Morningside University
Four-year aviation degree at Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field.
Costs checkedChecked November 13, 2026 by Samip Shah, CFI, CFII, AGI
At a glance
- A bachelor's degree with flight training, at a private university.
- Graduates can reach the airline minimum at 1,000 hours instead of 1,500.
- 4 years all-in: $279,400.
Basics
| Degree | Bachelor's (BS), four years |
|---|---|
| School | Private |
| Airline minimum | 1,000 hours (restricted ATP) |
| Location | Sioux City, IA |
What it costs
Tuition and room & board for 4 years, plus the whole program's flight fees, which are billed on top of tuition. Tuition changes yearly.
- Tuition
- $169,000
- $42,250/yr × 42026-27Source
- Tuition of $41,270 for 12 to 18 credits plus $980 in fees. Morningside is private, so there is one rate.
- Room & board
- $50,400
- $12,600/yr × 42026-27Source
- Standard housing with air conditioning, $6,790, and food, $5,810.
- Flight training (whole program)
- $60,000
- 2026-27Source
- Based on FAA-minimum hours; real cost typically runs higher.
- Morningside's 2026-27 bundled flight course fees: Private $16,000 (up to 55 hours), Instrument $15,000 (up to 45 hours) and Commercial $23,000 (up to 90 hours), plus one required choice of CFI at $6,000 or Multi-Engine at $9,000. This figure takes the CFI, the lower of the two; with Multi-Engine instead it is $63,000, and with both $69,000. Fees cover a Cessna 172 or better, the instructor, fuel, ground school and renter's insurance. Hours beyond each bundle are billed by Oracle Aviation.
- All-in
- $279,400
Airport
Sioux Gateway Airport / Brigadier General Bud Day Field KSUX
Home field · 2 runways · longest 9,002 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 $279,400.
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 Iowa-only awards in the directory yet.
- 43
- Money you pay backLenders that cover $279,400Four 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 Morningside.
Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from Morningside University'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 Morningside University cost?
Summing Morningside University's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $279,400 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 Morningside University?
Morningside University publishes about $60,000 for the whole flight sequence its 4-year bachelor's degree trains (2026-27), separate from and on top of tuition. That figure is priced at FAA-minimum hours, so a realistic total runs higher, often by around 40 percent. 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 Morningside University?
Morningside University publishes about $42,250 per year in tuition for 2026-27, a single private-school rate that does not change with residency. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $169,000, before room and board and before any flight fees.
Does an aviation degree from Morningside University lower the airline hour requirement?
Yes. Morningside 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.
Sources
Tuition, room & board and flight fees are Morningside University's own published figures, summed by PilotBound. Flight fees are pay-as-you-go and vary with a student's pace. The 1,000-hour airline minimum comes from a qualifying degree under 14 CFR 61.160. PilotBound is not affiliated with Morningside University. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Primary sources: morningside.edu· morningside.edu· morningside.edu
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