University of Nebraska-Omaha

Located in Omaha, Nebraska, the University of Nebraska-Omaha offers a bachelor’s degree in aviation with three concentrations to choose from, as well as a minor. The Aviation Institute, in conjunction with the Division of Continuing Studies, offers an Aviation Studies program for non-traditional students with transfer credits or career aviation experience.

Program Highlights

The University of Nebraska-Omaha is an FAA-approved Part 141 pilot school. Students may choose where they complete their flight training. The options are Advanced Air at the Council Bluffs Airport (KCBF) or Oracle Aviation at the Millard Airport (KMLE). Both airports are less than 30 minutes from the main campus.

Programs offered include:

• Bachelor of Science
  • Aviation
    • Air Transport Administration
    • Professional Pilot
    • Unmanned Aerial Systems

• Minor
  • Aviation

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

• Southwest Airlines
• Endeavor Air
• Envoy Air

The school works with local aviation companies to provide access to internships at Omaha-area businesses such as Jet Linx Aviation or the Omaha Airport Authority.

It is part of region 5 of the National intercollegiate Flying Association Inc.

Value

The University of Nebraska-Omaha’s tuition is average for the size of school and the facilities it provides. For in-state students, base tuition is just over $13,000, and for out-of-state students, tuition hovers around $15,000.

On top of base tuition, flight students will have additional costs for flight courses. Over the course of four years, before financial aid or scholarships, flight costs will come in around $40,000 for all necessary licenses to be a professional pilot—this is much lower than average.

The university also offers scholarships to help mitigate the cost of tuition and flight, including:

• Nebraska Legacy Scholarships
• UNO Advantage Scholarship
• Young Scholars Program

Students can also seek outside aviation scholarships.

They also accept veteran’s benefits such as the GI Bill.

Fleet and Facilities

The aircraft used for flight training will vary based on the flight school a student uses to train.

Advanced Air at the Council Bluffs Airport features:

• Cessna 150s
• Cessna 172s
• Piper PA28s
• Beech Duchesses

Oracle Aviation at the Millard Airport has:

• Cessna 172s
• Piper 180s
• Piper Arrows
• Piper Senecas
• Beech Bonanzas
• Beech Duchesses

The Aviation Institute’s Professional Flight curriculum is approved by the FAA to grant the Restricted Airline Transport Pilot (R-ATP) authorization to our graduates. With the R-ATP, a pilot can be hired by a FAA Part 121 scheduled airline at age 21 with 1,000 flight hours versus at age 23 and 1,500 flight hours.

Campus Life

The University of Nebraska-Omaha has many options for on campus housing and dining including living and learning facilities.

The school has many student clubs and organizations, such as:

• Active Minds UNO
• Asian Student Union
• Economics Club

Greek life is also prevalent on campus.

For students looking to get active, the university has many intramural sports to get involved in like soccer, volleyball, and basketball. For students looking to cheer on the players instead of join them, the university has 16 NCAA Division I teams.

The Bottom Line

The University of Nebraska-Omaha gives students the flexibility to complete their flight training at a choice of two different flight schools but still reap the benefits of a Part 141 school. The low cost of tuition and flight fees gives the university an upper hand when recruiting students. The school also provides students with pathway programs to get them started in the aviation industry. On top of the aviation program, the university is able to offer plenty of traditional college experiences like clubs and organizations and sports.