Parkland College
Two-year aviation degree at University of Illinois Willard Airport.
Costs checkedChecked November 13, 2026 by Samip Shah, CFI, CFII, AGI
At a glance
- An associate's degree with flight training, at a public college.
- Graduates can reach the airline minimum at 1,250 hours instead of 1,500.
- 2 years all-in: $103,603 in-state, $111,019 out-of-state.
Basics
| Degree | Associate's (AAS), two years |
|---|---|
| School | Public |
| Airline minimum | 1,250 hours (restricted ATP) |
| Location | Savoy, IL |
What it costs
Tuition and room & board for 2 years, plus the whole program's flight fees, which are billed on top of tuition. Tuition changes yearly.
- Tuition (in-state)
- $9,264
- $4,632/yr × 22026-27Source
- Parkland's cost-of-attendance tuition and fees for a full-time in-district student, fall and spring. Aviation courses themselves are charged at the Tier II rate, $278 a credit hour.
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $16,680
- $8,340/yr × 22026-27Source
- Out-of-state students seeking the aviation degree pay the Tier II rate, $278 a credit hour, for every Parkland course: 30 credit hours a year.
- Room & board
- $20,000
- $10,000/yr × 22026-27Source
- The housing and food line in Parkland's cost-of-attendance budget.
- Flight training (whole program)
- $74,339
- 2026-27Source
- The sum of the 2026-27 course fees for the eight AVI courses the associate degree requires: Private Pilot I $8,442, Private Pilot II $10,503, Commercial-Instrument I $9,489, Commercial-Instrument II $10,071, Aircraft Systems $12, Commercial Pilot I $13,305, Commercial Pilot II $12,900 and Multiengine Land $9,617. Flight Instructor ($7,832), Instrument Flight Instructor ($4,367) and Cockpit Resource Management ($2,310) are optional and not in this figure.
- All-in (in-state)
- $103,603
Airport
University of Illinois Willard KCMI
Home field · 3 runways · longest 8,101 ft · concrete and asphalt
Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP imagery via the USGS National Map
Weather
What counts as a flyable day
Clouds no lower than 3,000 feet and visibility of 5 miles or more (VFR weather) for at least half the hours between 9 am and 5 pm. Hourly observations from the airport's own weather station, 2016 to 2025. Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet ASOS archive, Iowa State University.
Paying for it
Two ways to cover $103,603.
Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left.
- Money you keepScholarships you could apply for43 open to anyone. Top awards reach $22,200.No Illinois-only awards in the directory yet.
- 43
- Money you pay backLenders that cover $103,603Four 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
In the app
Track your flight training at Parkland.
Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from Parkland College's flight program when you set up PilotBound, and the app tracks every flight you log against the projection, rating by rating.
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Questions
How much does an aviation degree at Parkland College cost?
Summing Parkland College's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 2 years, PilotBound estimates about $103,603 all in for an in-state student and $111,019 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 Parkland College?
Parkland College publishes about $74,339 for the whole flight sequence its 2-year associate's degree trains (2026-27), separate from and on top of tuition. 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 Parkland College?
Parkland College publishes about $4,632 per year in-state and $8,340 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 2-year program that is roughly $9,264 versus $16,680, 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 Parkland College lower the airline hour requirement?
Yes. Parkland College's 2-year associate's aviation degree is a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160, which lets you hold a restricted ATP at 1,250 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.
Sources
Tuition, room & board and flight fees are Parkland College's own published figures, summed by PilotBound. Flight fees are pay-as-you-go and vary with a student's pace. The 1,250-hour airline minimum comes from a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160. PilotBound is not affiliated with Parkland College. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Primary sources: parkland.edu· parkland.edu
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