Most Affordable Community Colleges in Montana
Two-year colleges, ranked by what students actually pay after aid. These are usually the cheapest route to the first two years of a degree, and credits often transfer to a four-year school.
5 community colleges in Montana are listed here, 5 of them reporting a net price. They run from $8,099 a year at Flathead Valley Community College to $14,962 at Highlands College of Montana Tech, with a middle of about $11,593.
The cheapest are Flathead Valley Community College, Miles Community College and Helena College University of Montana. A low average is not a low bill for everyone — aid depends on your family's income — but it is where to start.
Community colleges in Montana, cheapest first · 5
Average net price per year after grants and scholarships, with the share of students on federal Pell grants where reported. Schools publishing no net price are listed last.
- Flathead Valley Community College
- Miles Community College
- Helena College University of Montana
- Great Falls College Montana State University
- Highlands College of Montana Tech
Questions families ask
- What is the most affordable community college in Montana?
- By average net price — what students actually pay per year after grants and scholarships — it is Flathead Valley Community College at about $8,099 a year. That is an average across all students there; your own cost depends on your family's income, so check the school's net price calculator.
- What is the difference between sticker price and net price?
- Sticker price is the published tuition before any aid. Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships are subtracted — not loans, which you pay back. Net price is usually far lower, and at expensive private colleges the gap can be tens of thousands a year, which is why every figure on this page is net price rather than tuition.
- How much do community colleges in Montana cost on average?
- Across the 5 community colleges in Montana that report a figure, the middle of the range is about $11,593 a year after aid, running from $8,099 to $14,962.
- What does the Pell grant percentage mean?
- It is the share of undergraduates at that school receiving a federal Pell grant — need-based aid that does not have to be repaid. A higher share usually means the school enrols more students from lower-income families. Across the community colleges listed here it runs from 13% to 31%, with a middle of about 19%. It is the only aid figure the Department of Education publishes per school, so it is the only one shown.
Which of these actually fits you?
A list is a starting point, not an answer. Two minutes of questions gives you a shortlist ranked on cost, academics, size and location — with the reaches labelled honestly.
Find your match — free