Aviation degree · Estherville, IA · Checked July 22, 2026
What an aviation degree at Iowa Lakes Community 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
$96K
In-state, all-in
$96.7K
Out-of-state, all-in
Tuition + room & board (2years) + whole-program flight fees. Sourced figures summed, not the school's quoted package. Tuition changes yearly.
The numbers, with sources
- Tuition (in-state)
- $10,992
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $11,712
- Room & board
- $14,520
- Flight training (whole program)
- $70,501
- All-in (in-state)
- $96,013
Iowa resident $229/credit x 24 credits (tuition only).
Non-resident $244/credit x 24 credits (tuition only).
Lowest published housing + meal plan (Spencer campus, Meals-10) $3,630/semester x 2.
School's 'average' student figure (FAA-minimum $58,725, VA-max $82,275). Per-hour, billed on top of tuition.
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Compare the pathsCommon questions about Iowa Lakes Community College
- How much does an aviation degree at Iowa Lakes Community College cost?
- Summing Iowa Lakes Community College's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 2 years, PilotBound estimates about $96,013 all in for an in-state student and $96,733 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 Iowa Lakes Community College?
- Iowa Lakes Community College publishes about $70,501 for the whole flight sequence its 2-year associate's degree trains (2025-26), 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 Iowa Lakes Community College?
- Iowa Lakes Community College publishes about $5,496 per year in-state and $5,856 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 2-year program that is roughly $10,992 versus $11,712, 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 Iowa Lakes Community College lower the airline hour requirement?
- Yes. Iowa Lakes Community 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.
Other Iowa aviation degree programs
- University of Dubuque · Dubuque
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Figures are Iowa Lakes Community 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 Iowa Lakes Community College. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Primary sources: iowalakes.edu·iowalakes.edu