Cost Estimate Information

In searching through the various college aviation programs listed on the web, you will be hard pressed to easily find the bottom line on costs for most programs. We, however, know that cost is one of the major considerations in selecting a program. Metropolitan State College of Denver offers one of the lowest cost programs, if not the lowest cost program in the country and we do not sacrifice quality as we employ diverse, highly qualified faculty with rich experience in the aviation industry.  We have an excellent simulator lab, named the World Indoor Airport, and our simulator costs are covered by a stipend that all students pay which allows the student enrolled in a simulator course unlimited practice outside of class for no additional charge.  Most other schools charge a healthy hourly fee for outside of class use (say at least $50 per hour to practice)

The following is simply an estimate to give you a ballpark, non-deflated value. These estimates assume that the student has his own health insurance and is not required to purchase health insurance through the college. When considering the flight training, there are many variables that can affect the cost such as the training facility you choose, weather, rising fuel prices, instructor availability, number of flying lessons per week, gaps in training due to the student, instructor, or aircraft availability. Please compare us with other schools around the country and we think you will arrive at the conclusion that MSCD is not only the Fifth Largest College Program in the country, but the place where you can receive very high quality at THE LOWEST COST.
Aviation Technology
Aviation Management
Aviation Maintenance Management

Aviation Technology

The Metropolitan State College of Denver Aerospace Science Department does not operate it's own aircraft. This allows you, the student, to shop around for the best flight school based on caliber of instruction, convenience, safety and cost. As those of you who have investigated colleges that operate their own fleet of aircraft know, the overall cost of aircraft rental at these places is high. At MSCD, where the student is free to chose from several competing flight schools in the Denver area, the the overall cost of the degree with it's required FAA certificates and ratings is much lower.

For prospective students from the western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming), MSCD participates in the  Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program. This program allows, enables students who are residents of these western states to enroll in participating two-and four-year college programs outside of their home state at a reduced tuition rate: 150 percent of the institution’s regular in-state tuition.
College Tuition & Fees: $14,000 - The planned course of study -estimate based on a Colorado resident starting Fall 2008 and completing in 4 years. Latest fees & tuition on the MSCD web site. Note that an in state student taking 18 credits is paying nearly the same in tuition as a student  taking 12 hrs.

Tuition and fees at MSCD is roughly $1700 per semester for a full time student from Colorado taking 16 hours per semester and using the COF stipend. Out of state tuition is about $5400 per semester. Note that MSCD has is now establishing dormitories, but students may locate anywhere around the area, convenient to school and/or the airport they plan to fly out of. Students may apply for in state tuition after maintaining residence in Colorado for one year, registering their vehicle here, voting here and obtaining a Colorado driver's license and showing financial emancipation from their parents.

Books: $3000 - estimated for 38 courses over 4 years

Flight Training: $43,000 for aircraft rental, instructor fees and testing fees - estimate based on  Fall semester 2008 costs and completing all of the following certificates and ratings regardless of degree program  to make the student MOST MARKETABLE:

1. Private Pilot Certificate (estimating 55 flight hours but can be as few as 35)
2. Instrument Rating
3. Commercial Certificate (typically at 250 flight hours but can be as few as 190)
4. Certified Flight Instructor Rating
5. Certified Flight Instructor Instrument Rating
6. Advanced Ground Instructor Certificate
7. Multi-engine Rating
8. Multi-engine Instructor Rating
(see information allowing additional student loans for related flight courses)

 

It is not required that a student possess all these listed certificates and ratings for graduation with the aviation technology degree. However, it is advised that the student complete all of these to make him or herself as marketable as possible. Therefore, we have included them all in the cost estimate.

The figuring of a cost for all these ratings involves many variables such as weather, choice of flight school, aircraft maintenance availability, fuel costs, instructor availability or changes, frequency of training flights, the student's finances and an individual's aptitude and study habits. In general, you can hardly find a place with better weather conditions than those in Denver to facilitate rapid training. Typically, the more rapidly you proceed through training, the fewer hours of flight training it will take to complete.

Total for tuition, books and flight training: approximately $60,000

Please compare these costs with all other programs you are interested in, making sure that those program estimates include all the above listed Certificates and Ratings.

(Note that currently MSCD students have an additional opportunity to achieve a Beech 1900 Type Rating for about 50% what the normal price that a person off the street would pay. The Beech 1900 is an aircraft that commuter airlines operate. The cost of the simulator training with a Denver based company is around $5,000 for Metro students. Not going through Metro will cost you about $10,000 to $12,000! When one realizes that you are also getting a multiengine rating at the same time, the savings is even greater than first imagined. A Type Rating makes a graduate EVEN MORE MARKETABLE and has led to a job offer for all who have completed the training  so far.)

Aviation Management

College Tuition & Fees: $14,000 - The planned course of study - estimate based on a Colorado resident for Spring 2006 and completing in 4 years. Latest fees & tuition on the MSCD web site. Note that an in state student taking 18 credits is paying nearly the same in tuition as a student  taking 12 hrs.
Tuition at MSCD is roughly $1700 per semester for a full time student from Colorado. Out of state tuition is about $6000 per semester. Note that MSCD has is now establishing dormitories, but students may locate anywhere around the area, convenient to school and/or the airport they plan to fly out of. Students may apply for in state tuition after maintaining residence in Colorado for one year, registering their vehicle here, voting here and obtaining a Colorado driver's license and showing financial emancipation from their parents.
Books: $3000 - estimated for 38 courses over 4 years

Total for tuition and books: approximately $16,000

(Note that currently MSCD students have an additional opportunity to achieve an Aircraft Dispatcher's Certificate through our alliance with Jeppesen Corporation, another Denver based company that specializes in aviation chart making and aviation training. The dispatch center is the center of operations for an airline. The reduced rate of $4500 provides the student with an Aircraft Dispatcher's Certificate and additional marketability.)

  

Aviation Maintenance Management

The Metropolitan State College of Denver Aerospace Science Department does not operate it's own aircraft maintenance training facility. Our Maintenance Management Degree assumes that you have attended or attend a maintenance school or obtained the certificate through on the job training for instance through one of the military services, etc. There are two schools in the Denver area that offer the required training culminating in earning the A&P Certificate.

College Tuition & Fees: $10,600 - The planned course of study - estimate based on a Colorado resident starting Fall 2008 and completing in 3 years. Latest fees & tuition on the MSCD web site. Note that an in state student taking 18 credits is paying nearly the same in tuition as a student  taking 12 hrs.  Tuition at MSCD is roughly $1700 per semester for a full time student from Colorado. Out of state tuition is about $6000 per semester. Note that MSCD has is now establishing dormitories, but students may locate anywhere around the area, convenient to school and/or the airport they plan to fly out of. Students may apply for in state tuition after maintaining residence in Colorado for one year, registering their vehicle here, voting here and obtaining a Colorado driver's license and showing financial emancipation from their parents.

Books: $2400 - estimated for 29 courses over 3 years

Airframe & Powerplant Certificate: $12,000 to $32,000 - depending on which of the two schools in the Denver area the training occurs. Were you qualified through on the job training, during military service for instance, the cost would be simply that of taking the written and practical tests, less than $1000.

Total for tuition, books and maintenance training: approximately $25,000 using the lower cost A&P training school.

 Please see the MSCD Financial Aide Page

The Department of Education has a Financial Aide Site at: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp

You may want to visit the following sites on paying for college:

Notice also the cost incentive to take more hours per semester. There is NO difference in the in-state or out-of-state student's share of the fees from 12 to 18 credit hours and less than $20 increase in mandatory fees on the MSCD fees and tuition schedule. THERE ARE APPRECIABLE SAVINGS FOR THE STUDENT WHO TAKES A GREATER SEMESTER LOAD UP TO 18 SEMESTER HOURS!  Presumably this would allow the student to complete a 120 your course of study in seven semesters instead of eight for even more savings.