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Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Montana

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2023 Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Montana

Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

9 Schools Ranked
$18,641 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$16,681 Avg Student Debt*

With all the trade school programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country.

The Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Montana ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 9 schools in Montana to see which associate degree programs offered the best value experiences for trade school students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

Top Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in Montana

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

53 Total Awards
$9,642 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Highlands College of Montana Tech to be the best value school for trade school students who want to pursue a associate degree in Montana. Located in Butte, Montana, the very small public school handed out 53 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.

Highlands College of Montana Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $9,642 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $13,254 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Highlands College of Montana Tech does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2020-2021 about 29% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Highlands College of Montana Tech did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Montana list.

Full Highlands College of Montana Tech Report

138 Total Awards
$9,863 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Helena College University of Montana. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Montana list. This small public school is located in Helena, Montana, and it awarded 138 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Helena College are $9,863 a year. Associate Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $17,556 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Helena College. During the 2020-2021 year, about 41% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

104 Total Awards
$18,665 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Montana State University - Northern is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Montana State University - Northern is located in Havre, Montana and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 104 associate degrees to qualified students.

Montana State University - Northern undergraduate students pay an average of $18,665 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $21,483 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Montana State University - Northern does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 61% took at least some of their classes online.

Montana State University - Northern also made our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Montana list, coming in at #3.

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202 Total Awards
$19,924 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 9 schools in Montana that were part of this year’s value ranking, Montana State University - Billings landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in Billings, Montana, the small public school handed out 202 associate degree awards in 2021-2022.

Montana State University - Billings undergraduate students pay an average of $19,924 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $18,205 in student loans.

Montana State University - Billings does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In 2020-2021 about 61% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Montana State University - Billings did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Montana list.

Read full report on Montana State University - Billings

#5

Miles Community College

Miles City, Montana
81 Total Awards
$10,110 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Miles Community College is a great place for trade school students working on their associate degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Located in Miles City, Montana, the very small public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Miles Community College are $10,110 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,203 in student loans.

One thing to take note of is that Miles Community College does offer online classes in some areas. In 2020-2021 about 75% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#6

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
115 Total Awards
$29,604 Average Tuition & Fees

Montana State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Associate Degree Schools in Montana list. Montana State University is a fairly large public school located in Bozeman, Montana that handed out 115 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

MSU Bozeman undergraduate students pay an average of $29,604 in tuition and fees each year. On average, associate degree students take out $16,147 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Some students may be able to take online classes at MSU Bozeman. During the 2020-2021 year, about 19% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.

MSU Bozeman not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Associate Degree Trade Schools in Montana list.

Read full report on Montana State University

#7

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
296 Total Awards
$29,634 Average Tuition & Fees

The University of Montana did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #7 on the list. UM is a public institution located in Missoula, Montana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 296 associate degrees in 2021-2022.

Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UM are $29,634 per year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,416 in student loans.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at UM. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 41% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on The University of Montana

#8

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, Montana
239 Total Awards
$12,720 Average Tuition & Fees

Flathead Valley Community College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value associate degree trade school programs. Located in Kalispell, Montana, the small public school awarded 239 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.

Flathead Valley Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,720 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their associate degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $15,104 in student loans.

Online courses are available at Flathead Valley Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 26% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Flathead Valley Community College

#9

University of Providence

Great Falls, Montana
1 Total Awards
$27,606 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Providence did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get an associate degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Great Falls, Montana is the setting for this very small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out associate degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at University of Providence are $27,606 a year.

Interested in an online degree? Then you definitely want to check out University of Providence. Every undergraduate student at the school took at least one class online.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Providence is ranked #1 for overall quality in Montana.

Full University of Providence Report

Best Value Trade Associate Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 9 schools only.

References

  • 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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