Archived edition
The flight training
cost report
Edition of August 20, 2026
A dated capture of the report as published, kept so a citation stays checkable. 458 flight schools across 50 states, 47 degree programs and 89 accelerated academies, every figure from the institution's own published page.
Section 1
Key findings
As published on August 20, 2026.
- $18,113
Private pilot certificate, all-in
At this edition's median trainer and instructor rates over the typical 72-hour completion ($15.6K to $20.6K).
- $163/hr
Trainer aircraft, median rental
Across 458 schools in 50 states, published range $50 to $430.
- $69/hr
Standard flight instruction, median
Billed on top of the aircraft rental. Range $25 to $235.
- $395/hr
Multi-engine (twin), median
At the 134 schools publishing a twin rate.
- 275 of 458
Schools state a wet rate (fuel included)
Another 162 never say whether fuel is included, and 21 price dry.
- $76,370
Aviation-degree flight fees, on top of tuition
Median across 47 degree programs ($49.5K to $141K).
- $80,195
Accelerated-academy package, median
Across the 66 of 89 academies publishing a flat price ($34.3K to $125K).
Section 2
Rates by state
Every state in this edition's sample, deepest coverage first.
| State | Schools | Median trainer | Trainer range | Median instructor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 60 | $160 | $90 to $269 | $80 |
| Texas | 47 | $160 | $50 to $425 | $65 |
| Florida | 28 | $169 | $105 to $350 | $70 |
| Washington | 19 | $160 | $114 to $225 | $65 |
| Wisconsin | 16 | $130 | $80 to $211 | $65 |
| Virginia | 16 | $165 | $90 to $225 | $69 |
| Pennsylvania | 16 | $180 | $132 to $231 | $65 |
| Georgia | 14 | $175 | $75 to $295 | $70 |
| Michigan | 13 | $175 | $109 to $395 | $60 |
| Illinois | 13 | $159 | $130 to $430 | $65 |
| Colorado | 11 | $170 | $130 to $385 | $65 |
| Tennessee | 11 | $160 | $135 to $205 | $63 |
| Nevada | 11 | $175 | $155 to $235 | $70 |
| Arizona | 10 | $145 | $109 to $185 | $72 |
| New York | 10 | $188 | $110 to $380 | $80 |
| Utah | 9 | $165 | $130 to $210 | $65 |
| Ohio | 9 | $150 | $134 to $175 | $51 |
| Indiana | 9 | $170 | $129 to $200 | $60 |
| North Carolina | 9 | $175 | $115 to $384 | $60 |
| Massachusetts | 9 | $165 | $126 to $183 | $70 |
| Oregon | 8 | $170 | $125 to $220 | $65 |
| Minnesota | 8 | $150 | $85 to $215 | $90 |
| Louisiana | 6 | $180 | $138 to $200 | $65 |
| New Mexico | 5 | $171 | $150 to $200 | $65 |
| Idaho | 5 | $180 | $155 to $200 | $70 |
| Montana | 5 | $165 | $119 to $184 | $75 |
| Iowa | 5 | $160 | $91 to $190 | $60 |
| Missouri | 5 | $150 | $81 to $184 | $60 |
| Alabama | 5 | $180 | $155 to $185 | $55 |
| New Hampshire | 5 | $170 | $143 to $235 | $75 |
| Maine | 5 | $175 | $160 to $220 | $70 |
| Alaska | 4 | $160 | $150 to $170 | $75 |
| Mississippi | 4 | $155 | $119 to $159 | $80 |
| Kansas | 4 | $167 | $52 to $210 | $57 |
| Kentucky | 4 | $185 | $150 to $230 | $90 |
| Arkansas | 4 | $135 | $95 to $182 | $65 |
| Connecticut | 4 | $198 | $147 to $200 | $79 |
| Wyoming | 3 | $180 | $155 to $185 | $70 |
| Hawaii | 3 | $220 | $205 to $235 | $55 |
| North Dakota | 3 | $175 | $175 to $185 | $75 |
| South Carolina | 3 | $155 | $135 to $169 | $50 |
| West Virginia | 3 | $140 | $115 to $165 | $55 |
| New Jersey | 3 | $140 | $130 to $205 | $93 |
| Rhode Island | 3 | $150 | $130 to $175 | $90 |
| Vermont | 3 | $145 | $85 to $205 | $50 |
| Maryland | 3 | $175 | $130 to $199 | $70 |
| Oklahoma | 2 | $120 | $120 to $120 | $60 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $193 | $193 to $193 | $68 |
| Delaware | 1 | $210 | $210 to $210 | $70 |
| Nebraska | 1 | $165 | $165 to $165 | $70 |
| All states | 458 | $163 | $50 to $430 | $69 |
Section 3
Citing this edition
Quote this page when the figure needs to stay checkable.
A disclosed sample of institutions that publish their rates, not a national average. Every underlying figure traces to the institution's own published page with a verification date. Free to reuse with attribution under CC BY 4.0. Methodology, per-school sources and the current figures are on the live report.
Cite or share this stat
PilotBound Flight Training Cost Report, edition of August 20, 2026: a private pilot certificate costs about $18,113 at published rates (median trainer $163/hr, instructor $69/hr, 458 schools in 50 states). https://pilotbound.app/flight-training-cost-report/2026-08-20
Free to reuse with credit. A link back to this page is appreciated.
Aggregates only. This edition never contained per-school rows, because any listed school can ask to be removed and an archived file cannot be recalled. Frozen 2026-08-20 from 458 checked schools.