Aaniiih Nakoda College vs Montana State University Billings
Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data
Verdict
Aaniiih Nakoda College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Montana State University Billings at 100.0%. Average median debt: Aaniiih Nakoda College at $24,000 vs Montana State University Billings at $25,871. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $55,000 vs $51,700.
| Metric | Aaniiih Nakoda College | Montana State University Billings |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Rate | 100.0% | 100.0% |
| School Type | Public | Public |
| State | Mt | Mt |
| Avg Median Debt Average median debt across all tracked majors | $24,000* | $25,871 |
| Avg 1yr Earnings Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors | $55,000* | $51,700 |
| Majors Tracked | 1 | 20 |
| Best ROI Major | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology (70/100) | Business/Commerce (78/100)* |
| Best Major Debt | $24,000* | $25,364 |
| Best Major 1yr Earnings | $55,000 | $65,000* |
Aaniiih Nakoda College has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Montana State University Billings at 100.0%. Average median debt: Aaniiih Nakoda College at $24,000 vs Montana State University Billings at $25,871. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $55,000 vs $51,700.
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Aaniiih Nakoda College and Montana State University Billings graduate students at similar rates — 100.0% and 100.0% respectively. With completion rates comparable, the comparison reduces to cost, earnings, and program mix; the institutional-effect-on-completion question essentially nets out.
Debt loads run similar between the two schools — averages of $24,000 and $25,871 respectively. With debt comparable, the financial decision essentially reduces to the earnings side: which degree, from which school, produces the better post-graduation income trajectory.
Median first-year earnings are roughly comparable between the schools — $51,700 and $55,000. With earnings close, the financial comparison turns mostly on the cost side: total debt at graduation is the lever, since the earnings denominator essentially nets out.
Both schools sit in Mt, which simplifies the in-state-vs-out-of-state tuition question and aligns the regional labor markets students will enter post-graduation. Cross-school comparisons within the same state should weight program mix and employer-pipeline depth heavily — the cost-of-living and labor-market backdrop is effectively held constant, so program-level differences are the differentiator.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.