Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Carroll College ranked first and Montana Technological University ranked second for the best colleges in Montana. The state’s largest institution of higher education, Montana State University, is known for its academic standards, thanks in part to its leading research efforts. Students with a love for the outdoors will enjoy the stunning mountain landscapes, pristine lakes, and abundant wildlife of Montana's numerous national parks.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$22,470
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$61,772
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate67%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$16,598
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$54,329
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate60%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$19,600
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$53,263
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate64%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$18,828
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$49,036
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate55%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,717
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$49,505
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate43%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,484
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$44,296
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate34%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$22,750
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$48,296
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate46%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,064
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$43,229
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate47%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$14,856
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$44,511
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate47%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in Montana for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$35,674
Certificate$58,511
Associate$47,844
Bachelor$56,845
Master$60,208
Cost of attending college in Montana
In-state-tuition$11,643
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$19,140
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in Montana
In Montana the most popular degrees are Registered Nursing, Business and Commerce, and Education-grades & methods. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Registered Nursing 513graduates
2Business and Commerce 417graduates
3Education-grades & methods 322graduates
4General Psychology 278graduates
5Business Administration 243graduates
6Biology 241graduates
7Mechanical Engineering 233graduates
8Natural Resource Conservation 171graduates
9Education-by subject area 170graduates
10Consumer Sciences 158graduates
Fastest growing careers
Montana job growth
13.6%
Nurse Practitioners
53.7%
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
38.8%
Physical Therapist Assistants
37.9%
Industrial Engineers
36.4%
Industrial Engineers
36.4%
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists
35.7%
Veterinarians
34.5%
Medical and Health Services Managers
34.5%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
34.3%
Epidemiologists
33.3%
Best bachelor’s degrees in Montana
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in Montana are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
31.9%
Filters
Montana
13.6%
