by our College Data Analytics TeamWhen pursuing a college degree in today's world, there are many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its Best Associate Degree Colleges in Montana ranking as one thing you can use to help make this decision.
What's on This Page: * Our Methodology
After analyzing 9 schools in Montana, we came up with our list of those that offered the best associate degree programs. Our ranking for the best schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. The following gives more info on what goes into our ranking factors and why we consider those factors.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of associate graduates during the early years of their career. A associate degree holder from a school in Montana makes an average starting salary of $48,643, but the students who attended schools in the top 6 of our list make an average of $50,253.
Students may also take on a lot of debt while working on their associate so we factor that into our rankings as well. We consider this number in conjunction with average post-graduation earnings to gauge the difficulty associate recipients will have paying back their loans.
In addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt loads, we also look at a host of other factors to determining our Best Associate Degree Schools ranking. These factors include things like the educational resources, the demand associated with the school, whether or not the school offers online classes, and the student body caliber - just to name a few.
Find out more about our best schools ranking methodology
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
The University of Montana tops this year’s ranking as the best school for associate degrees in Montana for overall quality. Located in Missoula, Montana, the fairly large public school awarded 296 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from UM make an average of $52,884 per year during the early years of their career.
Out of the 9 associate degree schools in Montana that were part of this year’s ranking, Montana State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Montana State University is a fairly large public school located in Bozeman, Montana that handed out 115 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from MSU Bozeman is $33,151 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #3 on our Best Associate Degree in Montana list means The University of Montana - Western is a great place for students working on their degree. Located in Dillon, Montana, the small public school awarded 135 diplomas to qualifed associate degree students in 2021-2022.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dawson Community College. The school came in at #4 in Montana on this year’s best associate degree schools ranking. Located in Glendive, Montana, the small public school handed out 105 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Helena College University of Montana. It ranked #5 on our 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana list. Helena College is a public institution located in Helena, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 138 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Those who receive a associate degree from Helena College go into careers with an average salary of $47,814 during the early years of their career.
Montana State University - Billings did quite well in the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana ranking, coming in at #6. Montana State University - Billings is a small public school located in Billings, Montana that handed out 202 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
The average salary of a graduate with a associate degree from Montana State University - Billings is $60,168 during the early years of their career.
Montana State University - Northern did quite well in the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana ranking, coming in at #7. Havre, Montana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out associate degrees to 104 students in 2021-2022.
Miles Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana ranking. This small public school is located in Miles City, Montana, and it awarded 81 associate degrees in 2021-2022.
Graduates with a associate degree from Miles Community College make an average of $67,708 per year during the early years of their career.
Flathead Valley Community College landed the #9 spot on the 2025 Best Associate Degree Schools in Montana ranking. Flathead Valley Community College is located in Kalispell, Montana and has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 239 associate degrees to qualified graduate students.
Upon graduation, associate degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $39,793 during the early years of their career.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.