Faculty retention remains a challenge in higher education, especially in specialized fields like aviation, where demands are high and responsibilities are complex. Many faculty members struggle with heavy workloads, limited career growth, and difficulties in balancing work and personal life, which can lead to turnover. This study examined how human resource management (HRM) practices and work-life balance affect faculty retention in an aviation higher education institution. A quantitative predictive-correlational design was used, involving 125 faculty members from the main and satellite campuses. Data were collected through a survey examining HRM practices, work-life balance, and faculty retention. The results showed that HRM practices are significantly related to both work-life balance and faculty retention. In particular, factors such as compensation, professional development, workload management, and job autonomy were found to strongly support better work-life balance and higher retention. The study also found that work-life balance plays an important role in faculty retention and partially explains how HRM practices influence faculty decisions to stay. This means that while good HR practices directly affect retention, their impact is stronger when they also improve faculty well-being. Overall, the findings show the importance of creating supportive HR policies that not only focus on performance and rewards but also promote a healthy balance between work and private life. These insights may help school leaders and policymakers formulate more effective strategies to retain faculty in higher education.