Aviation degree · Warrensburg, MO · Checked September 28, 2026

What an aviation degree at University of Central Missouri 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.

Section 1Cost estimate

PilotBound all-in estimate

$166K

In-state, all-in

$203K

Out-of-state, all-in

Unlocks the 1,000-hour airline minimum

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

The numbers, with sources

Tuition (in-state)
$43,804
$10,951/yr × 42026-27Source
UCM's own published yearly figure for tuition and general fees at 30 credit hours ($310.90/credit for Missouri residents). Program, course and testing fees sit on top, and the flight fees below are the biggest of them.
Tuition (out-of-state)
$81,112
$20,278/yr × 42026-27Source
Non-resident tuition and general fees at 30 credit hours ($621.80/credit).
Room & board
$45,224
$11,306/yr × 42026-27Source
UCM's published residence hall double room $7,000 plus the meal plan $4,306.
Flight training (whole program)
$77,128
2026-27Source
Summed from UCM's own per-course flight fee schedule effective 17 August 2026, for the sequence the degree delivers: Private A $7,219.50 and B $9,341.50 + Instrument A $3,168.50 and B $7,883.50 + Commercial A $5,207.50, B $4,932.50, C $5,819.50, D $5,517.50, E $5,240.50 and F $5,120 + the Multi-Engine Add-On $11,287 + the Certified Flight Instructor course $6,390. It replaces the 12 January 2026 schedule, which summed to $71,077: every course rose. UCM's own pages still state the flight training costs "approximately $70,000.00-$75,000.00", which this figure has now passed, so the prose and the fee sheet no longer agree and the sheet is the one with the numbers on it. The CFII ($3,530) and multi-engine instructor ($5,810) courses are further options and are not included. UCM calls the course fees estimates based on AVERAGE hours required, and a conditional fuel surcharge applies whenever its fuel cost passes $4/gallon, set at $2.347/gallon for Fall 2026. Underlying hourly rates are published too: Super Cub $136, Cessna 172P $183, 172R and 172S $204, Beechcraft Baron $446, Redbird $28, Frasca $56, and flight or ground instruction $55.
All-in (in-state)
$166,156

Section 2Paying for it

Two ways to cover $166,156.

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 Missouri-only awards in the directory yet.
51
Money you pay backLenders that cover $166,156Four 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

Section 3Add to my plan

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Section 4In the app

Track your flight training at Central Missouri.

Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from University of Central Missouri'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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Section 5Questions

How much does an aviation degree at University of Central Missouri cost?
Summing University of Central Missouri's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $166,156 all in for an in-state student and $203,464 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 University of Central Missouri?
University of Central Missouri publishes about $77,128 for the whole flight sequence its 4-year bachelor'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 University of Central Missouri?
University of Central Missouri publishes about $10,951 per year in-state and $20,278 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $43,804 versus $81,112, 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 University of Central Missouri lower the airline hour requirement?
Yes. University of Central Missouri'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.

Section 6Sources

Figures are University of Central Missouri'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 University of Central Missouri. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Primary sources: ucmo.edu·ucmo.edu·ucmo.edu

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