Drones are increasingly popular in schools, not just as flying gadgets but as powerful tools to teach STEM, coding, aviation, and even entrepreneurship. The best high school drone programs go beyond flight mechanics — they engage students through hands-on learning, build technical confidence and prepare them for industry-recognized credentials like the FAA’s Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

After in some cases years of evaluating drone curriculums, testing platforms, and interviewing students and educators, I’ve found that DroneBlocks is the best all-around high school drone education program. That’s based on its balance between affordable price, versatility, easy of use for teachers and actual joy among students.

But that’s not the only great option. If you’re looking to build an engaging FPV program or introduce competition-based flying, Drone Legends is your best bet. For coding-focused classrooms, CoDrone by Robolink offers an impressive, hardware-integrated experience.

I also considered a handful of solid secondary options, including Drone Cadets and Drone Dojo, which serve more niche roles in education.

How I evaluated these programs

I’ve spent years embedded in the drone industry. I got started in drones myself through randomly) enrolling in a drone course (that was at the college level) way back in 2013. Since then, I’ve spent many years evaluating dozens of drone education programs not just from afar, but from inside the curriculum itself. I’ve flown the drones. I’ve gone through the lessons. In many cases, I’ve spoken directly with the students who use these tools — such as in my collaboration with students at Kammerer Middle School, who reviewed CoDrone after several weeks of classroom use.

To make my final recommendations, I evaluated:

• Curriculum quality: How engaging and pedagogically sound is the program?
• Scalability: Can it grow from one class to a full CTE program?
• Hardware integration: How well do the drones work with the course materials?
• Industry relevance: Does it prepare students for real-world opportunities like the FAA’s Part 107?
• Student engagement: Are kids excited to keep learning?
• Support & documentation: Are teachers supported through training or troubleshooting?

So with that in mind, here are my final picks for best high school drone program.

Best overall high school drone program: DroneBlocks

Best for: STEM classrooms, scalable district-wide programs, and Part 107 prep

DroneBlocks is the most comprehensive program for schools seeking a drone curriculum that’s adaptable, well-supported, and rooted in real-world skills. Built around a small drone called the Crazyflie Nano Drone, it offers a gentle learning curve that begins with block coding and ramps up to Python, so students can program their own autonomous drone missions in the classroom.

I like this product because it’s super scalable. You can buy just a single Crazyflie Nano Drone for $400. That includes the drone itself, plus use of the DroneBlocks App.

Of course , you’ll presumably want more than one drone for a classroom. You might start with just one and slowly build up your fleet one at a time, though the company also accepts purchase orders if you email them.

For an additional fee, you can purchase DroneBlocks Curriculum Access, offering more learning materials and projects for teachers to easily implement. Enterprise licenses are relatively affordable at just $695 per year. With that, you actually unlock access to a massive library of individual courses. Those range from coding courses on languages including Python and Javascript, to piloting courses including their version of an online Part 107 test prep course.

Learn more in my DroneBlocks review.

• Purchase the DroneBlocks curriculum here for $695.
• Grab your own Crazyflie Nano drone here for $400.

DroneBlocks grows: new kits focused on FPV drone racing, light shows and more

And that’s not all. DroneBlocks continues to iterate existing courses and add more, expanding it far beyond a platform designed to teach students to program their own drones.

A drone light show course: DroneBlocks recently launched a DroneBlocks Light Show Kit, enabling you to put together your own drone show ranging in size from 10 to 200 drones. A 10-drone kit costs $7,500, though prices increase the more drones you add. With that, you get not just the 10 drones (and other equipment you need to make it happen like tripods, base stations, batteries and cases) but also the software package so you can design, simulate, and control your own drone light show.

FPV drone racing course: In lieu of (or in addition to?!) a light show course, you might also start your own high school drone racing team. DroneBlocks partnered with the MultiGP STEM Alliance to offer schools a FCC Part 15 Compliant FPV Racing Drone Kit. Like the drone light show curse, this is quite turn-key and includes the hardware, curriculum and racing simulation software, as well as registration for two teams to enter the MultiGP “Drones in Schools” League.

That kit starts with five racing drones and costs $3,500. It’s not as many drones as the light show course, but at least it’s much more affordable.

Best high school drone program for building an FPV drone racing team: Drone Legends

Best for: Schools wanting hands-on drone flying and high student engagement through competition

Drone Legends stands out for its tactile, FPV-based drone curriculum that trades heavy coding for real-world piloting skills. Whereas other programs like Drone Blocks are catching on and slowly adding FPV a a sort of side dish option, FPV is the bread and butter of Drone Legends’ high school curriculum, which is called FPV Initiator.

And beyond just the thrill of racing (and the teamwork required), students are exposed to real STEM concepts like physic and engineering. They’ll also face problem-solving through immersive “missions.”

If you’re trying to start a drone racing team or FPV club, Drone Legends is your best bet. Its program cultivates friendly competition, storytelling and real flight experience — which can be a powerful motivator for students who don’t connect with abstract coding lessons.

The standard Drone Legends course costs $12,500, though there’s a small class option for $6,499. With it, you get hardware for 10 students, software, and the full curriculum.

Part of a broader ecosystem of courses for all ages

FPV Initiator is the Drone Legends course targeting high school students. However, Drone Legends actually has an entire ecosystem of courses for students in every grade.

Kids can exposed to drones at an early ages through a program called Little Legends, geared toward grades kindergarten through third grade. As kids get older, they’re slowly exposed to more advanced drone piloting, including a STEM Fundamentals course for grades 4-8 that teaches some basic coding.

Drone Legends has also been rapidly expanding, including developing its own classroom-ready Federal Aviation Administration Part 107 Remote Pilot Exam Prep curriculum.

Best for coding and general flying exposure: CoDrone by Robolink

Best for: Computer science classrooms that want hands-on drone integration

CoDrone offers one of the most programmable drones available in education. With support for Blockly and Python, students can get hands-on with syntax-based programming and learn everything from logic gates to gesture control.

CoDrone hardware is durable and surprisingly versatile. The physical component of the drone where you can watch your coding in action makes it a stellar companion to a CS class. I worked with student reviewers at an advanced class with Kammerer Middle School, who pointed out how much fun they had even watching their drones do tricks.

Note that those students were middle school students (albeit high achieving ones at that). Their review pointed out that the coding component was quite difficult. Older high school students seeking a challenge might appreciate it though.

And on the flip side — if coding is too difficult — then you don’t have to code it at all. In fact, the students from Kammerer used the drones with joysticks to teach elementary school students how to fly. They even incorporated some basic coding, too.

You can purchase individual CoDrone EDU kits for $249 each. That’s a nice entry point either for homeschool students or perhaps educators who’d just like to try just one out. However, a full classroom would likely prefer something like the complete 18-pack CoDrone EDU kit with lesson plans for $5,700.

• Purchase the CoDrone EDU now for $249 each.
• Purchase the complete 18-pack CoDrone EDU kit with lesson plans for $5,700.

Other drone curriculum we liked

Drone Cadets

Best for: Schools specifically building drone light show or creative arts integrations

Drone Cadets is a newer program with a bold focus on equity, empowerment, and performance arts—specifically through drone light shows. It’s one of the only high school curriculums that teaches swarm coordination and choreography, making it ideal for schools that want to integrate STEM with arts or media programs.

• Pros: Unique light show curriculum, strong DEI mission, inspiring leadership
• Cons: Narrower (but still delightful!) focus on indoor drone shows

Drone Dojo

Best for: Homeschool or DIY learning environments

Drone Dojo has excellent micro drone kits and Raspberry Pi–based tutorials that empower students to build drones from scratch. It’s a better fit for independent learners or hobbyists (perhaps students looking for a personal summer project) than a structured high school curriculum.

• Pros: Great for self-paced learning, strong maker emphasis, solid video instruction
• Cons: Not classroom-ready; lacks assessments, lesson plans or career readiness tools

Part 107 test prep: how it fits in to high school drone curriculum

Passing the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate exam is a gateway to professional drone work. The FAA requires that you take and pass this exam in order to fly drones for business. That can include career paths ranging from filmmaking and construction to search-and-rescue and agriculture.

For high school students, Part 107 certification is a tangible credential they can earn before graduation, giving them a head start in fast-growing industries. One note: the ability to take the Part 107 test is only open to people ages 16 and older.

Programs like DroneBlocks and DARTdrones offer robust prep paths, helping students master airspace charts, weather reports and FAA regulations. Even if your students aren’t flying commercially now, this knowledge reinforces aviation literacy and opens doors to real careers. If you want to include a Part 107 component in your high school curriculum, consider those courses.

Related read: There’s a drone scholarship for high school students. Here’s how you can win it

How to choose the best high school drone curriculum for you.

• Choose DroneBlocks if you want the best overall program with a complete K–12-to-career pathway, including Part 107 prep, FPV flying and light show training.
• Choose Drone Legends if your focus is on hands-on flying, building excitement, or launching a competitive drone team.
• Choose CoDrone if you’re in a computer science classroom and want a way to integrate real flight into your Python or robotics curriculum.

If your school’s drone journey is just getting started, any of these will help launch it—but matching your goals with the right platform is key to keeping students engaged and future-ready.

FTC disclaimer: some of the links posted on this page are affiliate links, meaning I make a commission if you make a purchase through that link.

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