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Best Value Degrees in Montana (2026)

Top 89 of 89 programs in Montana · Updated 2026

The best college programs in Montana, ranked by overall value. We scored 89 programs across Montana schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $43,046/yr in graduate earnings.

Programs in MT

Avg Earnings (Top 100)

$43,046/yr

Avg DW Score

63/100

#1 Program

Nursing (RN/BSN)

Montana State University-Northern

Top Programs in Montana

Top 89 programs by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full analysis.

#	Program	DW Score	Earnings	AI Risk	ROI
1	Nursing (RN/BSN) Montana State University-Northern · Havre, MT	90 84–90	$77,121/yr	High	28.0x
2	Nursing (RN/BSN) Montana State University Billings · Billings, MT	88 82–88	$71,449/yr	High	25.6x
3	Nursing (RN/BSN) Montana Technological University · Butte, MT	89 83–88	$74,338/yr	High	19.4x
4	Nursing (RN/BSN) Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	88 82–87	$71,915/yr	High	21.5x
5	Business (General) Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	85 79–87	$48,164/yr	High	20.1x
6	Business (General) Montana State University Billings · Billings, MT	84 78–85	$44,082/yr	High	20.3x
7	Public Health Montana Technological University · Butte, MT	86 79–87	$74,771/yr	High	29.7x
8	Computer Science Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	86 75–89	$66,918/yr	Very High	38.0x
9	Criminal Justice Montana State University-Northern · Havre, MT	81 78–81	$43,158/yr	Moderate	16.2x
10	Business Administration Montana State University-Northern · Havre, MT	81 75–83	$40,381/yr	High	19.8x
11	Business (General) Montana Technological University · Butte, MT	83 78–82	$46,181/yr	High	13.3x
12	Agricultural Business Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	80 76–80	$50,876/yr	High	15.5x
13	Nursing (RN/BSN) University of Providence · Great Falls, MT	81 76–78	$101,187/yr	High	9.4x
14	Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	75 73–76	$62,605/yr	Moderate	24.3x
15	Accounting The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	78 70–82	$47,164/yr	Very High	19.0x
16	Computer Engineering Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	81 71–83	$67,015/yr	Very High	19.7x
17	Business Administration The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	78 70–81	$37,784/yr	High	18.6x
18	Business Administration The University of Montana-Western · Dillon, MT	77 71–79	$35,880/yr	High	18.6x
19	Teacher Education (Subject-Specific) Montana State University Billings · Billings, MT	76 72–77	$39,422/yr	High	17.4x
20	Economics Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	77 70–79	$47,098/yr	Very High	17.2x
21	Teacher Education (Subject-Specific) The University of Montana-Western · Dillon, MT	75 71–77	$38,151/yr	High	18.3x
22	Teacher Education (General) The University of Montana-Western · Dillon, MT	73 71–72	$36,742/yr	High	15.6x
23	Construction Engineering Technologies Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	75 69–77	$77,139/yr	Very High	26.8x
24	Teacher Education (General) Montana State University Billings · Billings, MT	71 69–71	$35,132/yr	High	15.9x
25	Civil Engineering Montana Technological University · Butte, MT	75 69–77	$80,327/yr	High	23.9x
26	Teacher Education (Subject-Specific) Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	73 69–74	$38,576/yr	High	14.5x
27	Mechanical Engineering Montana Technological University · Butte, MT	74 67–75	$73,901/yr	Very High	22.0x
28	Teacher Education (General) Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	71 70–70	$37,501/yr	High	12.7x
29	Electrical Engineering Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	74 67–76	$77,060/yr	Very High	27.7x
30	Nursing (RN/BSN) Carroll College · Helena, MT	72 67–71	$75,007/yr	High	3.9x
31	Civil Engineering Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	72 66–73	$67,373/yr	High	22.6x
32	Mechanical Engineering Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	73 66–75	$68,469/yr	Very High	27.5x
33	Industrial Engineering Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	73 67–73	$64,082/yr	High	18.8x
34	Teacher Education (General) The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	69 68–68	$36,142/yr	High	12.4x
35	Petroleum Engineering Montana Technological University · Butte, MT	71 64–73	$69,212/yr	High	35.1x
36	Business Administration Carroll College · Helena, MT	68 62–70	$48,337/yr	High	3.1x
37	Chemical Engineering Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	69 63–71	$62,206/yr	High	24.5x
38	Microbiology & Immunology Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	69 60–71	$37,181/yr	High	18.6x
39	Management Information Systems (MIS) The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	68 56–73	$54,816/yr	Very High	30.8x
40	Biology The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	68 64–67	$43,914/yr	High	14.8x
41	Political Science The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	67 60–70	$38,094/yr	Very High	16.6x
42	Public Relations & Advertising Montana State University Billings · Billings, MT	69 63–69	$39,666/yr	High	13.8x
43	Business Administration Rocky Mountain College · Billings, MT	66 60–68	$42,971/yr	High	3.2x
44	Political Science Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	64 58–69	$35,476/yr	Very High	16.7x
45	Teacher Education (Subject-Specific) The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	63 57–67	$28,298/yr	High	13.4x
46	Sociology The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	63 60–63	$39,160/yr	High	13.0x
47	Teacher Education (General) Carroll College · Helena, MT	60 58–60	$43,469/yr	High	1.7x
48	Sociology Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	61 57–62	$36,595/yr	High	13.4x
49	Music Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	59 56–61	$38,807/yr	High	13.4x
50	Fine Arts & Studio Art Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	57 54–59	$32,265/yr	Moderate	13.2x
51	History Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	59 53–62	$29,692/yr	High	13.2x
52	Social Work The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	60 59–58	$33,726/yr	Moderate	11.4x
53	Liberal Arts & General Studies Montana State University Billings · Billings, MT	53 52–54	$29,832/yr	Low	20.8x
54	Management Information Systems (MIS) Montana Technological University · Butte, MT	59 48–63	$42,543/yr	Very High	16.5x
55	Mathematics Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	59 46–65	$34,475/yr	Very High	20.8x
56	Natural Resources & Conservation Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	56 49–60	$36,745/yr	High	17.8x
57	History The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	57 52–60	$28,508/yr	High	11.9x
58	Plant Science Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	56 51–58	$33,311/yr	High	13.3x
59	Cell Biology & Anatomy Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	57 46–61	$32,538/yr	High	20.5x
60	Psychology Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	56 48–59	$28,928/yr	High	13.4x
61	Biology Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	54 48–55	$29,435/yr	High	12.7x
62	Communications & Media Studies The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	53 47–57	$34,377/yr	High	13.7x
63	Liberal Arts & General Studies Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	49 51–47	$30,380/yr	Low	12.6x
64	Animal Science Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	51 47–53	$30,220/yr	High	12.1x
65	Anthropology The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	54 49–55	$30,011/yr	High	11.0x
66	Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	49 46–52	$31,910/yr	High	13.3x
67	Psychology The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	51 43–55	$25,023/yr	High	11.8x
68	Kinesiology & Exercise Science Rocky Mountain College · Billings, MT	47 43–49	$30,025/yr	Moderate	3.2x
69	Forestry The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	46 43–49	$31,138/yr	Moderate	13.8x
70	English Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	48 42–52	$33,483/yr	Very High	12.3x
71	Biology Carroll College · Helena, MT	46 39–49	$35,157/yr	High	3.0x
72	Linguistic & Comparative Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	49 45–51	$33,415/yr	Very High	9.3x
73	Geology & Earth Sciences Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	44 37–49	$29,030/yr	High	14.8x
74	Film & Photography Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	46 41–48	$29,608/yr	High	11.8x
75	Fine Arts & Studio Art The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	45 43–45	$22,149/yr	Moderate	6.6x
76	Aviation Rocky Mountain College · Billings, MT	47 44–47	$41,588/yr	Moderate	2.1x
77	Natural Resources & Conservation The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	44 38–47	$27,552/yr	High	11.6x
78	Journalism The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	48 42–50	$35,924/yr	Very High	10.0x
79	Physiology, Pathology and Related Sciences The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	51 46–49	$32,671/yr	High	9.0x
80	Biological and Physical Sciences The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	45 46–45	$25,950/yr	Moderate	7.0x
81	Public Health Carroll College · Helena, MT	45 39–46	$30,831/yr	High	0.9x
82	Wildlife & Fisheries Science The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	41 35–44	$28,339/yr	High	11.4x
83	English The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	38 30–47	$21,447/yr	Very High	11.7x
84	Film & Photography The University of Montana · Missoula, MT	40 36–43	$24,679/yr	High	10.2x
85	Psychology Rocky Mountain College · Billings, MT	42 36–43	$29,910/yr	High	1.2x
86	Biology Rocky Mountain College · Billings, MT	38 34–39	$27,912/yr	High	1.1x
87	Sustainability Studies Montana State University · Bozeman, MT	37 34–38	$22,296/yr	High	5.9x
88	Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Carroll College · Helena, MT	33 29–33	$22,319/yr	Moderate	0.4x
89	Health Sciences Carroll College · Helena, MT	33 26–35	$30,457/yr	High	2.2x

Methodology

This ranking includes the top 89 programs at Montana colleges and universities, drawn from 89 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.

Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best college program in Montana?

By DegreeWorth Score, Nursing (RN/BSN) at Montana State University-Northern ranks #1 in Montana with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $77,121/yr.

How many college programs are in Montana?

Our database includes 89 programs across Montana colleges with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Last updated 2025.