San Jose State University

Located in San Jose, California, San Jose State University offers a bachelor’s degree program with four different concentrations from which to choose. The school’s flight program works with two training affiliates in the local area so students can earn their flight certifications on their own time while completing their academic requirements on campus. This makes the professional pilot program at San Jose State University very flexible for students.

Program Highlights

The university is an FAA-approved Part 141 pilot school, and students can choose from two locations to complete their flight training:

• Tradewinds Aviation at Reid-Hillview County Airport (KRHV)
• Squadron 2 at Reid-Hillview County Airport

There are also plans to add two additional affiliates at Reid-Hillview and also one in Watson, California, for helicopter training.

Programs offered include:

• Bachelor of Science
  • Aviation

• Concentrations
  • Aviation Management
  • Maintenance Management
  • Operations
  • Professional Flight

San Jose State University is part of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s Region 2.

Value

San Jose State University offers affordable in-state tuition, starting at around $3,500 a semester. Out-of-state students will pay double that at around $7,000 a semester. These fees do not include flight training costs.

On top of base tuition, flight students will have additional costs for flight courses. San Jose State University estimates that depending on which of the affiliates a student chooses to fly with, at the end of their degree plan, they will have paid around $45,000 in flight training costs. This is substantially lower than most school estimates, but also does not include some ratings most students will likely need to get jobs, such as multiengine and certified flight instructor.

Students can apply for outside scholarships to help with the cost of tuition. Some available include:

• The David Arver Memorial Scholarship
• Diversity STEM Scholarships
• EAA Post-Secondary Scholarships

Unfortunately, the school does not accept VA benefits for flight training, but it does accept VA benefits for academics. Some of the affiliate programs may accept VA benefits for flight training costs.

Fleet and Facilities

The affiliates students can utilize for flight training have an array of different aircraft for flight training, including:

• Cessnas
• Pipers
• Beechcrafts

Graduates may be eligible for an R-ATP.

Campus Life

San Jose State University is a midsized university with around 30,000 enrolled students every year. This gives students the opportunity to enjoy traditional college experience. There are more than 450 student organizations and many sororities and fraternities that students can join.

Being a San Jose Spartan comes with many traditions to enjoy such as “Week of Welcomes” and Homecoming. Every year, the university celebrates its alumni with Legacy Month, which includes student marches with Olympic athletes.

The Bottom Line

San Jose State University gives students the flexibility in flight training by allowing them to choose the location of their training. Low-cost tuition and flight training with the ability to apply to scholarships make San Jose State University one of the more affordable paths to a professional pilot career. The midsized school offers many traditional college experiences as well as some home traditions.