Aviation degree · Murfreesboro, TN

What an aviation degree at Middle Tennessee State University 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.

PilotBound all-in estimate

$166K

In-state, all-in

$260K

Out-of-state, all-in

Unlocks the 1,000-hour airline minimum

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

The numbers, with sources

Tuition (in-state)
$45,696
$11,424/yr × 42026-27Source
Tuition (out-of-state)
$139,552
$34,888/yr × 42026-27Source
Room & board
$49,344
$12,336/yr × 42025-26Source

Shared room $3,246/term + mandatory freshman meal plan $2,922/term, x2 semesters (meal plan is on MTSU's Housing & Meal Plan Rates PDF).

Flight training (whole program)
$71,000
2025-26Source

Partial: school does not price every rating, so the full sequence costs more.

MTSU's published figure: the required flight-lab sequence totals about $71,000 over 5 semesters. The instructor ratings (CFI/CFII/MEI) are not separately priced, so the full sequence costs more. Charged per flown hour; plan higher.

All-in (in-state)
$166,040

See how this stacks up against Part 61, Part 141, an academy, and a 2-year degree.

Compare the paths

Figures are Middle Tennessee State University'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 Middle Tennessee State University. Disclaimer & removal policy.

Primary sources: aerospace.mtsu.edu·mtsu.edu