2022 best colleges in Montana

Students with a love for the outdoors and environmental conservation will find likeminded individuals at the flagship university of the University of Montana system, which offers programs like Wilderness Studies and Sustainable Livelihoods & Communities. The state’s largest university, Montana State University, earns just as much recognition for its leading research efforts as it does for its thriving party scene. Among the state’s two-year colleges is Stone Child College, a tribal institution committed to preserving Chippewa Cree language and culture.

More Rankings

Net cost: The median annual cost of all students that receive any aid. This does not refer to the “sticker price”, the price listed by the college.

Earnings: The median earnings of all bachelor-level students 10 years after enrollment. This includes both students that do and do not graduate, across all majors.

Payback: The amount of time in years it takes to pay off the median net cost by the median earnings. For this calculation, the median earning of high school graduates (in the school’s home state) are deducted from the median earnings.

Degree premium: The difference between the school’s median earnings and the median earnings for all schools in the same state. This is called “Vs. state average” in school profiles below.

Ranking: The payback rate is divided by the degree premium (set as a percentage), the lower the number the higher the rank. (i.e. payback=1, degree premium 20% higher than state school median: 1/120% = .883.

Net cost

Earnings

Payback

Degree premium

Rankings

Ranking methodology

#1 in Montana

Montana Technological University

Butte, Montana

Admission rate: 98%

Grad rate: 57%

Net cost: $15,023

Payback: 2.9 Years

Earnings: $49,032

Vs. state average: + $4,230

Economic score: 2.61

Go to School

#2 in Montana

Carroll College

Helena, Montana

Admission rate: 74%

Grad rate: 69%

Net cost: $23,726

Payback: 3.6 Years

Earnings: $57,154

Vs. state average: + $12,352

Economic score: 2.86

Go to School

#3 in Montana

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana

Admission rate: 81%

Grad rate: 56%

Net cost: $19,202

Payback: 3.8 Years

Earnings: $49,066

Vs. state average: + $4,264

Economic score: 3.45

Go to School

#4 in Montana

Rocky Mountain College

Billings, Montana

Admission rate: 72%

Grad rate: 48%

Net cost: $18,747

Payback: 4.3 Years

Earnings: $46,400

Vs. state average: + $1,598

Economic score: 4.12

Go to School

#5 in Montana

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana

Admission rate: 96%

Grad rate: 45%

Net cost: $15,246

Payback: 4.2 Years

Earnings: $41,194

Vs. state average: - $3,608

Economic score: 4.59

Go to School

#6 in Montana

The University of Montana-Western

Dillon, Montana

Admission rate: 52%

Grad rate: 48%

Net cost: $13,929

Payback: 4.5 Years

Earnings: $39,755

Vs. state average: - $5,047

Economic score: 5.08

Go to School

#7 in Montana

University of Providence

Great Falls, Montana

Admission rate: 99%

Grad rate: 55%

Net cost: $22,096

Payback: 7.3 Years

Earnings: $39,417

Vs. state average: - $5,385

Economic score: 8.31

Go to School

#8 in Montana

Highlands College of Montana Tech

Butte, Montana

Admission rate: N/A

Grad rate: 28%

Net cost: $10,284

Payback: 1.1 Years

Earnings: $49,032

Vs. state average: + $4,230

Economic score: 1.02

Go to School

#9 in Montana

Montana State University-Northern

Havre, Montana

Admission rate: N/A

Grad rate: 42%

Net cost: $13,174

Payback: 3.3 Years

Earnings: $42,403

Vs. state average: - $2,399

Economic score: 3.46

Go to School

#10 in Montana

Montana State University Billings

Billings, Montana

Admission rate: N/A

Grad rate: 35%

Net cost: $13,844

Payback: 4.5 Years

Earnings: $40,043

Vs. state average: - $4,759

Economic score: 5.01

Go to School