Community CollegePublic

Great Falls College Montana State University

Great Falls, Montana·Public, 2-year·Rocky Mountains·gfcmsu.edu
6-yr Graduation
34%
Total enrollment
1,502
peer median 2,884
Avg net price
$12,468
+$2.6k vs Community College
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Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

Overall completion
34%
Full-time retention
56%

Pell equity

1.7pp gap
Pell recipients
35%16 of 46
Non-Pell (all)
33%15 of 45
Subsidized loan, no Pell
17%2 of 12
No Federal Aid
39%13 of 33

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

Of 37 Title IV programs, 7 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 30 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
37
Passing
7
18.9% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

37programs
  • Passing7 · 18.9%
  • No Data30 · 81.1%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
1
Safe
6
No data
30

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

7
Accounting and Related Services
Associate Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+12.6%
$35,527 vs $31,564
Liberal Arts and Sciences General Studies and Humanities
Associate Degree · Liberal Arts And Sciences, General Studies And Humanities
+42.5%
$44,965 vs $31,564
Health and Medical Administrative Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+53.4%
$48,406 vs $31,564
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+58.0%
$49,877 vs $31,564
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+74.4%
$55,036 vs $31,564
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+119.7%
$69,356 vs $31,564
Dental Support Services and Allied Professions
Associate Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+134.4%
$74,001 vs $31,564

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Accredited since 1979Next review Apr 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 4

Action history · 19

  1. Aug 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Assisting (DA)
  2. Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Hygiene (DH)
  3. Jan 2025Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Assisting (DA)
  4. Aug 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Assisting (DA)
  5. Feb 2024Grant Substantive Change: Program
    American Dental Association, Commission on Dental Accreditation · Dental Assisting (DA)

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$10,675
$30–48k$10,624
$48–75k$11,778
$75–110k$16,535
$110k+$16,664

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price
$12,468
+$2,593vs Community College median $9,876
Federal loans
29.8%
In-state tuition
$4,028
Out-of-state
$12,911

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

In AY 2024–25, 676 students received $3.0M in Pell grants, alongside $2.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
676
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.0M
$2,985,843 total
Direct Loans
$2.8M
794 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
20
0k
21
1k
22
1k
23
1k
24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$1.2M
405 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$1.6M
388 loan awards
Parent PLUS$15K
1 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Of 525 borrowers who entered repayment, 23 (4.3%) defaulted within three years above the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
4.3%
+2.0pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
525
Defaulted
23
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
14.7%
2017
13.8%
2018
10.0%
2019
4.3%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at Gfcmsu

Top program areas ranked by completions.

Distinct CIP programs21
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

188 total completions
01Health Professions
9148.4%
02Liberal Arts
5629.8%
03Computer Sciences
168.5%
04Business
136.9%
05Precision Production
126.4%
06Multi/Interdisciplinary
00.0%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

Fall total
1,502
12-mo unduplicated
2,106
Undergraduate
2,106
Graduate
0

Gender split

Men
31%646
Women
69%1,460

Race / ethnicity composition

White
74.9%
Two or more
9.3%
Hispanic
8.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
4.5%
Asian
1.6%
Black
1.0%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.2%
Unknown
0.2%

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.00
0 offenses · 1,318 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.00Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
0
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
3
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

No criminal offenses reported.

By location

0total

    VAWA offenses

    0
    Domestic violence
    0
    Dating violence
    1
    Stalking
    1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

    Hate crimes by bias

    No hate crimes reported.

    Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

    CategoryArrestsReferrals
    Weapons00
    Drugs00
    Liquor00

    Residence-hall fires

    No residence-hall fires reported.

    Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

    Student-faculty ratio

    Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

    Student-to-faculty
    17.0:1
    Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
    38

    Gfcmsu vs Peer comparison

    The peer institutions Gfcmsu selected for federal comparison reporting.

    GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
    This institutionPeer median

    A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

    Carnegie
    SubjectGreat Falls College Montana State University
    34%1,502$12,468Community College
    710$10,405Community College
    2,234$8,099Community College
    3,534$9,346Community College
    10,176$6,095Community College
    15,012$11,571Community College
    Peer group median34%2,884$9,876

    Institutions like Gfcmsu

    Explore the federal data for institutions in Gfcmsu's comparison group.

    Gfcmsu Institutional Research office

    The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

    Office
    Office of Institutional Effectiveness
    Phone
    406-771-5136
    Address
    2100 16th Avenue South, Great Falls, MT 59405

    The Office of Institutional Effectiveness collects, analyzes and reports institutional data to support informed decision-making, continuous improvement and planning to ensure mission fulfillment. The Office of Institutional Effectiveness adheres to the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) accreditation standards and the ethical principles of the Association of Institutional Research.

    Visit IR office page
    Team
    1 member
    • Eleazar Ortega, Ed.D.
      Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness

    Common Data Set

    Gfcmsu's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

    Acceptance rate
    99.8%
    Accessible
    Yield
    22.4%
    of admitted students enroll
    Total enrollment
    1,490
    1,490 UG · 0 grad
    6-yr graduation rate
    0%
    Student–faculty ratio
    14 to 1
    01

    Selectivity & Admissions

    Admissions funnel

    C1
    Applied
    888
    Admitted
    886
    Enrolled
    198

    888 applied → 886 admitted (99.8%) → 198 enrolled.

    Selectivity

    C1
    Acceptance rate
    99.8%

    Accessible — 99.8% acceptance rate.

    Admit rate by gender

    C1
    male99.7%
    female99.8%

    Admit rate varies by gender.

    What matters in admission

    C7
    Considered2
    Academic GPAStandardized test scores
    Not Considered16
    Rigor of secondary school recordClass rankApplication EssayRecommendation(s)InterviewExtracurricular activitiesTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualitiesFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceState residencyReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest

    Relative importance of each admission factor.

    02

    Affordability & Value

    Where grant aid comes from

    H1
    Total Scholarships/Grants27.4%
    Federal25.2%
    Total Self-Help22.1%
    Student loans from all sources (excluding parent loans)21.1%
    Scholarships/grants from external sources (e.g. Kiwanis, National Merit) not awarded by the college1.4%
    Tuition Waivers1.1%
    Federal Work-Study0.7%
    Institutional: Endowed scholarships, annual gifts and tuition funded grants, awarded by the college, excluding athletic aid and tuition waivers0.6%
    State and other (e.g., institutional) work-study/employment0.3%
    State all states, not only the state in which your institution is located0.1%

    0% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

    03

    Outcomes & Equity

    Graduation & retention

    B
    6-yr grad rate
    0%
    Retention

    6-year graduation rate 0%; first-year retention None.

    04

    Academic Experience

    Class-size distribution

    I3
    2-9 students68
    10-19 students46
    20-29 students24
    30-39 students3
    40-49 students0
    50-99 students0
    100+ students0

    81% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.

    Faculty profile

    I
    Student–faculty ratio
    14 to 1
    Faculty with terminal degree
    18%
    Women faculty
    71%

    Key faculty indicators.

    Degrees by discipline

    J
    Health professions and related programs37%
    Precision production25%
    Liberal arts/general studies18%
    Agriculture5%
    Computer and information sciences5%
    Business/marketing5%
    Education2%

    STEM-dominant: ~5% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

    05

    Student Body & Diversity

    Undergraduate race/ethnicity

    B2
    White, non-Hispanic73.6%
    Two or more races, non-Hispanic10.2%
    Hispanic/Latino7.8%
    American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic4.2%
    Asian, non-Hispanic2.0%
    Black or African American, non-Hispanic1.5%
    Nonresident0.3%
    Race and/or ethnicity unknown0.2%
    Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.1%

    Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

    International students

    B2
    International UG
    3
    Share
    0%

    0% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

    06

    Transfer Path

    Transfer admissions

    D1
    Applied
    286
    Admitted
    237
    Enrolled
    110

    286 transfer applicants → 237 admitted (82.9%) → 110 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.

    Source publications

    Frequently asked questions about Great Falls College Montana State University

    Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Gfcmsu.

    What is the graduation rate at Great Falls College Montana State University?

    Great Falls College Montana State University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 34% per the latest IPEDS.

    How many students attend Great Falls College Montana State University?

    Great Falls College Montana State University reports a total enrollment of 1,502 students per the latest IPEDS.

    What is the average net price at Great Falls College Montana State University?

    The average net price at Great Falls College Montana State University is $12,468 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

    Where is Great Falls College Montana State University located?

    Great Falls College Montana State University is located in Great Falls, Montana 59405.

    Who runs Institutional Research at Great Falls College Montana State University?

    Great Falls College Montana State University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.

    About the data on this page

    Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

    IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
    Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
    College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
    Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
    FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
    Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
    DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
    Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
    Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
    Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
    Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
    Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
    Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
    Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
    Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
    Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
    Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.

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