Bowling Green State University
Four-year aviation degree at Wood County Airport.
Costs checkedChecked November 13, 2026 by Samip Shah, CFI, CFII, AGI
At a glance
- A bachelor's degree with flight training, at a public university.
- Graduates can reach the airline minimum at 1,000 hours instead of 1,500.
- 4 years all-in: $187,792 in-state, $219,744 out-of-state.
Basics
| Degree | Bachelor's (BS), four years |
|---|---|
| School | Public |
| Airline minimum | 1,000 hours (restricted ATP) |
| Location | Bowling Green, OH |
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 (in-state)
- $59,088
- $14,772/yr × 42026-27Source
- Tuition and fees, locked for four years by the Falcon Tuition Guarantee. The guarantee does not cover flight lab fees.
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $91,040
- $22,760/yr × 42026-27Source
- $14,772 tuition and fees plus the $7,988 nonresident fee.
- Room & board
- $44,896
- $11,224/yr × 42026-27Source
- Standard occupancy room at $6,760 and the standard meal plan at $4,464.
- Flight training (whole program)
- $83,808
- 2026-27Source
- Based on FAA-minimum hours; real cost typically runs higher.
- BGSU's own total for the seven required flight labs: Private I and II, Instrument I and II, Commercial/Multi-Engine I and II, and a jet transition lab. The fees reflect the minimum time the FAA-approved syllabus needs, and a student who needs more instruction pays more; BGSU's financial aid office puts required flight fees at $80,000 to $106,000, depending on progress. The instructor ratings are electives priced on top: Flight Instructor Airplane $6,749, Instrument $5,723 and Multi-Engine $10,857. Billed by semester alongside tuition.
- All-in (in-state)
- $187,792
Airport
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 Toledo (KTDZ), 12 nm away, 2016 to 2025. Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet ASOS archive, Iowa State University.
Paying for it
Two ways to cover $187,792.
Win what you can first, then borrow only what is left.
- Money you keepScholarships you could apply for43 open to anyone, plus 2 in Ohio. Top awards reach $22,200.
- ORBAA Scholarship$10,000 · Check dates
- Mitchell Cary and Don Gum Memorial Aviation Scholarship$1,500 · National Aviation Heritage Area counties · Check dates
- 45
- Money you pay backLenders that cover $187,792Four 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 BGSU.
Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from Bowling Green State 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 Bowling Green State University cost?
Summing Bowling Green State University's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $187,792 all in for an in-state student and $219,744 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 Bowling Green State University?
Bowling Green State University publishes about $83,808 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 Bowling Green State University?
Bowling Green State University publishes about $14,772 per year in-state and $22,760 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $59,088 versus $91,040, 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 Bowling Green State University lower the airline hour requirement?
Yes. Bowling Green State 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 Bowling Green State 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 Bowling Green State University. Disclaimer & removal policy.
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