Aviation degree · Carbondale, IL

What an aviation degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale 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.

PilotBound all-in estimate

$179K

4-year all-in

Unlocks the 1,000-hour airline minimum

Tuition + room & board (4years) + whole-program flight fees. Sourced figures summed, not the school's quoted package. Tuition changes yearly.

The numbers, with sources

Tuition (in-state)
$38,552
$9,638/yr × 42025-26Source

Tuition only; SIU's budget table lists mandatory fees separately (~$3,906).

Room & board
$49,364
$12,341/yr × 42025-26Source
Flight training (whole program)
$90,627
2022-23Source

Based on FAA-minimum hours; real cost typically runs higher.

Full sequence PPL through MEI, SIU's published per-course fees. Schedule still dated 2022-23 and FAA-minimum hours; overage common, so plan higher.

All-in
$178,543

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

Compare the paths

Figures are Southern Illinois University Carbondale'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 Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Primary sources: academics.siu.edu·fao.siu.edu