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Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana

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2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana

8 Schools Ranked
$6,126 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$19,614 Avg Student Debt

With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

The Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 8 schools in Montana to see which ones offered the best associate degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school us, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Associate Degree Schools in Montana

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

$5,955 Average Tuition & Fees
$20,034 Avg Student Debt

Our analysis found Montana State University - Northern to be the best school for students who want to pursue a associate degree in Montana.

The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Montana State University - Northern is $5,955. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $18,665. On average, associate degree students take out $20,034 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Montana State University - Northern does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 72% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Montana State University - Northern

$5,726 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means The University of Montana - Western is a great place for students working on their associate degree.

The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Montana Western is $5,726. Out-of-state students pay an average of $17,190.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Montana Western. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full The University of Montana - Western Report

#3

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
$7,528 Average Tuition & Fees
$17,579 Avg Student Debt

Out of the 8 schools in Montana that were part of this year’s ranking, Montana State University landed the # 3 spot on the list.

Students from Montana who attend MSU Bozeman full time pay an average of $7,528 in tuition and fees. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $28,264. Associate Degree recipients from MSU Bozeman accumulate an average of $17,579 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online classes at MSU Bozeman. In fact, around 96% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Montana State University

#4

Miles Community College

Miles City, Montana
$6,090 Average Tuition & Fees
$22,682 Avg Student Debt

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Miles Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana list.

Full-time students from Montana pay an average of $6,090 in tuition and fees if they choose to attend Miles Community College. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,840. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,682 in student loans.

You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Miles Community College. In fact, around 73% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#5

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, Montana
$6,721 Average Tuition & Fees
$17,242 Avg Student Debt

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Flathead Valley Community College is a great place for students working on their associate degree.

The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Flathead Valley Community College is $6,721. If you are from out of state, expect to pay an average of $12,643. On average, associate degree students take out $17,242 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Flathead Valley Community College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 30% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on Flathead Valley Community College

$6,022 Average Tuition & Fees
$20,000 Avg Student Debt

Montana State University - Billings did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get an associate degree. It came in at #6 on the list.

The average in-state tuition and fees for students at Montana State University - Billings is $6,022. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $19,352. Associate Degree recipients from Montana State University - Billings accumulate an average of $20,000 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since Montana State University - Billings does offer online classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 63% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

$3,477 Average Tuition & Fees
$21,735 Avg Student Debt

Helena College University of Montana came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana ranking.

In-state students pay an average of $3,477 in tuition and fees if they attend Helena College full time. Those students who come from outside the state pay an average of $9,570. Associate Degree recipients from Helena College accumulate an average of $21,735 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Helena College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 40% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#8

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
$7,492 Average Tuition & Fees
$19,709 Avg Student Debt

With a ranking of #8, The University of Montana did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their associate degree.

Students from Montana who attend UM full time pay an average of $7,492 in tuition and fees. Out-of-state students pay an average of $28,476. On average, associate degree students take out $19,709 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Some students may be able to take online classes at UM. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 47% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full The University of Montana Report

Best Associate Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

View Best Associate Degree Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 8 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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