Baylor University

Located in Waco, Texas, Baylor University is a private school that offers two bachelor’s degree programs—Professional Pilot and Aviation Management—perfect for students looking to earn their degree while being part of a midsized Christian university system. 

Program Highlights

The aviation program has been around since the late 1990s. The location of the school gives students the chance to use its fleet of aircraft or branch out and dual study at Texas State Technical School, right up the road in Bellmead, Texas.

Programs Baylor offers include:

• Bachelor of Science
  • Professional Pilot
  • Aviation Management

Baylor has partnerships with multiple airlines, providing well-defined paths to an industry career. Some of those connections include:

• Envoy
• Cape Air
• SkyWest
• Mesa Airlines

This program could be the right ticket for students coming right out of high school or transitioning from the military to civilian world. 

Value

Since it’s a private university, Baylor does come in with a pretty high price tag: about $200,000 for fixed wing and $260,000 for rotary wing across four years. The program offers great scholarships for those who seek them out from The Greater Waco Aviation Alliance and other cohorts. It also accepts veteran’s benefits such as GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon.  

Baylor offers a full campus which houses student housing, dining, and state-of-the-art facilities.

Fleet and Facilities

In 2019, Baylor branched out from their flight-training partnership with Texas State Technical School to buy their own fleet of aircraft. Working with Universal Flight Concepts out of Waco Regional Airport (KACT), 20 minutes from the main campus, Baylor has a brand new fleet of Tecnam aircraft for students to cut their teeth on. 

The fleet consists of:

• 13 P2008s
• 13 P2010s
• 2 P2006Ts 
• Robinson helicopters
• Full fixed-wing and rotary-wing simulators

Students finishing the Baylor flight program can take advantage of the 500-hour ATP reduction. 

Campus Life

Students have the opportunity to stay on campus at one of 15 residential communities or live off campus in Waco. Baylor boasts:

• The first collegiate homecoming
• The Baylor line during Big XII football games
• National championship-caliber sports
• Many other varied events on campus throughout the year

Students also have access to a number of worship centers and volunteer opportunities through the school. 

The Bottom Line

Students who attend Baylor will have the full college experience while being able to learn in high-end facilities, but this will come with a high price tag.