Buckeye12

Hey guys, I live in Ohio and am thinking about going to UND for Commercial Aviation... Is it worth the distance for attending here? Or would a school such as Ohio State or WMU fit better. I know all of them are great schools, but when I've been researching, I've heard the best at UND.

2StgTurbine

Best is very subjective. No one really cares where you got you degree or how good the aviation program is. In the end it is just a four year degree and that is all anyone cares about. The only advantage is the alumni community, but no matter how many pilots you know in the industry, when you have a commercial and 250 hours, there isn't really much you can do in this economy.

If you are really motivated, don’t even think about an aviation degree. Go to a community college and get all your general education courses done. Then take a year or two break, find a good instructor, and get your flight training done. Then go finish your BA degree at any school you wish while you flight instruct on the side. You will graduate with the same ratings, more hours, and a lot less debt.

Just so you know what an aviation degree will cost compared to the FBO route, the typical price for an aviation school to get your ratings and degree is around $150,000. You can get your flight training done at a local FBO for between $20,000 and $30,000. Community college will cost about $6000 for two years and finishing your BA costs about $20,000. Your total investment would be only $56,000. That is nearly a third the cost. No one is hiring now so there is no rush to build debt quickly for jobs that will never pay it off.

Buckeye12

That does sound very logical in the expense difference... but, wouldn't one advantage of going to an aviation college be networking with other pilots and companies? I know that UND works with Jet Blue and Cape Air, and that could open your way into a job possibly.

UND Aerospace Partnership Could Land Students Jobs | WDAZ | Grand Forks, ND

In my opinion, networking is a big key into any job, and just by knowing people, you have a chance to get recognized and recommended. I don't know? I'm new with this and am just starting to stress about what college will benefit me the best.

Thank you for the advice!

mobius27

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I'm a second year transfer student at UND right now, looking at graduating in December or next spring. I can tell you UND is definitely not 150,000 for the whole program, that sounds more like Embry-Riddle. I think flight costs for the commercial aviation degree is somewhere between 60-70k, and that covers everything through CFII and the CRJ sim course. Tuition/room and board averages about 12k per year with ND residency, which is pretty easy to get. So max of about 120,000 possible. If you've got transfer credits that can help a lot, a lot of people get held up by their generals. If you really wanted to save money, I'd do a year at a community college to get some generals done, maybe get your private on the side, then transfer in. You'll still have to do a private test course, but it's fairly minimal from what I hear. I'd definitely suggest doing that or the full private course in the summer before you come, gives you a leg up and would definitely help with that residency I think.

I think the classes are what make the whole program worth it though. You get a lot of in-depth information that you wouldn't get from an FBO. The altitude chamber was a pretty valuable experience I think, lets you know how to recognize your own symptoms of hypoxia. There are a lot of thing like that. The networking is actually pretty good up here too, so if you can stand the cold, it's definitely worth it.

flynwmn

You could always go to the University of Minnesota-Crookston, in state tuition for everyone. affiliated with UND and transfer over if you don't want the ag degree you'd get at UMC.

2StgTurbine

The networking is good, in fact, I think about 5-10 UND graduates got hired at Cape Air a few months ago. The problem is, there are a lot more than 10 graduates a year with an aviation degree. You have to ask yourself if the easy networking an aviation degree provides is worth the $100,000 price tag.

You can network without going to an aviation university, it is harder, but you can do it. And remember, no matter how many contacts you have, when you graduate, you will still be a low time pilot. It would be more beneficial to not get a non aviation degree and spend that extra money you would save on a ton of time building. For the money you save, you could buy a C-150! Fly across the country and talk to everyone you meet. That way you will network, build a lot of time, and have a lot more fun.

ysslah

I know a lot of people who went to those big name schools, including myself. Only thing of any value I got out of it was internships. That being said, does everyone at those schools get an internship? No. Depending on which semester you apply for, but it can be a lot more competitve that actual pilot positions! When I applied for a summer internship at a legacy, 700 kids applied for 3 slots

Spoilers

Do yourself a favor and don't get a degree in aviation or go to a big aviation school. I graduated from UND several years ago as a non-aviation major and I wouldn't do it again. Go to a local, in-state college or university, save money and get a non-aviation degree.

CVGolfer

I totally agree with 2stgturbine and Spoiler. I went to WMU a few decades ago. I flew for 2 regionals for about 10 years and finally gave it all up. If you're not going into the military then it really doesn't make that much different where you got your flight training. To me, I think timing is everything in this business. I'm sure UND, WMU, Riddle would teach you lots of stuffs more so than just a FBO. But you don't really have to know all that to get hired. If I were you, I would consider getting a none flying degree as a back up and fly on the side. There are a lot of good schools in your Buckeyes state. Good luck. Go Blue.

Rotard

I am a UND grad and I wouldn't trade my experience for anything. I had an awesome time at UND and learned a TON. I began my training (through my private) at a mom and pop FBO and even though I had my rating I didn't know jack. Going to a school like UND gives you such an incredible understanding of all the knowledge associated with aviation. I work right now with a lot of people who don't know **** and they all learned at a smaller flight school. They make a ton of mistakes and do dumb things every day (we all make mistakes but these are excessively dumb). Don't get me wrong a lot depends on the pilot and there are good pilots who go to UND and dumb ones just like anywhere else but if you really apply yourself you can learn tons. I got a degree in business and I haven't used it yet but am glad to have it incase I cannot fly someday. I truly think UND is a fantastic value compared to some other schools and the experience and knowledge you get is certainly worth the price. If you look at the equipment you are flying and the way the maintain it and operate you can't beat the price in my opinion. Good luck choosing!