Flight school in Wisconsin

2 pilot training programs with costs, results and funding that can make them free

2 schools offer these pilot training programs, and Wisconsin has approved every one for workforce funding. Each shows its price if you pay yourself and how past students did.

Commercial pilots fly and navigate airplanes, helicopters and other aircraft. They usually need flight training, at one of the hundreds of FAA-certified flight schools or as part of a two- or four-year aviation degree, and must meet FAA requirements; airline pilots usually also need a bachelor's degree and experience as a commercial or military pilot.¹ For the FAA commercial pilot certificate you must be at least 18, read, speak and understand English, hold a private pilot certificate, log the required flight time (generally at least 250 hours in an airplane or 150 in a helicopter) and pass a knowledge test and a practical test. Drone pilots who fly for work need the FAA's remote pilot certificate instead: at least 16 and a passed knowledge test.²

In Wisconsin, 1 of the 2 programs takes students without a high school diploma and 1 asks for a diploma or equivalent.

Both are the same kind of program: pilot (associate degree).

See the 2 programs

How much does flight school cost in Wisconsin?

$66,020 to $70,136

from the lowest-priced program to the highest, if you pay yourself

These two programs

Finished the program: 5% to 51%
Working 6 months later: 55% to 77%
Earned a year, estimated: about $29,200 to $37,300
Length: 70 weeks

Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are listed; other schools in Wisconsin may also offer flight school. How these figures are made

Is there free flight school in Wisconsin?

Yes, if you qualify. WIOA (public workforce funding) can pay for any program on this page, in full or in part, depending on local limits.³⁴⁵For a degree, the job center first looks at grants such as a federal Pell Grant; WIOA pays toward what they don't cover.⁵
Ask an American Job Center whether you qualify, or call 1-877-872-5627.⁶ Before funding training, the center goes through an assessment and a career plan with you.⁵
Or pay yourself. These programs cost $66,020 to $70,136.

Who qualifies, and other ways to pay: financial aid, grants and the GI Bill

All 2 pilot training programs in Wisconsin approved for WIOA funding

2 programs

Pilot (associate degree)In personNo diploma needed
Aeronautics - Pilot Training
Gateway Technical College
Kenosha
Accredited school
No diploma needed
Gateway Technical College, KenoshaPilot (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · No diploma needed
Earned a year, estimated$37,300
Price if you pay yourself$66,020
Program website, Aeronautics - Pilot Training at Gateway Technical College
More details about Aeronautics - Pilot Training at Gateway Technical College
Finished
5%
Working at 6 months
55%
Earned in a quarter
$9,325
Length
70 weeks, 15 hours a week
Cost of supplies
None listed
Students counted
199
Earned a year, estimated
$37,300
Price if you pay yourself
$66,020
Program website, Aeronautics - Pilot Training at Gateway Technical College
Pilot (associate degree)In personHigh school diploma or equivalent
Aeronautics Pilot Training
Fox Valley Technical College
Appleton
Accredited school
High school diploma or equivalent
Fox Valley Technical College, AppletonPilot (associate degree) · Accredited schoolIn person · High school diploma or equivalent
Earned a year, estimated$29,200
Price if you pay yourself$70,136
Program website, Aeronautics Pilot Training at Fox Valley Technical College
More details about Aeronautics Pilot Training at Fox Valley Technical College
Finished
51%
Working at 6 months
77%
Earned in a quarter
$7,301
Length
Not reported
Cost of supplies
$3,400
Students counted
183
Earned a year, estimated
$29,200
Price if you pay yourself
$70,136
Program website, Aeronautics Pilot Training at Fox Valley Technical College

How to pay for flight school in Wisconsin

WIOA funding can pay for flight school in Wisconsin

Every program on this page is approved for it. Whether you qualify, how much your local area pays and how to apply are on our page Does WIOA pay for job training?

Financial aid and grants for flight school

Most students can get federal student aid for college, career school or trade school. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, usually doesn't have to be repaid. Ask the school whether its program qualifies.⁷⁸

GI Bill for flight school

Veterans, service members and qualified dependents can use GI Bill benefits for non-college training programs.⁹

The program list does not show which programs accept these. Ask the school.

Flight school in Kenosha, Appleton and other Wisconsin cities

Choosing an area filters the program list above.

Other training in Wisconsin

How flight school compares with the rest of transportation and logistics: Transportation and logistics training in Wisconsin

Where the Wisconsin pilot training program numbers come from

Which Wisconsin pilot training programs are on this list?

These are the pilot training programs Wisconsin approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), as reported to the US Department of Labor for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).¹⁰ The list here covers programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Wisconsin offers.

How the prices and results of Wisconsin pilot training programs are measured

Prices are tuition and required fees for someone paying without workforce funding, as the school reported them; check the current price with the school. Results describe students who left each program in recent years, so they are no guarantee, and the yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. A program without a "Trained with WIOA funding" line may still take WIOA students. Where a field was left empty or withheld, the page says "Not reported", and "Left out" where a figure was filed but failed one of our checks; nothing is estimated to fill a gap. Where the numbers come from explains each figure in full.

Sources for the facts about flight school in Wisconsin

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