Destination 225°®
University Pathway

Create your own flight path

The Southwest Airlines® Destination 225° University pathway is for individuals interested in pursuing a four-year degree that will lead them toward a career as a Southwest Airlines Pilot. Once selected, students at our partner universities continue to work on their degree and flight time while receiving guidance and a direct path to becoming a Southwest Airlines First Officer in as little as two years after graduation.  
With multiple university and program partners, we created this pathway as a highly accessible, cost-effective, innovative, and one of the fastest routes to flying at a major carrier while pursuing a degree. The university pathway eases barriers to becoming a Southwest Airlines First Officer through guidance, training, and quality flight time in order to develop great pilots. 

Ready to apply for the University pathway?

Thanks for flying by! If you'd like to be notified when the University pathway application opens, we invite you to complete our interest form and join our Talent Community. 

Meet the Destination 225° Team!

The Destination 225° Team plans to visit the following universities.
Univ. Visit
February
  • 25-27 Kent State University
Univ Visit
March
  • 17-19 Auburn University ​​

  • 18-19 Middle Tennessee State University

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  • 20-21 Texas Southern University   

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  • 25-26 Baylor University  ​​

  • 27-28 Angelo State University ​​
Univ. Visit
April
  • 8-9 Arizona State University​

  • 10-11 University of Nebraska Omaha  ​​

  • 14-15 University of Oklahoma ​​

  • 16-17 Oklahoma State University ​​

  • 23-24 Southeastern Oklahoma State University  ​​

  • 25-26 Louisiana Tech University ​

Fly by the Destination 225° Team!

The Destination 225° Team plans to attend the following upcoming events*:

WAI - Women in Aviation International

March 27 - 29, 2025

SnF - SUN 'n FUN Aerospace Expo

April 1 - 6, 2025

TPNx - The Pilot
Network

April 16 - 17, 2025
*The listed events are subject to change and may vary based on availability.

Mentorship that matters

Along with an engaging training program, cadets receive personal mentorship from active Southwest Airlines First Officers who guide their course throughout the program, from single-engines to Boeing 737s.
Destination 225° Lead Mentor Jennifer M.
"It's rewarding to see the change and the knowledge that our cadets build in such a short amount of time. Mentorship from Southwest First Officers sets Destination 225° apart."

- First Officer Jennifer M. 
Destination 225° Lead Mentor

Pre-flight checklist

Dive into the basics of our Destination 225° program, and prepare your application for flight!

Learn more about our partners

We're thrilled about our partnerships with the following organizations who commit to going above and beyond to train and employ Destination 225° participants.

University pathway FAQs

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