US CollegesColleges in Montana: cost, admission and results
22 degree-granting colleges and universities in Montana, with the admission rate, net price, graduation rate and earnings of each. The largest are Montana State University (14,451 undergraduates), The University of Montana (7,488 undergraduates), Montana State University Billings (2,626 undergraduates).
Montana at a glance
- Colleges on this site
- 22
- Public / private nonprofit / for-profit
- 17 / 5 / 0
- Median in-state tuition and fees
- $5,235
- Median net price a year
- $11,016
- Median admission rate
- 82%
- Median graduation rate
- 42%
- Median earnings 10 years on
- $45,792
No college in this list matches.
| College | Admission rate | Net price a year | Graduation rate | Median earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaniiih Nakoda CollegeHarlem, MT · Public | not reported | $7,251 | 34% | $31,529 |
| Blackfeet Community CollegeBrowning, MT · Private nonprofit | not reported | $10,030 | 14% | $28,325 |
| Carroll CollegeHelena, MT · Private nonprofit | 71% | $26,295 | 68% | $66,371 |
| Chief Dull Knife CollegeLame Deer, MT · Public | not reported | $7,827 | 9% | $30,831 |
| Dawson Community CollegeGlendive, MT · Public | not reported | $7,988 | 45% | $41,614 |
| Flathead Valley Community CollegeKalispell, MT · Public | not reported | $9,911 | 38% | $41,547 |
| Fort Peck Community CollegePoplar, MT · Public | not reported | $1,049 | 15% | $32,022 |
| Great Falls College Montana State UniversityGreat Falls, MT · Public | not reported | $11,016 | 39% | $41,381 |
| Helena College University of MontanaHelena, MT · Public | not reported | $13,085 | 42% | $44,083 |
| Little Big Horn CollegeCrow Agency, MT · Public | not reported | $6,556 | 10% | $27,757 |
| Miles Community CollegeMiles City, MT · Public | not reported | $10,635 | 50% | $50,208 |
| Montana Bible CollegeBillings, MT · Private nonprofit | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Montana State UniversityBozeman, MT · Public | 82% | $23,106 | 59% | $59,536 |
| Montana State University BillingsBillings, MT · Public | not reported | $15,630 | 31% | $48,199 |
| Montana State University-NorthernHavre, MT · Public | not reported | $14,686 | 39% | $52,907 |
| Montana Technological UniversityButte, MT · Public | 91% | $17,205 | 61% | $59,491 |
| Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings, MT · Private nonprofit | 70% | $21,679 | 45% | $54,124 |
| Salish Kootenai CollegePablo, MT · Public | not reported | $2,049 | 50% | $39,194 |
| Stone Child CollegeBox Elder, MT · Public | not reported | $1,864 | 45% | not reported |
| The University of MontanaMissoula, MT · Public | 96% | $21,302 | 49% | $48,823 |
| The University of Montana-WesternDillon, MT · Public | 100% | $19,481 | 46% | $47,501 |
| University of ProvidenceGreat Falls, MT · Private nonprofit | 50% | $21,492 | 28% | $51,419 |
"Not reported" means the Department of Education has no figure, often because the college is small, new, or does not take first-time students. Medians are the middle value of the colleges listed here.
The colleges of Montana in brief
Of the 22 colleges listed for Montana, 17 are public and 5 are private nonprofit. By level, 10 mainly award bachelor's degrees and 12 mainly award two-year associate degrees. Together they teach about 35,573 undergraduates, 92% of them at public colleges. The three largest, Montana State University, The University of Montana and Montana State University Billings, hold 69% of the total, and the middle-sized college has 582 undergraduates. The towns with the most colleges are Billings (3), Helena (2) and Great Falls (2).
What college costs in Montana
At the public colleges, the median published tuition and fees are $5,024 a year for students from Montana and $12,117 for students from elsewhere. At the private nonprofit colleges the median is $34,177. Published prices are not what most families pay. Counting colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the lowest average net price after grants is at Salish Kootenai College ($2,049) and Flathead Valley Community College ($9,911) and the highest at Carroll College ($26,295) and Montana State University ($23,106). The median net price across the state, $11,016, is 37% below the national median of $17,357.
Getting in
7 of the 22 colleges report an admission rate. The hardest to get into are University of Providence (50% admitted), Rocky Mountain College (70% admitted) and Carroll College (71% admitted). 5 of them admit at least seven applicants in ten. 14 colleges have an open admission policy and report no rate: they do not turn applicants away on grades or test scores.
Finishing and earning
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, the highest share of students finishing their course is at Carroll College (68%), Montana Technological University (61%) and Montana State University (59%). The median graduation rate of the state's colleges is 42%, against 49% for the country. Ten years after starting, former students with federal aid earn the most at Carroll College ($66,371), Montana State University ($59,536) and Montana Technological University ($59,491). The state median for that measure is $45,792, 14% below the national $53,132. Students who finish leave with a median federal loan debt of $15,789 (national median $19,994). Earnings follow the subjects a college teaches as much as its quality, so compare like with like.
Questions about colleges in Montana
How many colleges are there in Montana?
This site lists 22 open, degree-granting colleges and universities in Montana, out of 3,161 on the whole site. Schools that mainly give short certificates are not counted.
What is the largest college in Montana?
Montana State University in Bozeman, with about 14,451 undergraduate students.
Which college in Montana has the lowest net price?
Among colleges with at least 300 undergraduates, Salish Kootenai College: students with federal aid paid an average of $2,049 a year after grants. Students from other states or countries usually pay more.
Source: College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education, data released on 2 November 2026; checked in November 2026. Net price, debt and earnings describe students who received US federal aid. Costs change each year. This is official data for general information, not advice: confirm costs and admission rules on the college's own website and at collegescorecard.ed.gov.