000 students online and at 130 campuses, the Embry-Riddle online campus offers 40 degree programs covering disciplines such as: aviation, business, communication, computer science, emergency services, engineering, human factors, management, safety, security, logistics, and unmanned systems. 

The ERAU worldwide campuses are located around the globe, including on military bases, with the largest existing in Singapore. 

Embry-Riddle University Majors

With a student-faculty ratio of 18:1, students enjoy lots of time with each other and faculty. 

The most popular schools at Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach for 2025 enrolled students are: 

• Engineering: 42%
• Aviation: 42%
• Arts and Science: 11%
• Business: 4.6%

Embry-Riddle University Acceptance Rate — Final Thoughts

Embry–Riddle is a top choice for students searching for a surefire way to jumpstart a military or aeronautical career. With plenty of on-campus and online options around the world, Embry-Riddle is a great option for students who also want to combine studying with a top-ranked university in some very sought-after STEM fields. 

If you’re thinking about entering the military after college, you might also consider checking out the Naval Academy and West Point. When you’re ready to start your applications, a College Transitions Counselor is waiting to work with you. 

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