Farmingdale State College

Located in Farmingdale, New York, Farmingdale State College offers two aviation bachelor’s degrees, three minors, and one certificate program focused in aviation. The aviation department offers the largest collegiate flight school in the northeast and it’s the only SUNY school that offers four-year degrees in aviation.

Program Highlights

Farmingdale State College is a FAA-approved Part 141 pilot school and flight operations are conducted at the Republic Airport (KFRG), which is less than a 10-minute drive from the main campus.

Programs Farmingdale State offers include:

• Bachelor of Science
  • Aviation Administration
  • Aviation Science—Professional Pilot
• Minor
  • Air Force ROTC
  • Aviation Administration
  • Aviation Flight

The aviation flight minor is only for current students in the aviation administration or professional pilot major.

• Certificate
  • Drone Pilot

Students who are enthusiastic about the aviation industry can join student chapters of the American Association of Airport Executives, as well as Alpha Eta Rho.

Graduates from the flight program qualify for a restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) at 1,000 hours, rather than the standard 1,500 hours, enabling students to be hired as an airline’s first officer sooner.

A total of 94 percent of graduates are employed immediately after graduation.

Farmingdale State College is one of only 40 collegiate flight programs with Aviation Accreditation Board International accreditation. The school is also part of Region 7 of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association.

Value

Tuition is reasonable for both in- and out-of-state students. In-state students will pay about $3,500 a semester, while out-of-state students will pay about $8,500. For students looking to live on campus, room and board fees will range from $4,000-8,000 a semester. These costs do not include flight fees.

Farmingdale State College estimates flight students will need about $9,000 a semester to complete their flight courses.

Aviation students can seek outside scholarships to help pay for tuition, such as the:

● CPCU-Lawrence “Larry” Frazier Memorial Scholarship
● Daedalian Foundation Descendants Scholarship
● David Arver Memorial Scholarship

The school also accepts veteran’s benefits, such as the GI Bill.

Fleet and Facilities

Farmingdale State hosts a fleet of Piper aircraft for training, which includes”

● Piper PA-28s
● Piper PA-44s

The school also houses several advanced aviation training devices, including:

● FRASCA 142s
● FRASCA 141s

Campus Life

With more than 10,000 students, Farmingdale State is a midsized school with a student-to-faculty ratio of 21:1. The school offers on-campus housing to all incoming students as well as a number of dining facilities.

Farmingdale State hosts more than 70 student organizations and a vibrant Greek presence. Some of the school’s clubs include:

● Farmingdale eSports
● Health Awareness Club
● Hugs Across America Club

There are 18 NCAA Division III athletics teams at Farmingdale.

The Bottom Line

Farmingdale State College offers a large fleet of aircraft and can cater to students looking to be close to a major metropolitan area. The college is dedicated to helping students get a solid undergraduate education.