Public · Butte, Montana

Highlands College of Montana Tech

Highlands College of Montana Tech is a public institution in Butte, Montana. Former students earn a median of $54,329 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $14,962/yr — as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.

$14,962
Avg net price / yr
$54,329
10-yr median earnings
35.9%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Highlands College of Montana Tech posts top-quartile former-student earnings.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 23%
former-student earnings, US
35.9%
150%-time completion
+12%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Remote Carnegie: Associate's

Highlands College of Montana Tech is a public institution in Butte, Montana enrolling 342 undergraduates, using College Scorecard institution data retrieved in July 2026.. Federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $54,329 ten years after entry. Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort is $14,962. This profile combines source fields with separately labeled PlainCollege comparisons and derived metrics.

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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Highlands College of Montana Tech

Highlands College of Montana Tech operates as a public institution located in Butte, Montana (town: remote), with a reported undergraduate enrollment of 342 students. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile's peer group and cost cohort are determined; Highlands College of Montana Tech is categorized as "Associate's Colleges: High Career & Technical-High Nontraditional" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Admissions and cost fields are IPEDS-derived values published through the Scorecard and retain their source reporting periods. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; the income-band fields provide more context but still do not replace an institution's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-derived records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year; the entry cohort includes completers and noncompleters. IPEDS completion and retention rates use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so their denominator is not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not as a causal verdict or an individual forecast.

College Value Score

C
College Value Score
55/100
Highlands College of Montana Tech

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings B+
$54,329
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C
$14,962
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
35.9%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$18,750
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
84.9%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention N/A
N/A
First-year students returning for year two
Highlands College of Montana Tech vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$54,329

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$14,962

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

35.9%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 35.9%

Less-than-four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Highlands College of Montana Tech vs peers

Highlands College of Montana Tech positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Highlands College of Montana Tech positioned… Carnegie Classification: Associate's Associate's COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $13K $57K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $340 $17K Avg Net Price ($) Highlands College of Montana Tech (you are here): $54K earn · $15K net · 36% grad You are here - Highlands College … Miles Community College: $43K earn · $10K net · 55% grad Miles Community Co… Fort Peck Community College: $15K earn · $0K net · 16% grad Fort Peck Communit… Little Big Horn College: $21K earn · $8K net · 11% grad Little Big Horn Co… Stone Child College: $25K earn · $4K net · 33% grad Stone Child College Dawson Community College: $42K earn · $10K net · 41% grad Dawson Community C… Chief Dull Knife College: $20K earn · $14K net · 13% grad Montana Technological University: $54K earn · $16K net · 58% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Highlands College of Montana Tech ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Highlands College of Montana Tech: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$54,329 Top 23% higher than 77% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Quick Facts

342
Undergraduate enrollment
-
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
35.9%
150%-time completion
$54,329
10-yr median earnings
-
First-year retention

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $4,130
Out-of-State Tuition $10,950
Average Net Price $14,962

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $11,650
$30,001 – $48,000 $13,183
$48,001 – $75,000 $15,314
Over $110,000 $17,792
13.5%
Pell Grant Rate
20.9%
Federal Loan Rate
$18,750
Median Debt
$199/mo
Monthly Payment

What students pay at Highlands College of Montana Tech rose +26.3% since 2013

Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $9,648 in 2013 to $12,184 in 2023, a rise of $2,536 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $9,6482014: $9,1772015: $8,8812016: $9,8282017: $9,1562018: $9,8782019: $10,2842020: $13,0422021: $12,0792022: $14,5632023: $12,184
2013 · $9,6482023 · $12,184

Over the same years, enrollment went -45.4% (628 → 343 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

39.4%
Female
33.7%
First Generation

Outcomes

35.9%
150%-Time Completion
$48,356
Median Earnings (6yr)
$54,329
Median Earnings (10yr)
65.7%
Earning Over $25K
84.9%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians Certificate 60 $98,271 $2,750
Civil Engineering Technologies/Technicians Associate's 5 - -
Precision Metal Working Associate's 12 - -
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions Associate's 12 - -

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the admissions statistics for Highlands College of Montana Tech?
Highlands College of Montana Tech is a public institution in Butte, Montana. Undergraduate enrollment is 342 students.
How much do Highlands College of Montana Tech former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Highlands College of Montana Tech who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $54,329 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $48,356.
How much does Highlands College of Montana Tech cost?
The average net price at Highlands College of Montana Tech is $14,962. In-state tuition is $4,130 and out-of-state tuition is $10,950. Median student debt at graduation is $18,750.
What is the graduation rate at Highlands College of Montana Tech?
Highlands College of Montana Tech has a 35.9% completion rate within 150% of normal program time at a less-than-four-year institution.
Is Highlands College of Montana Tech worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Highlands College of Montana Tech is $18,750, while former students earn a median of $54,329 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 35% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 84.9% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $199.

Sources & methodology

Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.

Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Highlands College of Montana Tech

  • Highlands College of Montana Tech's reported 10-year former-student earnings land in the 77th percentile among reporting colleges.
  • The average net price after aid is $14,962 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
  • See how this school compares to every other college in Montana.Browse Montana

Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.