Lewis University: Flight School in Romeoville, Illinois

Photos via Google Maps; they belong to their authors.

Location: Romeoville, Illinois
School Type: University
Training Focus: Aviation degrees with R-ATP
Home Airport: Lewis University Airport (KLOT)
Google Rating: 4.2 (217 reviews)

Call (800) 897-9000 Get Directions Visit Website

Listing data is maintained editorially and confirmed with schools over time. Programs and pricing change; verify details directly before enrolling.

See It on the Map

What Students and Pilots Say

★☆☆☆☆ 2 months ago

Never, ever, ever enroll here. It's a very expensive money-grab with no interest in the students. Gen eds are almost all remote. The teachers do not seem to have an actual interest in the students. They are just cashing a check. The on-site staff is practically as bad. They flunk students just to seem competitive. The staff talks about how students have to earn the right to attend Lewis.
Shari Schmidt via Google

★★★★★ 7 years ago

Beautiful campus! Great nursing program as well as aviation programs. Small aircraft always flying around which makes for an interesting atmosphere. Professors are helpful and want you to succeed. Mostly a commuter school with a few dormitories on campus. Food is mediocre, so bring a sack lunch.
Margaret Gotsch via Google

★★☆☆☆ 6 months ago

The school has a good reputation. My interactions so far with the financial aid and student accounts offices have been disappointing, as they appear to provide conflicting information and do not seem well coordinated. I’m hopeful that my impression will improve once my son begins classes.
Emmanuel B via Google

★★★★★ 3 years ago

I was here for a formation opportunity. It is a beautiful campus. Well maintained. Staff were kind and welcoming.
Tracey P. via Google

Reviews via Google Maps; they belong to their authors and are not our endorsement.

Why Lewis University Stands Out

Lewis University trains from its own campus airport inside the Chicago metro, a rare combination that gives students daily Class B-adjacent experience with a private university's cohort scale. The program dates to the 1930s and shows it institutionally: deep airline relationships, an aviation-focused campus culture, and Chicago's aviation employers within commuting distance. For students who want metro airspace fluency built into a degree program, Lewis owns that niche in the Midwest.

Planning Your Training Here

Planning the degree route through Lewis University means thinking in semesters and hours together. University programs qualify graduates for the restricted ATP, an airline seat at 1,000 or 1,250 hours instead of 1,500, which typically shortens the instructing years by six months or more. Budget conversations should cover both tuition and flight fees, and federal financial aid often applies to both, a financing advantage academies can't offer. Ask admissions how flight-slot availability tracks enrollment, what the program's checkride pass rates run, and how graduates typically bridge from degree to airline minimums; strong university programs hire their own alumni as instructors, keeping the whole timeline under one roof.

What Flying in Illinois Teaches You

Illinois splits between Chicago's dense, professional airspace and downstate's open farmland practice areas, a combination that produces well-rounded radio-confident pilots. Midwest fronts supply genuine instrument weather in every season.

How to Evaluate Lewis University on Your Tour

Every school on this directory gets the same advice from us, because the fundamentals don't move. Walk the ramp and count how many aircraft are down for maintenance. Ask how many lessons a week they can actually schedule you, and how far out the booking calendar runs. Ask for first-attempt checkride pass rates and how long students wait for an examiner. And keep your money in your control: pay as you fly, or in small blocks with clear refund terms.

Then weigh the location itself. Training in Romeoville means building your early hours in Illinois weather and airspace, and both become part of your airmanship. Our school-selection guide covers the full vetting checklist, and the financing page maps scholarships and loans that apply at schools like this one.

Common Questions About Training at Lewis University

How long would my training take here?

Degree-program students train across roughly four academic years, sequencing certificates alongside coursework, and graduate eligible for the restricted ATP at 1,000 or 1,250 hours, which typically returns the time a degree adds. Ask how early in the program flying starts; programs that put students in airplanes freshman year finish stronger.

What will it cost, and can I get help paying?

Get Lewis University's current rates directly; published numbers age fast in this industry. Nationally, plan on $80,000 to $120,000 from zero time to commercial certificates before instructing pay starts offsetting costs, with university programs adding tuition but unlocking federal financial aid for both academics and flight fees. Our financing guide maps the loans, scholarships, and airline cadet programs that apply here, and several scholarship cycles go undersubscribed every single year.

How should I arrange a visit?

Call ahead and ask for a tour on a normal training day, not a quiet one. Use the directions button above to plan the drive to Romeoville, arrive early enough to watch ramp operations, and bring the vetting checklist from this page. A school proud of its operation will show you everything; hesitation is itself an answer.

Get Matched

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