Aerial photo of Lancaster Airport, Lancaster, PA
Imagery: USDA NAIP

Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster

Four-year aviation degree at Lancaster Airport.

Checked November 13, 2026 by Samip Shah

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: $215,324.

Basics

DegreeBachelor's (BS), four years
SchoolPrivate
Airline minimum1,000 hours (restricted ATP)
LocationLancaster, PA

What it costs

Unlocks the 1,000-hour airline minimum

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
$61,800
$15,450/yr × 42026-27Source
$515 a credit hour, 30 credit hours in the first year of EMU's 2026-27 degree plan. Private, one rate.
Room & board(estimated)
$64,400
$16,100/yr × 42026-27Source
EMU at Lancaster does not publish a housing figure.
Flight training (whole program)
$89,124
2026-27Source
The sum of EMU's 2026-27 flight fee deposits, at EMU average hours, for private ($24,637), instrument ($17,322), commercial ($38,287) and multi-engine ($8,878). The flight instructor course ($9,552) is one of two choices in the degree plan and is not in this figure, nor are material and evaluation fees. Hours beyond the average are billed by Aero-Tech Services, and a fuel surcharge may apply.
All-in
$215,324

Airport

Aerial photo of Lancaster Airport

Lancaster KLNS

Home field · 2 runways · longest 6,933 ft · asphalt

View on the map

Aerial imagery: USDA NAIP imagery via the USGS National Map

Weather

313
flyable days a year
Jun to Aug
most flyable months
23 of 28
in February, the fewest
Flyable 313Low clouds or poor visibility 52
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 $215,324.

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 Pennsylvania-only awards in the directory yet.
43
Money you pay backLenders that cover $215,324Four 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 EMU Lancaster.

Enter the aircraft and instructor rates from Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster'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 Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster cost?

Summing Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $215,324 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 Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster?

Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster publishes about $89,124 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 Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster?

Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster publishes about $15,450 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 $61,800, before room and board and before any flight fees.

Does an aviation degree from Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster lower the airline hour requirement?

Yes. Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster'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 Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster'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 Eastern Mennonite University at Lancaster. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Primary sources: emu.edu· emu.edu· emu.edu

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