-26%
150%-time completion
150%-time completion at Helena College University of Montana fell 26% between 2006 and 2009 (35.4% → 26.3%).
Montana · Public · Predominantly associate's
Helena College University of Montana
Helena, Montana. 641 undergraduate students. 25 programs in the federal Field-of-Study dataset.
ANOMALY ENGINE · NOTABLE SIGNALS
What the data flags at Helena College University of Montana
Short-arc shifts (recent 3-year window), peer outliers, earnings trend breaks, completion drops, enrollment cliffs, and debt-to-earnings warnings — surfaced deterministically from the federal record. Multi-decade shifts are reported separately in the Long Arc section, since 25-year tuition drift isn't really an anomaly.
+19%
In-state tuition
In-state tuition at Helena College University of Montana rose 19% between 2021 and 2024 ($3.5k → $4.1k).
+18%
Out-of-state tuition
Out-of-state tuition at Helena College University of Montana rose 18% between 2021 and 2024 ($9.6k → $11.3k).
-11%
First-year retention
First-year retention at Helena College University of Montana fell 11% between 2021 and 2024 (61.7% → 54.7%).
SECTION 01 · OUTCOMES SNAPSHOT
The numbers, vs. Montana
Each tile compares this institution to the Montana median for the same metric. Sub-line shows the comparison value, not an interpretation. Sparklines trace the federally available history.
$40,738+9% · 6→10y
Montana median $40,738$37,317
Treasury earnings · 6y post-entry41.5%-45% · '99→'09
Montana median 46.1%$9,500+455% · '97→'20
At program completion641+24% · '96→'24
latest IPEDS58.5%-2% · '04→'24
first-time, full-time—
latest cohort$3,975+86% · '00→'24
out-of-state $10,687SECTION 02 · EARNINGS HORIZONS
How earnings spread, 4 to 10 years after entry
Treasury tax-record earnings for federally aided students who first enrolled at this institution. Each point is a horizon from the most-recent vintage. Single median per horizon (no p25/p75 publishing).
Earnings widen with time post-entry. Selection: federal-aid recipients only — not all graduates.Methodology →
SECTION 03 · DEBT-TO-EARNINGS
What loans cost relative to earnings
Annual debt service as a share of median earnings 10 years after entry, computed under federal Direct loan terms (10-year fixed at 6%). The 8% line is the gainful-employment threshold from federal regulation; above 12% has historically been considered “failing” under prior rule cycles.
Institution-wide
3.1%Median federal debt $9,500 amortized over 10 years vs. median earnings $40,738 (10y after entry).
SECTION 04 · LONG ARC
Ten-plus year arc
Federally available history. Coverage varies by metric — IPEDS publishes some series only after 2009 and others only before.
Undergraduate enrollment.
150%-time completion rate.
Median federal student debt at exit.
-45%
Helena College University of Montana · completion · 150% fell
47.5% → 26.3%
+24%
Helena College University of Montana · undergrad enrollment rose
473 → 585
+86%
Helena College University of Montana · in-state tuition rose
$2,230 → $4,146
+122%
Helena College University of Montana · out-of-state tuition rose
$5,090 → $11,318
+455%
Helena College University of Montana · median debt rose
$2,625 → $14,580
-100%
Helena College University of Montana · cohort default rate fell
10.5% → 0.0%
+21%
Helena College University of Montana · earnings_median_8yr rose
$31,200 → $37,804
+40%
Helena College University of Montana · earnings_median_6yr rose
$26,700 → $37,317
SECTION 05 · PROGRAMS
Ranked by 5-year earnings
Each row is one (CIP × credential) program reported by the institution in College Scorecard's Field-of-Study data. Cohort floor is 30 students; below this, federal data is suppressed.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing.$72,725Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing Assistants.$62,085Computer Programming.$59,279Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies.$58,422Accounting and Related Services.$45,374Precision Metal Working.$45,279Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities.$39,318
SECTION 06 · BY CIP FAMILY
7 programs with earnings, grouped
Programs are grouped by 2-digit CIP family. Programs without reported earnings are hidden to keep the list focused.
COMPUTER & INFORMATION SCIENCES · CIP 11
LIBERAL ARTS & GENERAL STUDIES · CIP 24
MECHANIC & REPAIR TECHNOLOGIES · CIP 47
PRECISION PRODUCTION · CIP 48
HEALTH PROFESSIONS · CIP 51
BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT & MARKETING · CIP 52
FINANCIAL OUTCOME · ILLUSTRATION
Estimate the financial outcome at Helena College University of Montana
Pick a program. Cost from Scorecard net price by family income; earnings from Treasury 5-year-post-completion median, projected forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve. The selection-bias toggle applies the Dale-Krueger shrinkage. Outcomes illustration, not a forecast — see methodology.
Shrinks the earnings premium toward the matched-applicant mean. STEM <15%, business ~40%, arts & education ~60%.
NET PRESENT VALUE
$82,624
Over 40 years, discounted 5.0%
BREAKEVEN
Year 20
First year cumulative discounted earnings cross zero
- Cost per year
- $15,613
- HS-only baseline · MT
- $35,800
- Years to complete
- 2
- CIP family
- 24
Outcomes illustration · not a forecast. Projects observed Scorecard earnings forward with a Mincer age-earnings curve under your assumptions. See methodology for the math.
SECTION 07 · SIMILAR INSTITUTIONS
Same sector and degree mix in Montana
Picked by Carnegie sector × predominant credential level. These are not rankings — just nearest-neighbour surfaces for comparison.
CAUSAL DISCIPLINE
“Helena College University of Montana graduates earn $X” — not “Helena College University of Montana makes you earn $X”
Median earnings describe what cohorts earned. They do not describe what attending Helena College University of Montana caused. Selection effects (who admits, who enrolls, who completes) are real. We publish federal data with strict descriptive phrasing — and link the methodology where you can read about the limitations directly.