Rankings / By State
Best Education Colleges in Montana
- 10
- Schools
- $41,439
- Avg. Earnings
- 43%
- Avg. Graduation
- $13,612
- Avg. Net Price
- $19,549
- Avg. Debt
CollegeRanker Research
What Surprised Us Most
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Median graduate earnings across these 10 schools run from $14,747 to $61,772, a 4.2× gap. The category label alone says little about payoff.
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Fort Peck Community College delivers the most for the money: roughly $14,747 in median earnings against $400 a year in net price, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio on the list.
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Fort Peck Community College is the lowest-cost school here at $400 a year in net price.
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Carroll College graduates 68% of its students, versus a 43% average across the list. Completion, more than selectivity, signals whether a degree actually gets finished.
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Miles Community College carries the healthiest debt load, with graduates owing just 0.27× their annual earnings.
Surprising Comparisons
- Fort Peck Community College costs $400 a year and Carroll College costs $23,960. Yet their graduates earn $14,747 and $61,772, nowhere near the $23,560 price gap.
- On value, Fort Peck Community College beats Carroll College: comparable career payoff at a fraction of the net price.
- Graduation rates split the field: Carroll College finishes 68% of students while Fort Peck Community College finishes 16%. Same ranking, very different odds of leaving with a degree.
The Takeaway
A consistent pattern: the schools that finish at the top get there by delivering strong earnings, manageable debt, and real mobility rather than by charging more or rejecting more applicants. Those outcomes are what define educational value.
What This Means for Students
For students evaluating these schools, begin with Fort Peck Community College and Carroll College. Look past sticker price: pull each school's net price for your income level, compare it against projected earnings, and let the data guide the decision instead of the brand.
Why this ranking matters
These schools are ranked on outcomes that compound: graduate earnings, upward mobility, debt, and value, all drawn from federal tax records and Scorecard data rather than reputation surveys. The list rewards results over prestige, led by institutions whose graduates earn a median of about $44K ten years after enrollment.
How we measure this — full methodology →How we rank · 4 pillars
Federal-source data only. Build your own weighting →
Data Behind This Page Updated 2026-06-22
Source datasets
Methodology
Schools are scored on the CollegeRanker 4-Pillar Algorithm: Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25–35%), Academic Quality (15–20%), and Value (20–25%). Every weight is published and every figure traces to a public dataset.
See the full methodology and weights →Confidence notes
- Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
- Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
- Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.
Limitations
- Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
- Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
- An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
- Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.
At a Glance
How the Top Schools Compare
| School | Earnings | Net Price | Graduation | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Carroll College #1 overall | $61,772 ▲ +49% vs avg | $23,960 | 68% | 70 |
| 2 The University of Montana-Western #2 overall | $43,229 ▲ +4% vs avg | $16,558 | 50% | 69 |
| 3 Rocky Mountain College #3 overall | $49,036 ▲ +18% vs avg | $19,751 | 48% | 67 |
| $42,862 ▲ +3% vs avg | $10,405 | 55% | 66 | |
| $44,296 ▲ +7% vs avg | $16,524 | 29% | 64 |
Score uses our 4-pillar methodology. Earnings % is vs. this list's average.
See full ranking →Executive Summary
Best Education Colleges in Montana
This analysis ranks 10 institutions on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost. Across the list, alumni earn a median of $41,439 ten years after enrolling, against an average graduation rate of 43% and an average net price of $13,612.
Key takeaways
- Strongest Earnings-to-Cost Ratio: Fort Peck Community College — Net Price: $400 | Graduation Rate: 16%
- Strongest Completion Outcomes: Carroll College — 68% completion rate
- Highest Earnings Generator: Carroll College — Median alumni earnings: $61,772
Research Note
Private nonprofit colleges cost 110% more in net price than publics, while their graduates earn 21% more.
Educator Pipeline Analysis
What does this ranking tell us about the educator pipeline?
$43,763
Median earnings (10yr)
45%
Median graduation rate
$14,594
Median net price
2.4%
Avg. mobility rate
Education programs feed a workforce defined by paradox: chronic teacher shortages and high social value on one side, modest pay and high attrition on the other. These are licensure-gated, mission-driven careers. The programs that matter most reliably move graduates into classrooms and keep them there.
Start with the medians across these 10 schools. Graduates earn a median of $43,763 ten years after enrollment. The median graduation rate is 45%, and the typical net price (what students pay after grants) runs $14,594 a year with about $19,750 in federal debt. Pell grants reach 31% of students on average, and the average mobility rate, the share of students lifted from the bottom income quintile to the top, is 2.4%.
What we’re seeing: districts compete hard for credentialed teachers, but the pay ceiling makes affordability decisive. With median earnings near $43,763 and a typical net price of $14,594, value in this field is driven as much by low cost as by salary.
The podium
Build your ranking
Drag a pillar — schools re-rank live.
Tip: Check the box on any 2–4 schools below to compare them side by side.
Full rankings
Why it ranks #1
Carroll College lands at #1 with a 70/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (51/100). Graduates earn a median $61,772 a decade after enrolling, 49% above this list's average, and net price runs $23,960 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #2
The University of Montana-Western lands at #2 with a 69/100 composite, led by academic quality (68/100) and pulled down by social mobility (55/100). Graduates earn a median $43,229 a decade after enrolling, 4% above this list's average, and net price runs $16,558 a year, above the field. Academics score well here, yet mobility (35%) and value (20%) carry the most weight, so outcome-per-dollar sets the final position.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #3
Rocky Mountain College lands at #3 with a 67/100 composite, led by social mobility (80/100) and pulled down by value per dollar (52/100). Graduates earn a median $49,036 a decade after enrolling, 18% above this list's average, and net price runs $19,751 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #4
Miles Community College lands at #4 with a 66/100 composite, led by social mobility (78/100) and pulled down by academic quality (53/100). Graduates earn a median $42,862 a decade after enrolling, 3% above this list's average, and net price runs $10,405 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #5
Montana State University Billings lands at #5 with a 64/100 composite, led by social mobility (79/100) and pulled down by academic quality (47/100). Graduates earn a median $44,296 a decade after enrolling, 7% above this list's average, and net price runs $16,524 a year, above the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #6
Salish Kootenai College lands at #6 with a 62/100 composite, led by value per dollar (79/100) and pulled down by social mobility (46/100). Graduates earn a median $32,725 a decade after enrolling, 21% below this list's average, and net price runs $7,945 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #7
Montana State University-Northern lands at #7 with a 58/100 composite, led by value per dollar (69/100) and pulled down by social mobility (53/100). Graduates earn a median $49,505 a decade after enrolling, 19% above this list's average, and net price runs $12,664 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #8
Montana State University lands at #8 with a 56/100 composite, led by economic outcomes (65/100) and pulled down by academic quality (50/100). Graduates earn a median $53,263 a decade after enrolling, 29% above this list's average, and net price runs $22,499 a year, above the field. Strong earnings drive the rank, but with mobility weighted 35% and value 20%, salary alone can only take a school so far.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #9
Blackfeet Community College lands at #9 with a 47/100 composite, led by value per dollar (88/100) and pulled down by economic outcomes (12/100). Graduates earn a median $22,953 a decade after enrolling, 45% below this list's average, and net price runs $5,410 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #10
Fort Peck Community College lands at #10 with a 33/100 composite, led by value per dollar (100/100) and pulled down by economic outcomes (9/100). Graduates earn a median $14,747 a decade after enrolling, 64% below this list's average, and net price runs $400 a year, well under the field. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that low cost is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Cut it by what you care about
The same 10 schools, re-ranked by the outcome that matters to you.
Where the programs are
This ranking scores 10 institutions on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt burdens, and social mobility data from Opportunity Insights. Every data point comes from federal sources. No surveys, no opinions.
Social mobility carries the heaviest weight in our algorithm. We use Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card — built on 30 million anonymized tax records — to measure whether a college changes a family's economic trajectory across generations. Schools that take low-income students and launch them into higher earnings rank higher than schools that admit wealthy students and take credit for their success.
The transparency penalty matters here. Schools that don't report their data get scored lower than schools that do. If an institution won't show you its numbers, we think you should know that before you write them a tuition check.
The story behind the ranking
A ranking gives you an order; these charts give you the shape. They show how this group of schools spreads across the four things that decide whether a degree pays off — what graduates earn, whether they finish, how far they move up, and what it costs. Look for the standouts, the outliers, and the trade-offs the list alone can't show.
Earnings Outcomes
What graduates earn 10 years after enrolling. Data from College Scorecard.
Distribution of Median Earnings
Earnings vs. Net Price
Top-left = best value. Top-ranked schools are highlighted.
Completion & Access
Graduation rates and who gets in. Data from College Scorecard & IPEDS.
Graduation Rates
Pell Grant Rate vs. Graduation Rate
Right = more low-income students. Higher = more graduate.
What the Mobility Data Says
Social mobility carries the heaviest weight in this ranking, and the measure comes from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built from more than 30 million anonymized tax records. Across the 4 schools here with that data, the average mobility rate is 2.4%. That figure is the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top. Rocky Mountain College leads the group at 3.6%, with Miles Community College (2.8%) and Carroll College (1.8%) close behind.
Access varies widely. On average, 10.5% of students at these schools come from families in the bottom income quintile. Miles Community College enrolls the most, at 15.7%, a sign it is reaching the students mobility is meant to lift. A high mobility rate paired with strong access is the combination that changes a generation's trajectory.
For the low-income students who do enroll, the success rate (the odds of reaching the top quintile) averages 25.7% across the list, peaking at 35.9% at Rocky Mountain College.
These campuses can also be measured on social capital: the cross-class friendships Opportunity Insights links to long-run economic outcomes. Economic connectedness here averages 1.42, where about 1.0 is the national norm, and Carroll College is highest at 1.54.
Mobility, access, and social-capital figures from Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card & the Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas.
Cost & Debt
What families actually pay and what students owe. Data from College Scorecard.
Median Debt at Graduation
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Education Colleges in Montana: Your Questions, Answered
What is the #1 school in the Best Education Colleges in Montana ranking? +
Carroll College in Helena, MT ranks #1 in our 2026 Best Education Colleges in Montana ranking. It earns the top spot on the strength of a median $61,772 in graduate earnings ten years after enrollment and a 68% graduation rate. Our score is built entirely from federal data on graduation rates, graduate earnings, debt, and social mobility. Reputation surveys play no part.
Which school has the highest graduate earnings? +
Carroll College posts the highest median earnings on this list: $61,772 ten years after enrollment, well above the $41,439 average across the 10 ranked schools with earnings data. Earnings that outpace cost are what separate a degree that pays off from one that does not.
Which school offers the best value? +
On a pure return-on-cost basis, Fort Peck Community College leads: graduates earn a median $14,747 against net price of about $400 a year, the strongest earnings-to-cost ratio in the ranking. Applicants should weigh that payback against sticker price rather than prestige.
Which school has the highest graduation rate? +
Carroll College has the highest graduation rate in this ranking at 68%, compared with a 43% average across the list. Completion matters because the students who finish are the ones who actually capture the earnings and mobility gains a degree promises.
How much does it cost to attend these schools? +
The average net price, meaning what students actually pay after grants and scholarships, is about $13,612 a year across the 10 ranked schools with cost data. Fort Peck Community College is among the most affordable at roughly $400. Net price is a far better guide to affordability than the published sticker price.
How is the Best Education Colleges in Montana ranking calculated? +
We score every school on a four-pillar algorithm: economic outcomes (graduate earnings and debt), social mobility (Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card, built on more than 30 million anonymized tax records), academic quality (graduation and retention), and value (net price and loan burden). Social mobility carries the heaviest weight, so schools that lift low-income students into higher earnings rank above those that simply admit wealthy students. Every input comes from federal data, and schools that withhold their numbers are scored lower for it.
How many schools are ranked and where does the data come from? +
This ranking evaluates 10 institutions using the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, the Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card and Social Capital Atlas, Times Higher Education, and NCES IPEDS. There are no opinion surveys or paid placements. The order is determined by the data alone and refreshed as new federal figures are released.
Sources & Citations
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