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PilotBound

Aviation degree · Costa Mesa, CA

What an aviation degree at Orange Coast College costs

A 2-year associate's (AAS) 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.

PilotBound all-in estimate

$82K

In-state, all-in

$109K

Out-of-state, all-in

Unlocks the 1,250-hour airline minimum

Tuition + room & board (2years) + whole-program flight fees. Sourced figures summed, not the school's quoted package. Tuition changes yearly.

Step 2 · Plan

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The numbers, with sources

Tuition (in-state)
$2,760
$1,380/yr × 22026-27Source

$46/unit enrollment fee, ~30 units/yr, plus campus fees (health, service charge).

Tuition (out-of-state)
$30,120
$15,060/yr × 22026-27Source

$428/unit nonresident tuition + $28/unit capital outlay + $46/unit enrollment (~$502/unit) for 2026-27 (effective Summer 2026), ~30 units/yr.

Room & board(estimated)
$21,240
$10,620/yr × 22026-27Source

Commuter campus; no on-campus housing.

Flight training (whole program)
$57,987
2022-23Source

Partial: school does not price every rating, so the full sequence costs more.

OCC's published Estimated Program Cost for Private + Instrument + Commercial ($57,987: Private $20,307, Instrument $26,440, Commercial $11,240), including OCC tuition/fees. In-house Part 141 at John Wayne (KSNA). This is OCC's latest published cost sheet but is dated effective January 2023, so plan higher; CFI and multi are not included.

All-in (in-state)
$81,987

See how this stacks up against Part 61, Part 141, an academy, and a 2-year degree.

Compare the paths

Figures are Orange Coast College'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 1,250-hour airline minimum comes from a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160. PilotBound is not affiliated with Orange Coast College. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Primary sources: orangecoastcollege.edu·orangecoastcollege.edu·orangecoastcollege.edu