Last year, Walla Walla University’s aviation program more than doubled its student population from the previous year, with 22 aviation majors enrolled in 2023-24 and 55 enrolled in 2024-25.
As the new year fast approaches, the program has continued to expand and now hosts more than 70 students. Shawn Dietrich, aviation program director, believes this remarkable growth is due to the hard work the WWU’s aviation staff and faculty have put in to create a program that focuses on career readiness and encourages academic accountability.
“We set high standards for our students to meet but are also there to help them reach those goals,” said Dietrich. Faculty and staff get to know their students and care about their success. Upon graduating, nearly 100% of WWU aviation majors find success in job placement, and the program has alumni at almost every major U.S. airline.
The program is based at the Walla Walla Regional Airport, which has an operating air traffic control tower, providing several training benefits for flight students. One such benefit is having government maintenance of the airport. “They keep the runway and airport lighting in good condition, making it safer to fly and easier to complete our training requirements,” said Jared Neidigh, WWU flight instructor.
The WWU aviation program stands as a strong resource for more than just college students. For the fifth consecutive summer, WWU aviation hosted a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) program supported by the U.S. Air Force. Upon completion, JROTC students become licensed pilots in just eight weeks. This year, the program saw a 100% completion rate.
In regard to the future of WWU’s aviation program, Dietrich believes this continued growth will boost sustainability, allowing the program to operate more aircraft without a large increase in cost. The increase in enrollment also provides a larger community of alumni for future students to connect with. In an industry where networking is key, this is an incredible resource to develop.
To learn more about studying aviation at WWU, go to wallawalla.edu/aviation.
Posted Sept. 17, 2025
