College ROI in Montana

See the strongest eligible ROI and value signals, then browse every covered college located in the state.

Download MT data ↓Read the national value report →Federal data through June 10, 2026

10Colleges with a publishable ROI scenario

$52,790Median observed year-5 earnings

$16,558Median annual net price

−70%Median modeled 10-year ROI

STATE PRICE CONTEXT · 2024

Montana's everyday prices are 5.4% below the U.S. average

This statewide BEA benchmark helps put college budgets in context. It is not tuition, a campus-specific cost estimate or an input to our ROI rankings.

Overall prices: 94.6
Housing: 84.6
Utilities: 72.3

TOP 10 · ECONOMIC ROI

Best estimated 10-year return

10 colleges meet the consistent ROI screen.

1Montana Technological UniversityButte · Public+15%2Montana State University-NorthernHavre · Public−33%3Montana State UniversityBozeman · Public−44%4University of ProvidenceGreat Falls · Private nonprofit−55%5Carroll CollegeHelena · Private nonprofit−57%6Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings · Private nonprofit−70%7Montana State University BillingsBillings · Public−71%8The University of MontanaMissoula · Public−96%9Salish Kootenai CollegePablo · Public−100%10The University of Montana-WesternDillon · Public−111%

TOP 10 · VALUE

Most earnings per price dollar

Observed five-year earnings divided by annual average net price.

1Salish Kootenai CollegePablo · Public5.7×2Montana State University-NorthernHavre · Public4.8×3Montana Technological UniversityButte · Public4.5×4University of ProvidenceGreat Falls · Private nonprofit3.2×5Montana State University BillingsBillings · Public3.1×6The University of MontanaMissoula · Public2.7×7Montana State UniversityBozeman · Public2.7×8Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings · Private nonprofit2.7×9The University of Montana-WesternDillon · Public2.5×10Carroll CollegeHelena · Private nonprofit2.4×

LOW DEBT · SOLID COMPLETION

Where completer borrowers leave with less federal debt

Limited to currently operating colleges with at least 500 students and a completion rate at or above the Montana median among debt-reporting colleges.

1Montana State University-NorthernHavre · Public$18,500median federal debt41%college completion 2Montana Technological UniversityButte · Public$18,750median federal debt58%college completion 3The University of Montana-WesternDillon · Public$21,000median federal debt51%college completion 4The University of MontanaMissoula · Public$22,400median federal debt48%college completion 5Montana State UniversityBozeman · Public$22,500median federal debt57%college completion 6Carroll CollegeHelena · Private nonprofit$25,757median federal debt69%college completion 7Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings · Private nonprofit$26,000median federal debt48%college completion

Debt covers federal student-loan borrowers who completed. Parent PLUS and private loans are excluded. This view does not rank ROI or guarantee affordability.

ALL COLLEGES IN MT

Browse the full Montana directory

28 matching colleges · page 1 of 2

CollegeEarningsNet priceFederal debt10-year ROI

Highlands College of Montana TechButte · Public$73,365$14,962$18,750+18%Montana Technological UniversityButte · Public$73,365$16,481$18,750+15%Montana State University-NorthernHavre · Public$60,389$12,664$18,500−33%Montana State UniversityBozeman · Public$60,146$22,499$22,500−44%University of ProvidenceGreat Falls · Private nonprofit$56,274$17,649$18,750−55%Carroll CollegeHelena · Private nonprofit$56,883$23,960$25,757−57%Helena College University of MontanaHelena · Public$51,936$11,593$14,580−69%Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings · Private nonprofit$52,790$19,751$26,000−70%Montana State University BillingsBillings · Public$52,028$16,524$18,209−71%Miles Community CollegeMiles City · Public$50,924$10,405$11,500−73%The University of MontanaMissoula · Public$46,098$16,784$22,400−96%Salish Kootenai CollegePablo · Public$45,085$7,945$12,923−100%Flathead Valley Community CollegeKalispell · Public$44,434$8,099$10,500−103%The University of Montana-WesternDillon · Public$42,191$16,558$21,000−111%Dawson Community CollegeGlendive · Public$40,022$9,931$9,450−123%Stone Child CollegeBox Elder · Public$39,551$4,424Not available−128%Chief Dull Knife CollegeLame Deer · Public$35,634$14,010Not available−140%Blackfeet Community CollegeBrowning · Private nonprofit$32,745$5,410Not available−161%Academy of Cosmetology IncBozeman · Private for-profit$26,599$16,663Not available−175%Montana Academy of SalonsGreat Falls · Private for-profit$22,274$15,935$9,833−193%Little Big Horn CollegeCrow Agency · Public$22,139$8,331Not available−207%Crevier's Academy of Cosmetology ArtsKalispell · Private for-profit$14,349$6,744Not available−248%Aaniiih Nakoda CollegeHarlem · PublicNot available$7,887Not availableWithheld Aveda Institute MontanaBillings · Private for-profitNot available$15,196Not availableWithheld City College Montana State University BillingsBillings · Public$52,028Not available$18,209Withheld

The directory includes every College Scorecard institution assigned to Montana, including online-only colleges at their federal administrative location and historical records marked as not currently operating. Online-only colleges are labeled and excluded from state top-10 lists because their students are not confined to that state. “Not available” means a required federal value was missing or suppressed. Top-10 ROI eligibility requires current operating status, a reported bachelor’s-level program, at least 500 students, observed earnings and average net price of at least $1,000.