How much does an aviation degree at San Jose State University cost?

Summing San Jose State University's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $191,860 all in. 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 San Jose State University?

San Jose State University publishes about $62,000 for the whole flight sequence its 4-year bachelor's degree trains (2025), separate from and on top of tuition. That figure is incomplete: the school does not price every rating the degree trains, so the full sequence costs more. 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 San Jose State University?

San Jose State University publishes about $9,553 per year in tuition for 2026-27. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $38,212, before room and board and before any flight fees.

Does an aviation degree from San Jose State University lower the airline hour requirement?

Yes. San Jose State 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.

PilotBoundEvery hour. Every dollar.

Aviation degree · San Jose, CA · Checked September 28, 2026

What an aviation degree at San Jose State 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

$192K

4-year all-in

Unlocks the 1,000-hour airline minimum

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): $38,212; $9,553/yr × 42026-27Source
Room & board: $91,648; $22,912/yr × 42026-27Source; On-campus housing $15,543 + food $7,369, from SJSU's undergraduate cost of attendance.
Flight training (whole program): $62,000; 2025Source; Partial: school does not price every rating, so the full sequence costs more.; PARTIAL: SJSU prices only PPL, IR, and Commercial (paid to affiliated flight schools); multi-engine and the instructor ratings are not priced by the school, so the full sequence costs more.
All-in: $191,860

Section 2Paying for it

Two ways to cover $191,860.

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, plus 1 in California. Top awards reach $22,200. Hiller Aviation Museum Flight Training Scholarship$15,000 · San Francisco Bay Area · Opens Feb 5, 2027: 52
Money you pay backLenders that cover $191,860Four 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

See scholarships Compare lenders

Section 3Add to my plan

Turn this into a plan.

A degree is one path. Build a free plan to map every step to your checkride and see it against the other routes.

Build your free plan

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

Compare the paths

Section 4In the app

Track your flight training at San Jose State.

Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from San Jose State University's flight program when you set up PilotBound, and the app tracks every flight you log against the projection, rating by rating.

QR code to download PilotBound on the App Store

Scan to download on your iPhone

PilotBound log-a-flight card pre-filled from the aircraft and instructor rates, updating the spent total

Section 5Questions

How much does an aviation degree at San Jose State University cost?: Summing San Jose State University's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $191,860 all in. 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 San Jose State University?: San Jose State University publishes about $62,000 for the whole flight sequence its 4-year bachelor's degree trains (2025), separate from and on top of tuition. That figure is incomplete: the school does not price every rating the degree trains, so the full sequence costs more. 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 San Jose State University?: San Jose State University publishes about $9,553 per year in tuition for 2026-27. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $38,212, before room and board and before any flight fees.
Does an aviation degree from San Jose State University lower the airline hour requirement?: Yes. San Jose State 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 San Jose State 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 San Jose State University. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Primary sources: sjsu.edu·sjsu.edu

Other California aviation degree programs

California Baptist University · Riverside
California State University, Los Angeles · Los Angeles
Cypress College · Cypress
Mt. San Antonio College · Walnut
Orange Coast College · Costa Mesa
Reedley College · Reedley
Sacramento City College · Sacramento
San Bernardino Valley College · San Bernardino

All California aviation degree programs

Plan the money before you commit

A program price only makes sense next to what each rating costs on its own, what free money exists, and what borrowing actually looks like.

What each rating costs

Honest per-rating ranges, with the fees most quotes leave out.

Free money first

Verified flight training scholarships. Every scholarship dollar is a dollar you never finance.

If you borrow

Compare lenders and see the real monthly payment before you sign.

What an aviation degree at San Jose State University costs

Section 1 · Cost estimate