NurseSavvy ranking · Montana · updated October 10, 2026
Best Nursing Schools in Montana (2026): The NurseSavvy Top 10
We ranked all 14 RN programs in Montana that publish a first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate, on the four things that decide whether a program gets you to a nursing license you can afford: passing the NCLEX, actually finishing, the cost next to what nurses earn in Montana, and what graduates earn a year out.
Montana Technological University comes out on top. Here are the top 10, with every number’s source — and you can re-rank them by what matters to you.
No school can pay for placement. Public data only — see the full methodology.
Rank it your way
Rank Montana’s 14 RN programs on what matters to you
NCLEX pass rate, students who finish, cost vs nurse pay, grads’ early pay — compare in-state, by region, or nationwide.
The top 10 nursing programs in Montana
Scores are out of 100 under the default NurseSavvy weights. A school with two programs (say, an ADN and a BSN) can appear twice.
- 174score
Montana Technological University
ButteBachelor of Science in Nursing (RN)· Public
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 45 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100% of 45
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $16,481/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $74,338 1 yr out
- 273score
University of Providence
Great FallsBachelor of Science in Nursing (RN)· Private nonprofit
A 96.4% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 28 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 96.4% of 28
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $17,649/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $101,187 1 yr out
- 370score
Carroll College
HelenaBachelor of Science in Nursing (RN)· Private nonprofit
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 36 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100% of 36
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $23,960/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $75,007 1 yr out
- 469score
Blackfeet Community College
BrowningBachelor of Science in Nursing (RN)· Private nonprofit
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 2 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100% of 2
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $5,410/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 565score
Flathead Valley Community College
KalispellAssociate of Science in Nursing (RN)· Public
A 95.7% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 23 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 95.7% of 23
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $8,099/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $71,348 1 yr out
- 665score
Missoula College University of Montana
MissoulaAssociate of Science in Nursing (RN)
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 34 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100% of 34
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 762score
Great Falls College Montana State University
Great FallsAssociate of Science in Nursing (RN)· Public
A 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 26 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 100% of 26
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $12,468/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 862score
Salish Kootenai College
PabloBachelor of Science in Nursing (RN)· Public
A $7,945 average net price is low next to $85,280 median RN pay in Montana.
- NCLEX strength
- 83.3% of 18
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $7,945/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 962score
Montana State University-Bozeman
BozemanBachelor of Science in Nursing (RN)
A 91.6% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 369 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 91.6% of 369
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- Not publishedfill-in
- Early-career earnings
- Not publishedfill-in
- 1057score
Helena College University of Montana
HelenaAssociate of Science in Nursing (RN)· Public
A 90.3% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate across 31 test-takers carries its score.
- NCLEX strength
- 90.3% of 31
- Students who finish
- Not publishedfill-in
- Cost-to-pay value
- $11,593/yr net price
- Early-career earnings
- $63,902 1 yr out
Fill-in: a figure the program hasn’t published is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs that publish it (same degree type) — not its own number.
The Montana leaders on each measure
Different students weigh these differently — here is who leads on each one alone, among programs that publish it.
- Highest NCLEX pass rate: Montana Technological University (Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN)), 100% first-time.
- Lowest average net price: Blackfeet Community College, $5,410/yr.
- Highest graduates’ pay: University of Providence, $101,187 one year out.
- Top ADN vs top BSN: Flathead Valley Community College (#5 overall) and Montana Technological University (#1 overall).
No Montana RN program in our data has published its own completion rate yet, so every program here scores the completion fill-in.
How we ranked Montana’s nursing schools
- NCLEX pass rate (33%). The 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN rate from the Montana board of nursing, steadied for small cohorts.
- Students who finish (33%). The program’s own on-time completion rate, where a board or the program publishes it.
- Cost vs nurse pay (20%). Average net price per year next to Montana’s median RN pay (College Scorecard + BLS).
- Graduates’ early pay (14%). What the program’s nursing graduates earn one year out, next to the state’s RN median.
A missing figure is a labeled 33rd-percentile fill-in, never a guess. Programs without a published NCLEX rate, and direct-entry master’s programs, are not ranked. Every formula and source →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best nursing school in Montana?
Under the NurseSavvy ranking, Montana Technological University (Bachelor of Science in Nursing (RN), Butte) ranks #1 of 14 RN programs in Montana with a score of 74 out of 100 and a 100% first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate. "Best" depends on what you weigh most — re-rank the list on this page by your own priorities.
How did NurseSavvy rank Montana nursing schools?
Every RN program with a published 2025 first-time NCLEX-RN pass rate is scored 0–100 on four public measures: NCLEX pass rate (33%), students who finish (33%), cost next to local RN pay (20%), and graduates’ pay one year out (14%). Pass rates come from the Montana board of nursing; cost and pay from the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
What does “fill-in” mean on this list?
When a program has not published a figure, we do not guess it. It is scored at the 33rd percentile of programs (same degree type) that do publish it — below typical — and labeled “fill-in” wherever it appears. Publishing its real number can only help a program that performs well.
Can a school pay to rank higher?
No. Schools cannot pay, partner, sponsor, or advertise their way to a better rank. Every input is public data, and the same formula applies to every program.
Keep going
- ReferenceHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing schoolsHow NurseSavvy ranks nursing programs: every formula, data source, and refresh rule, plus why no school can pay for placement.
- State guideNursing in MontanaMontana in one page: 16 nursing schools and their NCLEX pass rates, RN pay (median 85,280), NP pay, and compact-license status — each with its source.
- Pay dataNurse practitioner salary in MontanaNurse practitioners in Montana earn a median of 137,210 a year (May 2025).
- Pay dataRN salary in MontanaRegistered nurses in Montana earn a median of 85,280 a year (May 2025).
- GuideNursing School Dropout Rates: What a 100% NCLEX Pass Rate Can HideHow many nursing students actually finish, why a high NCLEX pass rate can hide high attrition, where programs publish completion rates, and the start-to-license number to ask every school for.
- FinderNursing school rankings you controlRank nursing programs by what matters to you — pass rate, students who finish, cost, and graduate earnings.