Aviation degree · Williston, VT · Checked July 22, 2026
What an aviation degree at Vermont 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.
Section 1Cost estimate
PilotBound all-in estimate
$201K
In-state, all-in
$245K
Out-of-state, all-in
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)
- $44,352
- $11,088/yr × 42026-27Source
- Vermont resident, standard-program full-time annual rate ($462/credit).
- Tuition (out-of-state)
- $88,608
- $22,152/yr × 42026-27Source
- Out-of-state standard-program rate ($923/credit).
- Flight training (whole program)
- $99,007
- 2026-27Source
- Based on FAA-minimum hours; real cost typically runs higher.
- Full sequence PPL through MEI, sum of Vermont State's nine published per-course AER flight fees (Private $20,175 + Instrument $13,692 + Commercial 1 $22,685 + Commercial 2 $13,588 + CFI $10,272 + Multi-Engine $6,775 + CFII $3,095 + MEI $8,725). These are base-rate estimates; hours beyond the base are billed hourly, so plan higher.
- All-in (in-state)
- $201,215
Section 2Paying for it
Two ways to cover $201,215.
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 for46 open to anyone, plus 1 in Vermont. Top awards reach $22,200.
- Aero Club of New England Flight Training Scholarships$1,000 – $10,000 · Check dates
- 47
- Money you pay backLenders that cover $201,215Four 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
Turn this into a plan.
A degree is one path. Build a free plan to map every step to your checkride and see it against the other routes.
Build your free planSee how this stacks up against Part 61, Part 141, an academy, and a 2-year degree.
Compare the pathsSection 4Questions
- How much does an aviation degree at Vermont State University cost?
- Summing Vermont State University's own published tuition, room and board, and flight fees over 4 years, PilotBound estimates about $201,215 all in for an in-state student and $245,471 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 Vermont State University?
- Vermont State University publishes about $99,007 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 Vermont State University?
- Vermont State University publishes about $11,088 per year in-state and $22,152 out of state for 2026-27. Over the 4-year program that is roughly $44,352 versus $88,608, 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 Vermont State University lower the airline hour requirement?
- Yes. Vermont 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.
Section 5Sources
Figures are Vermont 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 Vermont State University. Disclaimer & removal policy.
Primary sources: vermontstate.edu·vermontstate.edu·vermontstate.edu
Plan the money before you commit
A program price only makes sense next to what each rating costs on its own, what free money exists, and what borrowing actually looks like.
What each rating costs
Honest per-rating ranges, with the fees most quotes leave out.
Free money first
Verified flight training scholarships. Every scholarship dollar is a dollar you never finance.
If you borrow
Compare lenders and see the real monthly payment before you sign.