Kent State University
Four-year aviation degree at Kent State University 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: $200,630 in-state, $242,430 out-of-state.
Basics
| Degree | Bachelor's (BS), four years |
|---|---|
| School | Public |
| Airline minimum | 1,000 hours (restricted ATP) |
| Location | Kent, 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)
- $55,400
- $13,850/yr × 42026-27Source
- Kent Campus tuition and fees, the Tuition Guarantee cohort rate for students starting in 2026-27.
- Room & board
- $57,520
- $14,380/yr × 42026-27Source
- Kent State's on-campus housing and food allowance: a double room at $8,690 and the blue meal plan at $5,690.
- Flight training (whole program)
- $87,710
- 2026-27Source
- Based on FAA-minimum hours; real cost typically runs higher.
- The sum of the eight flight courses the Professional Pilot major requires, each priced on Kent State's fee page for the hours it includes: Private Pilot Flight 1 $7,500 and 2 $9,600, Instrument $18,650, Commercial NAV $15,500, Commercial $13,620, Multi-Engine $8,360, Flight Instructor Airplanes $11,120 and Flight Instructor Instruments $3,360. Hours beyond those included are billed as overflight fees at the end of the course. The fees include books, supplies and most FAA knowledge tests. Multi-engine instructor, advanced multi-engine and upset recovery courses are optional and not in this figure.
- All-in (in-state)
- $200,630
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 Akron (KAKR), 7 nm away, 2016 to 2025. Source: Iowa Environmental Mesonet ASOS archive, Iowa State University.
Paying for it
Two ways to cover $200,630.
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 $200,630Four 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 Kent State.
Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from Kent 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 Kent State University cost?
Summing Kent State University's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $200,630 all in for an in-state student and $242,430 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 Kent State University?
Kent State University publishes about $87,710 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 Kent State University?
Kent State University publishes about $13,850 per year in-state and $24,300 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $55,400 versus $97,200, 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 Kent State University lower the airline hour requirement?
Yes. Kent 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 Kent 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 Kent State University. Disclaimer & removal policy.
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What each rating costs
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