More selective than 67% of Montana colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $55,626. College Scorecard.
Higher than 100% of Montana colleges we cover and 77% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of Montana colleges we cover and 73% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Carroll College acceptance rate & admissions
Of 1,787 applicants, Carroll College admitted 1,298 and 273 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1050–1300 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Carroll College tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What Carroll College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Carroll College took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Montana. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,072 | $71,873 | 2.5 years |
| $30–48k | $16,329 | $68,745 | 2.4 years |
| $48–75k | $19,139 | $80,575 | 2.9 years |
| $75–110k | $23,919 | $100,699 | 3.6 years |
| $110k+ | $28,005 | $117,901 | 4.2 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (54% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($61,772) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MT (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $28,256 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Carroll College majors, earnings & careers
Carroll College offers 43 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Science & Math · 8
- Health & Medicine · 6
- Engineering · 4
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 4
- Business & Finance · 3
- Education · 3
- Communications & Media · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
Highest-earning majors at Carroll College
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $80,878 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $79,048 | $24,050 |
| Health Sciences | $62,284 | $25,250 |
| Business Administration | $60,597 | $19,500 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $52,448 | $27,000 |
| Psychology | $49,321 | — |
| Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences | $49,309 | $24,250 |
| Biology | $32,530 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 43 majors
- Accounting$79,048
- Applied Mathematics—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$32,530
- Business Administration$60,597
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering—
- Classics—
- Communications—
- Computer Science—
- Computer Systems Analysis—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$52,448
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Education, Other—
- Engineering Mechanics—
- Engineering Science—
- English—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance—
- Health Sciences$62,284
- History—
- International Relations—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Literature—
- Mathematics—
- Mathematics and Statistics, Other—
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Nursing$80,878
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$49,321
- Public Health—
- Public Relations and Advertising—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$49,309
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Visual and Performing Arts—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business Administration → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Helena
Overall prices in the Helena, MT area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,653. Housing costs 10% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 14 inches of rain a year, 37 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Lewis and Clark County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Lewis and Clark County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Carroll College with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Montana by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll College | 71% | $23,960 | 69% | $61,772 | This school |
| Rocky Mountain College | 70% | $19,751 | 48% | $49,036 | |
| Blackfeet Community College | — | $5,410 | 62% | $22,953 | |
| University of Providence | 50% | $17,649 | 28% | $48,296 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Carroll College would cost you $4,209 more per year than Rocky Mountain College, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Carroll College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$5,902).
- Carroll College gives aided families $5,324 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Montana resident | Carroll College | RMC | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $41,484 | $35,582 | +$5,902 |
| Books & supplies | $800 | $1,400 | −$600 |
| Housing & meals | $11,624 | $9,576 | +$2,048 |
| Personal & travel | $3,268 | $4,070 | −$802 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,550 | −$4,535 | +$2,985 |
| Sticker price | $55,626 | $46,093 | +$9,533 |
| Average grants | −$31,666 | −$26,342 | −$5,324 |
| You pay | $23,960 | $19,751 | +$4,209 |
“+” means Carroll College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Carroll College
What is the Carroll College acceptance rate?
Carroll College accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,298 of 1,787 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1050–1300 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
How much does Carroll College cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $55,626 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $23,960 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,072 and families earning $110k+ pay $28,005.
How much do Carroll College graduates earn?
Former Carroll College students earn a median $61,772 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Carroll College graduation rate?
69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 82% return for their second year.
How long does a Carroll College degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Carroll College costs about $80,575 after grants ($19,139 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $61,772 ten years after starting, $28,256 more than high school graduates in Montana ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 2.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Carroll College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/carroll-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).