Rankings / By State
Best Nursing Colleges in Montana
- 14
- Schools
- $41,897
- Avg. Earnings
- 41%
- Avg. Graduation
- $13,063
- Avg. Net Price
- $17,670
- Avg. Debt
CollegeRanker Research
What Surprised Us Most
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Median graduate earnings across these 14 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 41% average across the list. Completion, more than selectivity, signals whether a degree actually gets finished.
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Flathead Valley 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
The through line among the top-ranked schools is plain. They pair solid graduate earnings with affordable costs and meaningful social mobility. Prestige and selectivity matter far less than whether students end up better off.
What This Means for Students
Your shortlist should start with Fort Peck Community College and Carroll College. For each school, look up the net price your family would actually pay, weigh it against typical graduate earnings, and build the decision around the return instead of the name recognition.
Why this ranking matters
Healthcare is one of the higher-return fields in the economy, but the payoff depends heavily on where you study it. Graduates of these programs earn a median of about $44K within a decade, and registered nurse roles are projected to grow 6%. We rank programs by the outcomes they produce for graduates, not by reputation.
How we measure this — full methodology →How we rank · 4 pillars
Federal-source data only. Build your own weighting →
Data Behind This Page Updated 2026-07-13
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 ▲ +47% vs avg | $23,960 | 68% | 80 |
| 2 University of Providence #2 overall | $48,296 ▲ +15% vs avg | $17,649 | 36% | 77 |
| 3 Flathead Valley Community College #3 overall | $38,520 ▼ -8% vs avg | $8,099 | 28% | 74 |
| $42,862 ▲ +2% vs avg | $10,405 | 55% | 71 | |
| $44,296 ▲ +6% vs avg | $16,524 | 29% | 71 |
Score uses our 4-pillar methodology. Earnings % is vs. this list's average.
See full ranking →Executive Summary
Best Nursing Colleges in Montana
This analysis ranks 14 institutions on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost. Across the list, alumni earn a median of $41,897 ten years after enrolling, against an average graduation rate of 41% and an average net price of $13,063.
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
CollegeRanker Primary Research
Private nonprofit colleges cost 110% more in net price than publics, while their graduates earn 21% more.
Healthcare Workforce Analysis
What does this ranking tell us about the U.S. healthcare workforce?
$43,579
Median earnings (10yr)
37%
Median graduation rate
$12,566
Median net price
1.8%
Avg. mobility rate
The healthcare workforce pipeline starts in classrooms and clinical rotations like the ones behind this list. An aging population, persistent nursing shortages, and rising demand for clinical services have made these programs essential infrastructure. The strongest ones stand out on clinical partnerships and licensure outcomes, the two factors that translate most directly into hiring.
The median graduation rate across these 14 schools is 37%. Median graduate earnings reach $43,579 ten years after enrollment. Average net price, the cost after grants, is $12,566 a year, and median federal debt at graduation is about $18,500. Some 28% of students receive Pell grants, and mobility, the share of low-income students who reach the top quintile, averages 1.8%.
What we’re seeing: demographic pressure keeps demand high, and programs with embedded clinical networks convert that demand into employment fastest. Carroll College leads the list, and graduates across these programs earn a median of $43,579 ten years after enrollment. The constraint is not jobs. It is clinical capacity and licensure throughput, and that is where the strongest programs pull away.
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 80/100 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, 47% 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
University of Providence lands at #2 with a 77/100 composite, led by economic outcomes (63/100) and pulled down by academic quality (52/100). Graduates earn a median $48,296 a decade after enrolling, 15% above this list's average, and net price runs $17,649 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 #3
Flathead Valley Community College lands at #3 with a 74/100 composite, led by value per dollar (83/100) and pulled down by academic quality (56/100). Graduates earn a median $38,520 a decade after enrolling, 8% below this list's average, and net price runs $8,099 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 #4
Miles Community College lands at #4 with a 71/100 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, 2% 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 71/100 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, 6% 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
Great Falls College Montana State University lands at #6 with a 68/100 composite, led by social mobility (77/100) and pulled down by academic quality (44/100). Graduates earn a median $38,034 a decade after enrolling, 9% below this list's average, and net price runs $12,468 a year. Because the methodology weights social mobility (35%) and value (20%) above prestige, that mobility is what puts it near the top, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #7
The University of Montana lands at #7 with a 67/100 composite, led by social mobility (79/100) and pulled down by academic quality (51/100). Graduates earn a median $44,511 a decade after enrolling, 6% above this list's average, and net price runs $16,784 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 #8
Salish Kootenai College lands at #8 with a 66/100 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, 22% 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 #9
Helena College University of Montana lands at #9 with a 66/100 composite, led by social mobility (76/100) and pulled down by academic quality (45/100). Graduates earn a median $40,738 a decade after enrolling, 3% below this list's average, and net price runs $11,593 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, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #10
Montana Technological University lands at #10 with a 65/100 composite, led by economic outcomes (67/100) and pulled down by social mobility (48/100). Graduates earn a median $54,329 a decade after enrolling, 30% above this list's average, and net price runs $16,481 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 #11
Montana State University-Northern lands at #11 with a 61/100 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, 18% 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 carries it up the list.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #12
Montana State University lands at #12 with a 57/100 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, 27% 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 #13
Blackfeet Community College lands at #13 with a 48/100 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 carries it up the list, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Why it ranks #14
Fort Peck Community College lands at #14 with a 34/100 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, 65% 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 carries it up the list, even with below-average salaries.
Pillar breakdown
Cut it by what you care about
The same 14 schools, re-ranked by the outcome that matters to you.
Where the programs — and the jobs are
Where these graduates work
Graduates of these programs most often become Registered Nurses and related roles — a field with $86,070 median pay and 6% projected growth.
See the Registered Nurse career guide →Choosing the right nursing program can be a pivotal decision for aspiring healthcare professionals. In Montana, a variety of colleges offer nursing degrees, each with its unique strengths and challenges. With a focus on workforce readiness, the programs listed here reflect a range of outcomes that matter to students and their families.
The difference between top-performing nursing colleges and others often comes down to key metrics like graduation rates, earnings after graduation, and student debt. For instance, the average earnings for nursing graduates in this list is $41,986, but that figure varies significantly between institutions. Understanding these numbers can help prospective students make informed choices about where to invest their time and resources.
Take Carroll College and Flathead Valley Community College, for example. Carroll boasts impressive earnings of $61,772 and a graduation rate of 68%, while Flathead Valley’s graduates only earn $38,520 with a much lower graduation rate of 28%. This contrast highlights the importance of not just choosing a program, but finding one that aligns with your career goals and financial situation.
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 7 schools here with that data, the average mobility rate is 1.8%. That figure is the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top. Miles Community College leads the group at 2.8%, with Flathead Valley Community College (1.9%) and Carroll College (1.8%) close behind.
Access varies widely. On average, 13% of students at these schools come from families in the bottom income quintile. Great Falls College Montana State University enrolls the most, at 21.5%, 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 16.1% across the list, peaking at 35.5% at Carroll 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 1.21, 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
The data reveals a stark contrast between Carroll College and Salish Kootenai College. Carroll's graduates enjoy an average salary of $61,772 and a graduation rate of 68%, while Salish Kootenai's graduates earn just $32,725 with a graduation rate of 32%. This highlights how program quality and outcomes can vary widely, pointing to the importance of considering both earnings potential and completion rates when evaluating nursing schools.
After reviewing these schools, it’s crucial to consider what factors matter most to you. If affordability is a priority, Flathead Valley Community College stands out with a net price of only $8,099. However, if you are looking for strong post-graduation earnings, Carroll College may be worth the investment. Take into account your personal circumstances, such as location preferences and campus culture, as these will significantly affect your overall college experience.
The data reflects a broader trend in nursing education: the right program can lead to stable employment and financial security. With average earnings hovering below $42,000, students need to carefully weigh their options to ensure their education aligns with their career aspirations. One decision made today can set the stage for a lifetime of stability and growth in the healthcare field.
Data Sources
U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard
Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card
Social Capital Atlas
Times Higher Education World Rankings
NCES IPEDS
Frequently Asked Questions
Best Nursing Colleges in Montana: Your Questions, Answered
What is the #1 school in the Best Nursing Colleges in Montana ranking? +
Carroll College in Helena, MT ranks #1 in our 2026 Best Nursing 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 $41,897 average across the 14 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 41% 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 $13,063 a year across the 14 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 Nursing 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 14 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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