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. Below you'll find verified data on admissions, cost, student outcomes, programs offered, and what graduates typically earn, all pulled from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard and IPEDS.
AccreditorNorthwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
Academic CalendarQuarter
How It Measures Up
US College Data scores each college on four pillars (outcomes, value, affordability, and selectivity) on a 0–100 scale, ranked within its peer group (4-Year Open / Online). Scores are calculated from verified College Scorecard and IPEDS data, not opinion or paid placement. Where data is missing, that pillar isn't scored.
Strong
74/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Open / Online
Outcomes56
Value65
Affordability76
Selectivity—
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Admissions data is not yet reported for Salish Kootenai College.
Acceptance Rate
—
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Cost & Financial Aid
The real cost of attending Salish Kootenai College isn't the sticker price. It's the net price,which is what most students actually pay after grants and scholarships. According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, the average net price is $7,945 per year. That's well below the typical net price for public colleges nationally.
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.
$1,97810%percentile
$3,50025%percentile
$12,923Medianpercentile
$14,19375%percentile
$21,16790%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
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 full-time students who enrolled at Salish Kootenai College graduate within six years, and 85% return for their second year, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
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
According to College Scorecard 2023-24 data, students who entered Salish Kootenai College earn a median of $32,725 ten years after first enrolling. That's below the national median for U.S. colleges.
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.
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
What this signals:
Moderate. Only 58% of graduates are paying down principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Salish Kootenai College is home to 580 students, a small, close-knit community. Some distinctive traits: 45% are first-generation college students.
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
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: DistantPablo, Montana
Housing
Partly residential109 beds available
Adult Learners
62%of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIAathletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Quarterscheduling structure
What You Can Study
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.
The student-to-faculty ratio at Salish Kootenai College is 6:1, low (small classes, more faculty contact).
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
A quick at-a-glance summary of how Salish Kootenai College tends to stack up for prospective students,weighing its data, size, setting, and cost profile together.
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
Quick answers to the questions most students and parents ask. Every answer below is calculated from verified government data about Salish Kootenai College.
How much does Salish Kootenai College cost?
The average net price after aid at Salish Kootenai College is $7,945 per year, this is what students typically pay after grants and scholarships are applied. Net price data: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Salish Kootenai College worth it?
Solid return on investment. Graduates earn a median of $32,725 ten years after entering, against an average net price of $7,945 per year. That's roughly 4.1x earnings-to-cost. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Salish Kootenai College known for?
Salish Kootenai College is best known for its programs in Business Administration, Social Work, Ground Transportation. These are the most popular fields by completed degrees, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
What do Salish Kootenai College graduates earn?
Median earnings 10 years after entering Salish Kootenai College are $32,725, based on College Scorecard 2023-24 federal earnings data for Title IV recipients.
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?
Salish Kootenai College enrolls 580 students, per IPEDS 2023-24 fall enrollment data.
What is the graduation rate at Salish Kootenai College?
Salish Kootenai College graduates 24% of full-time students within six years, per IPEDS 2023-24 completion data.
Is Salish Kootenai College a public or private college?
Salish Kootenai College is a Public institution.
Where is Salish Kootenai College located?
Salish Kootenai College is located in Pablo, Montana.
What programs does Salish Kootenai College offer?
Salish Kootenai College offers 34 distinct programs. The most popular include Business Administration, Social Work, Ground Transportation.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Salish Kootenai College?
The student-to-faculty ratio at Salish Kootenai College is 6:1, per IPEDS 2023-24 data.
Related Colleges in Montana
Other colleges in Montana share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
H
How to Build Your College List Pillar
The full process of narrowing from 3,839 US colleges to a shortlist of ~10. Cost, location, size, selectivity, and fit factors that actually predict whether you'll thrive.
What actually makes a college work for first-generation students, the support and aid signals that predict success, and how to find the schools that deliver them using federal data.
How to find the colleges that deliver the strongest return on a STEM degree by weighing earnings outcomes against net cost, rather than chasing the most selective name.
Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
American Colleges by the Numbers
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Higher education data
Net price
College enrollment
Acceptance rate
College ownership
Do Selective Schools Actually Graduate More Students?
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
Graduation rate
Acceptance rate
Selectivity
Completion
College outcomes
For-Profit Colleges Charge the Most and Pay the Least
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
For-profit colleges
Net price
Earnings
College ROI
College ownership
Continue Exploring
Browse our full directory: every college, major, program, and career we track, all built from verified government data.