Public Graduate Strong 74/100

Salish Kootenai College

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

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Pablo, Montana

About Salish Kootenai College

Thinking about Salish Kootenai College, a college in Montana where more students graduate in Business 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.

Salish Kootenai College is a public institution offering graduate degrees based in Pablo, Montana. It enrolls 580 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
—
Graduation
23.9%
Net Price
$7,945
Median Earnings (10yr)
$32,725
Enrollment
580
Student : Faculty
6:1

Accreditor Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic Calendar Quarter

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 Open / Online), 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.

Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes 56
Value 65
Affordability 76
Selectivity —

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Salish Kootenai College does not report an acceptance rate. Schools that do not publish one are usually open-admission, but confirm with the admissions office before you assume it.

Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported

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 $7,945 a year on average, it sits well below what public colleges charge nationally. At that level cost is rarely the reason to rule a college out. 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
$7,945
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
58%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
16%
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 (in-state)
$4,311
Tuition & Fees (out-of-state)
$11,583
Room & Board (on-campus)
$7,020
Room & Board (off-campus)
$7,020
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,400
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,400
Total Cost of Attendance
$13,047

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
    $6,999
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $9,221
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $8,502
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $11,883

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.

$1,978
10% percentile
$3,500
25% percentile
$12,923
Median percentile
$14,193
75% percentile
$21,167
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
Dependent students $8,225 ↓ $4,698
Independent students $8,700 ↓ $4,223
Female students $9,067 ↓ $3,856
Male students $7,200 ↓ $5,723
Dependent students: 24.8% (3,202 students)Independent students: 26.2% (3,387 students)Female students: 27.3% (3,530 students)Male students: 21.7% (2,803 students)Overall Median$12,923
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $5,834, less than completers ($12,923), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

24% of students who start here finish within six years, and 85% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. 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
24%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
85%
Returning for their second year
What this means: Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $32,725 a year, below the national median. Weigh that against the cost above before taking on debt here. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$32,725
Earning > $25K
54%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$28,500$29,500$31,000$32,000$33,5006 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
$29,200

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

Male graduates
$31,200

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

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 ↑ 7.0 pts across 6 years
50.9%1yr56.9%3yr69.2%5yr57.9%7yr
What this signals: Moderate. Only 58% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 580 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 45% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
580
Part-Time
20%
First-Generation
45%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
Other 71.4% 414
White 20.2% 117
Hispanic 7.8% 45
Black 0.5% 3
Asian 0.2% 1
Other: 71.4% (414 students)White: 20.2% (117 students)Hispanic: 7.8% (45 students)Black: 0.5% (3 students)Asian: 0.2% (1 students)Total580

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Rural: Distant Pablo, Montana
Housing
Partly residential 109 beds available
Adult Learners
62% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarter scheduling structure

What You Can Study

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

Salish Kootenai College offers a varied set of programs: 34 distinct programs across 15 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
6 Programs
5 Programs
2 Programs
2 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 6 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.

Student : Faculty
6:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$51M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$58,269
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

68 instructional faculty across 1 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
Instructors 68 100% $58,269

Pros & Cons of Salish Kootenai College

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Salish Kootenai 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
  • Very affordable net price after aid
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Strong first-year retention
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
  • Below-average post-graduation earnings
Best for: Based on the data, Salish Kootenai College is a fit for families focused on keeping net cost low; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Salish Kootenai College

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

How much does Salish Kootenai College cost?
Budget around $7,945 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 Salish Kootenai College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: solid return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $32,725 a year against a net price of $7,945, about 4.1 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 Salish Kootenai College known for?
Mostly Business Administration, Social Work, Ground Transportation. 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 Salish Kootenai College graduates earn?
About $32,725 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 Salish Kootenai College accredited?
Yes. Salish Kootenai College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.
How many students attend Salish Kootenai College?
580 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 Salish Kootenai College?
24% 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 Salish Kootenai College a public or private college?
It is Public. Public, so in-state students usually pay materially less than everyone else.
Where is Salish Kootenai College located?
Salish Kootenai College is located in Pablo, Montana.
What programs does Salish Kootenai College offer?
34 different programs, most commonly Business Administration, Social Work, Ground Transportation. 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 Salish Kootenai College?
6 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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