How much does an aviation degree at Hesston College cost?

Summing Hesston College's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 2 years, PilotBound estimates about $177,180 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 Hesston College?

Hesston College publishes about $80,900 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 Hesston College?

Hesston College publishes about $36,000 per year in tuition for 2026-27, a single private-school rate that does not change with residency. Over the 2-year program that is roughly $72,000, before room and board and before any flight fees.

Does an aviation degree from Hesston College lower the airline hour requirement?

Yes. Hesston 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 1,000 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 · Hesston, KS · Checked September 28, 2026

What an aviation degree at Hesston 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.

Section 1Cost estimate

PilotBound all-in estimate

$177K

2-year all-in, private (one tuition rate)

Unlocks the 1,000-hour airline minimum

Tuition + room & board (2 years) + whole-program flight fees. Sourced figures summed, not the school's quoted package. Tuition changes yearly.

The numbers, with sources

Tuition: $72,000; $36,000/yr × 22026-27Source; Private; same rate for all residencies. COA 'Tuition and fees' line.
Room & board: $24,280; $12,140/yr × 22026-27Source; COA 'Housing and meals' line, on-campus student.
Flight training (whole program)(estimated): $80,900; 2025-26Source; This school publishes no whole-program flight total. The figure is a PilotBound estimate, not the school's, built from its own published rates or fees.; Hesston publishes no flight cost today, so this figure is not the college's current claim and is flagged unpublished. $80,900 is the sum of the lab fees Hesston last published, PPL through MEI plus the transition course, and is the only anchor there is: ask the college for a current figure before relying on it. Its associate program holds an approved 1,000-hr R-ATP exception.
All-in: $177,180

Section 2Paying for it

Two ways to cover $177,180.

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. Top awards reach $22,200.No Kansas-only awards in the directory yet.: 51
Money you pay backLenders that cover $177,180Four 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 Hesston.

Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from Hesston College'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 Hesston College cost?: Summing Hesston College's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 2 years, PilotBound estimates about $177,180 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 Hesston College?: Hesston College publishes about $80,900 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 Hesston College?: Hesston College publishes about $36,000 per year in tuition for 2026-27, a single private-school rate that does not change with residency. Over the 2-year program that is roughly $72,000, before room and board and before any flight fees.
Does an aviation degree from Hesston College lower the airline hour requirement?: Yes. Hesston 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 1,000 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

Tuition and room & board are Hesston College's own published figures. The flight total is NOT: Hesston College publishes no whole-program flight cost, so that line is a PilotBound estimate and is marked as one above. 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 Hesston College. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Primary sources: hesston.edu·hesston.edu

Other Kansas aviation degree programs

Kansas State University Polytechnic · Salina

All Kansas 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 Hesston College costs

Section 1 · Cost estimate