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Aviation Program

Orange Coast College

📍 Costa Mesa, CaliforniaPublicFounded 1947

About Orange Coast College

Orange Coast College is a public two-year college in Costa Mesa, California, offering associate degrees plus a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management. Aviation disciplines include FAA Part 141 professional pilot training (flight operations at John Wayne Airport), airframe and powerplant maintenance, air traffic control coursework, and aviation management.

Orange Coast College (OCC) is a public community college in Costa Mesa in Orange County, California. It was founded in 1947, with its first classes opening in the fall of 1948. It provides Associate of Art and Associate of Science degrees, certificates of achievement, and lower-division classes transferable to other colleges and universities. The college enrolls approximately 24,000 undergraduate students. In terms of population size, Orange Coast College is the third-largest college in Orange County.

By the numbers

U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard

46%
Graduation rate
4-year
$47,348
Median earnings
10 yrs after entry

Tuition & cost

$1,392/yr
In-state tuition & fees
$11,640/yr
Out-of-state tuition & fees

✈ Aviation students: flight training carries fees beyond tuition — often $50,000–$100,000+ for a professional-pilot program. Ask the school for its current flight-fee schedule.

Aviation programs offered

Degrees awarded

AssociateBachelor's

Program areas

  • Aircraft Maintenance (A&P)

    Prepares you for the FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) mechanic certificate — inspecting, repairing, and maintaining aircraft and engines.

  • Air Traffic Control

    Trains you to direct aircraft safely and efficiently — often aligned with the FAA Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI).

  • Aviation Management

    Leadership and operations across aviation organizations — airlines, airports, FBOs, and maintenance/repair operations.

  • Professional Pilot

    Flight-training degree toward commercial pilot certificates and ratings (private → instrument → commercial, often CFI) — building the hours and skills for an airline or charter career.

  • Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones)

    Operations and applications of unmanned aircraft (drones) — FAA Part 107 and beyond, for mapping, inspection, agriculture, and public safety.

Program links open the school's aviation-program page.

Majors & fields of study

Share of degrees conferred, by field — U.S. Dept. of Education, College Scorecard

  • Business & Marketing10%
  • Computer & IT5%
  • Visual & Performing Arts5%
  • Health Professions5%
  • Family & Consumer Sciences4%
  • Psychology3%
  • Communication3%
  • Social Sciences3%

Accreditation

Links open the accreditor's official site to verify current status.

Official links

Links go to the school's official site. Aviation Test Prep is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, the institutions listed.