Helena College University of Montana
Tuition, net price, admissions, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Helena, Montana
Net price / year
$11,593
after grants & scholarships
higher than 81% of public 2-year colleges
Acceptance rate
Open admission
accepts most applicants
Graduation rate
37%
within 150% of normal time
higher than 66% of public 2-year colleges
Median earnings
$50,913
4 years after graduating
higher than 59% of public 2-year colleges
Helena College University of Montana at a glance
- What is the tuition at Helena College University of Montana?
- In-state undergraduate tuition and fees are $4,146 for the 2024-25 academic year, or $11,318 for out-of-state students.
- What is the cost of attendance at Helena College University of Montana?
- The average cost of attendance is $15,819 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at Helena College University of Montana?
- The average net price for in-state students is $11,593 a year after grants and scholarships (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at Helena College University of Montana?
- This school has open admission: most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
- What is the graduation rate at Helena College University of Montana?
- 37% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 3 years (entering classes through fall 2021).
- How much do graduates of Helena College University of Montana earn?
- The median graduate earns $50,913 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 1.3 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- This school has open admission, so most applicants who meet basic requirements are accepted.
- At $11,593 a year, the average net price is higher than 81% of public 2-year colleges.
- Families earning under $30,000 pay about $9,709 a year on average, versus $15,485 for families earning over $110,000.
- Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities is the largest field of study here, at 34% of the degrees and certificates awarded.
Tuition and cost of attendance at Helena College University of Montana
Average net price (in-state)
$11,593 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the Helena College University of Montana net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$23,186
Net price × 2 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k $9,709
- $30–48k $8,148
- $48–75k $12,803
- $75–110k $15,241
- $110k+ $15,485
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $15,819
- Tuition & fees$4,146
- Books & supplies$2,085
- Room & board$9,225
- Other expenses$6,157
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $4,146
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $11,318
Helena College University of Montana acceptance rate and admissions
Open admission
The school admits most applicants who meet basic requirements.
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from Helena College University of Montana
Graduation rate
37%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
57%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$155
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
1.3 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.3×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 3.6%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $22,556 · median $40,738 · 75th percentile $61,217
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at Helena College University of Montana ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Associate · Graduates: 45 | $69,033 | 1 yr$63,9024 yrs$69,0335 yrs$72,725 | U.S. median $80,813 U.S. middle half $61.1K–$103.8K · Below the U.S. median | $17,500 |
| Accounting and Related Services Associate · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $53,281 | 4 yrs$53,2815 yrs$45,374 | U.S. median $47,660 U.S. middle half $32.4K–$63.7K · Above the U.S. median | $20,429 |
| Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Associate · Graduates: 30 | $50,149 | 1 yr$46,2884 yrs$50,1495 yrs$58,422 | U.S. median $58,424 U.S. middle half $40.8K–$77.5K · Below the U.S. median | $12,825 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Associate · Graduates: 70 | $39,893 | 1 yr$31,2904 yrs$39,8935 yrs$39,318 | U.S. median $44,125 U.S. middle half $28.9K–$61.6K · Below the U.S. median | $12,000 |
| Precision Metal Working Associate · Graduates: 20 Small sample | $36,385 | 4 yrs$36,3855 yrs$45,279 | U.S. median $56,451 U.S. middle half $40.2K–$73.7K · Below the U.S. median | — |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 76.1%
- Black or African American 0.7%
- Hispanic or Latino 7.9%
- Asian 0%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 2.1%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0%
- Two or more races 7.2%
- U.S. nonresident 0%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 6.2%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 38.1%
- Women 61.9%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
21%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 585
- Part-time students
- 44%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 18%
- Receive federal loans
- 17%
- Students per faculty member
- 15 : 1
- Setting
- City
Similar colleges
Schools of a similar type, price, size and outcomes.
-
Great Falls College Montana State University
Great Falls, MT
Net price $12,468Earnings $48,830
-
Miles Community College
Miles City, MT
Net price $10,405Earnings $43,022
-
Flathead Valley Community College
Kalispell, MT
Net price $8,099Earnings $47,642
-
Dawson Community College
Glendive, MT
Net price $9,931Earnings $42,340
-
Lakes Region Community College
Laconia, NH
Net price $13,124Earnings $49,311
-
Salem Community College
Carneys Point, NJ
Net price $10,816Earnings $50,664
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in Montana
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at Helena College University of Montana?
For the 2024-25 academic year, Helena College University of Montana reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $4,146 for in-state students and $11,318 for out-of-state students. These are published prices before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at Helena College University of Montana?
The average cost of attendance at Helena College University of Montana is $15,819 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $11,593 a year. That is higher than 81% of public 2-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at Helena College University of Montana get?
18% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 17% receive federal loans. The average net price runs from $9,709 a year for families earning under $30,000 to $15,485 for families earning over $110,000 (2023-24).
What is the acceptance rate at Helena College University of Montana?
Helena College University of Montana has open admission: it accepts most applicants who meet basic requirements.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at Helena College University of Montana?
37% of first-time, full-time students at Helena College University of Montana finish within 150% of normal time. 57% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do Helena College University of Montana graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $50,913 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $44,104.
Is Helena College University of Montana worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For Helena College University of Montana, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 1.3 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $14,580, about 0.3 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 37% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
How much debt do Helena College University of Montana graduates have?
Graduates who borrowed have a median federal-loan debt of $14,580, or about $155 a month on a 10-year plan.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2021 or AcadYr 2021-22 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things