Aviation degree · Auburn, AL · Checked September 28, 2026
What an aviation degree at Auburn University costs
A 4-year bachelor's (BS) program. Tuition, room & board, and flight fees, each from the school's own published pages, summed into an all-in estimate. Flight fees are billed separately and on top of tuition. This is a planning estimate, not the school's quote.
Section 1Cost estimate
PilotBound all-in estimate
$250K
In-state, all-in
$346K
Out-of-state, all-in
Tuition + room & board (4 years) + whole-program flight fees. Sourced figures summed, not the school's quoted package. Tuition changes yearly.
The numbers, with sources
- Tuition (in-state)
- $54,288
- $13,572/yr × 42026-27Source
- Auburn's COA 'Tuition / Fees' line: tuition plus mandatory fees combined.
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $150,384
- $37,596/yr × 42026-27Source
- COA 'Tuition / Fees' line (tuition + mandatory fees), non-resident.
- Flight training (whole program)
- $121,869
- 2026-27Source
- Based on FAA-minimum hours; real cost typically runs higher.
- Full sequence PPL through MEI, sum of the per-certification totals in Auburn's 2026-2027 Bulletin: Private $19,262.40 + Instrument $17,152 + Commercial single-engine $38,168.20 + the multi-engine class rating $13,447 + CFI single-engine $11,122.20 + CFII $7,870.20 + MEI $14,847.40. The multi-engine rating is not optional on this path: the Bulletin states it is required for graduation for students taking the single-engine Commercial. A student who instead takes the Commercial in the twin pays $43,413 for that certification and skips the separate rating. Auburn calls these the MINIMUM to complete each course and says a student's real cost depends on their own progress, so plan higher. A fuel surcharge may be added.
- All-in (in-state)
- $249,853
Section 2Paying for it
Two ways to cover $249,853.
Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left. Neither figure assumes anything about you: one is what our scholarship directory holds, the other is what the lenders publish.
- Money you keepScholarships you could apply for51 open to anyone. Top awards reach $22,200.No Alabama-only awards in the directory yet.
- 51
- Money you pay backLenders that cover $249,853Four of the six lenders in our comparison lend this much. That is whether a loan this size is on offer, not whether you would be approved.
- 4 of 6
Section 3Add to my plan
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Compare the pathsSection 4In the app
Section 5Questions
- How much does an aviation degree at Auburn University cost?
- Summing Auburn University's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $249,853 all in for an in-state student and $345,949 out of state. That is a sum of the school's published figures, not the school's own quoted package price, and flight fees are billed pay-as-you-go on top of tuition rather than as a fixed bill.
- How much are flight fees at Auburn University?
- Auburn University publishes about $121,869 for the whole flight sequence its 4-year bachelor's degree trains (2026-27), separate from and on top of tuition. That figure is priced at FAA-minimum hours, so a realistic total runs higher, often by around 40 percent. Flight fees move with your pace and the hours you actually fly, which is why they are the least predictable line in a collegiate aviation budget.
- What is tuition at Auburn University?
- Auburn University publishes about $13,572 per year in-state and $37,596 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $54,288 versus $150,384, before room and board and before any flight fees. Residency is usually the largest single lever on a collegiate aviation budget.
- Does an aviation degree from Auburn University lower the airline hour requirement?
- Yes. Auburn University's 4-year bachelor's aviation degree is a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160, which lets you hold a restricted ATP at 1,000 hours instead of the standard 1,500. That is the concrete thing the degree buys beyond the credential itself, and it is worth weighing against the tuition and room and board a non-degree path does not carry.
Section 6Sources
Figures are Auburn University's own published tuition, room & board, and flight fees, summed by PilotBound into a planning estimate. They are not the school's quoted program price, and they will differ from a student's actual cost. Flight fees are pay-as-you-go and vary with a student's pace. Confirm current numbers with the school. The 1,000-hour airline minimum comes from a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160. PilotBound is not affiliated with Auburn University. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Primary sources: bulletin.auburn.edu·auburn.edu
Other Alabama aviation degree programs
- Wallace State Community College · Hanceville
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