2026 Best Value Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew Schools in the The Plains States Region
[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. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools to find the best return on investment for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew students.
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2026 Best Value Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot & Flight Crew Schools in the The Plains States Region
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
Leading the list is Ozarks Technical Community College, our #1 best value for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew in the The Plains States Region. Located in the city of Springfield, Ozarks Technical Community College is a large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $4,256, while out-of-state students pay about $7,040. Typical student debt for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew graduates is $15,866. Soon after graduation, airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degree recipients from Ozarks Technical Community College generally make around $36,644. Set against $15,866 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
Students looking for strong value in airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew will find it at University Of Central Missouri, which ranked #2. University Of Central Missouri is a large public school located in the town of Warrensburg. In-state tuition and fees average $10,050, compared with $18,600 for out-of-state students. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates of University Of Central Missouri earn a median of $58,753 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Central Missouri admits about 64% of applicants.
A rank of #3 makes Kansas State University one of the best values for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew. Set in the city of Manhattan, Kansas State University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $11,221, with out-of-state students paying around $28,568. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates carry a median of $21,500 in student loans. Airline/commercial/professional Pilot & Flight Crew graduates of Kansas State University earn a median of $51,198 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #4 makes University Of Dubuque one of the best values for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew. Located in the city of Dubuque, University Of Dubuque is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,095. Typical student debt for airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew graduates is $26,250. Soon after graduation, airline/commercial/professional pilot & flight crew degree recipients from University Of Dubuque generally make around $37,362. That is a strong return on a $26,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 89%.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 13 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.
