2027 Best Value Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew Schools in Illinois
[Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew](/majors/transportation-materials-handling/air-transportation/airline-commercial-professional-pilot-and-flight-crew/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew Schools
For return on investment in airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew, no school beat Parkland College this year. Located in the city of Champaign, Parkland College is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,284, with out-of-state students paying around $13,266. Students borrow a median of $10,168 to complete the airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew program here. Soon after graduation, airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degree recipients from Parkland College generally make around $40,409. Set against $10,168 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
A rank of #2 makes Southwestern Illinois College one of the best values for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew. Set in the suburb of Belleville, Southwestern Illinois College is a large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $4,230, compared with $6,720 for out-of-state students. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates carry a median of $10,388 in student loans. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates of Southwestern Illinois College earn a median of $44,345 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Southern Illinois University Carbondale earned it the #3 place for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,334. Typical student debt for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew graduates is $20,750. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates of Southern Illinois University Carbondale earn a median of $42,010 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Lewis University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew schools. Located in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $39,200. Typical student debt for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew graduates is $24,873. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates of Lewis University earn a median of $55,718 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,873 median debt. Lewis University admits about 71% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
