Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 56/100

Rocky Mountain College

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Billings, Montana

About Rocky Mountain College

Thinking about Rocky Mountain College, a college in Montana where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Rocky Mountain College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Billings, Montana. It enrolls 840 students (a small, tight-knit student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.

Acceptance
69.6%
Graduation
41.7%
Net Price
$19,751
Median Earnings (10yr)
$49,036
Enrollment
840
Student : Faculty
12:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar Semester

How It Measures Up

These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.

Good
56/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 24
Value 41
Affordability 49
Selectivity 45

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Rocky Mountain College admits 69.6% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
69.6%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
893 – 1133
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
18 – 24
Cumulative composite
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.

5-Year Admission Trend

Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Rocky Mountain College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 13.7 pts since 2019
59.2%201971.2%202080.7%202175.2%202272.9%2023

Cost & Financial Aid

Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $19,751 a year on average, it sits below what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$19,751
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
31%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
55%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$35,582
Room & Board (on-campus)
$10,152
Room & Board (off-campus)
$10,150
Books & Supplies
$1,400
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$4,070
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$4,070
Total Cost of Attendance
$46,093

Application fee: $35 (one-time, due at submission)


Net Price by Family Income

Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.

  • Under $30,000
    $15,404
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $13,781
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $14,957
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $19,892
  • Over $110,000
    $25,150

Debt at Graduation

Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.

$3,250
10% percentile
$5,500
25% percentile
$26,000
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$36,100
90% percentile

Median Debt by Student Type

Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.

GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $14,375 ↓ $11,625
No Pell $9,625 ↓ $16,375
Dependent students $12,000 ↓ $14,000
Independent students $13,000 ↓ $13,000
Female students $15,000 ↓ $11,000
Male students $9,665 ↓ $16,335
Pell recipients: 19.5% (5,074 students)No Pell: 13.1% (3,397 students)Dependent students: 16.3% (4,235 students)Independent students: 17.6% (4,588 students)Female students: 20.4% (5,294 students)Male students: 13.1% (3,411 students)Overall Median$26,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,443, less than completers ($26,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

42% of students who start here finish within six years, and 66% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.

6-Year Graduation Rate
42%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
66%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $49,036 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$49,036
Earning > $25K
77%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$41,000$43,000$45,000$48,000$50,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

Earnings by Demographic

Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.

By Gender

Female graduates
$40,600

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$54,700

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$43,600

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$50,900

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$46,200

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $14,100, about 26% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.

Loan Repayment Progression

Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.

Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑ 15.3 pts across 6 years
74.2%1yr78.2%3yr89.5%5yr
What this signals: Excellent. 90% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 840 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 32% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
840
Part-Time
2%
First-Generation
32%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 69.2% 581
Other 9.9% 83
Hispanic 9.3% 78
International 6.1% 51
Black 5.4% 45
Asian 0.2% 2
White: 69.2% (581 students)Other: 9.9% (83 students)Hispanic: 9.3% (78 students)International: 6.1% (51 students)Black: 5.4% (45 students)Asian: 0.2% (2 students)Total840

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Rocky Mountain College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Midsize City Billings, Montana
Housing
Mostly residential 571 beds on campus
Adult Learners
6% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Transportation graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Rocky Mountain College offers a varied set of programs: 28 distinct programs across 18 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.

3 Programs
1 Program
4 Programs
1 Program
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$69M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$62,047
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

63 instructional faculty across 5 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.

Rank Faculty Count Share Avg Salary
Full Professors 19 30% $70,191
Associate Professors 13 21% $58,584
Assistant Professors 22 35% $63,980
Instructors 8 13% $45,152
No Rank 1 2% $45,000

Pros & Cons of Rocky Mountain College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Rocky Mountain College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Below-average net price
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Below-average completion rate
  • First-year retention is below typical
Best for: Based on the data, Rocky Mountain College is a fit for students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Rocky Mountain College

The questions families ask most about Rocky Mountain College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Rocky Mountain College hard to get into?
Admissions at Rocky Mountain College are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 69.6%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Rocky Mountain College?
69.6% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Rocky Mountain College?
Aim for 1133 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 893 and 1133 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Rocky Mountain College?
Aim for 24 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 18 and 24 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Rocky Mountain College cost?
Budget around $19,751 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Rocky Mountain College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $49,036 a year against a net price of $19,751, about 2.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Rocky Mountain College known for?
Mostly Allied Health Diagnostic, Air Transportation, Rehabilitation. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Rocky Mountain College graduates earn?
About $49,036 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Rocky Mountain College accredited?
Yes. Rocky Mountain College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Rocky Mountain College?
840 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Rocky Mountain College?
42% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Rocky Mountain College a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Rocky Mountain College located?
Rocky Mountain College is located in Billings, Montana.
What programs does Rocky Mountain College offer?
28 different programs, most commonly Allied Health Diagnostic, Air Transportation, Rehabilitation. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Rocky Mountain College?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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