2022 best colleges in Montana
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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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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