Montana · Business Administration

Best colleges for Business Administration in Montana

Ranked by graduate earnings

Carroll College, Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University - Northern are the top bachelor's Business Administration programs in Montana by graduate earnings. Carroll College leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $48,337, College Scorecard. The University of Montana, The University of Montana-Western and Montana State University - Northern award the most Business Administration degrees in Montana: 198, 37 and 31 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 16 Montana colleges offer Business Administration and award 421 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…

Institutions
16
offering CIP 52.02
States & territories
58
with a program page
Degrees / yr
421
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$40,381
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
5
College Scorecard
Median net price
$20,500
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
38%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · General and Operations Managers
$107,490
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 5 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1Carroll College
Helena Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$48,3372369%$21,440$19,500
2Rocky Mountain College
Billings Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$42,9712248%$17,369$26,000
3Montana State University - Northern
Havre Public · Bachelor's degree
$40,3813141%—$23,526
4The University of Montana
Missoula Public · Bachelor's degree
$37,78419848%—$23,923
5The University of Montana-Western
Dillon Public · Bachelor's degree
$35,8803751%—$21,627

Colleges awarding the most Business Administration degrees in Montana

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1The University of Montana
Missoula Public
198$37,784
2The University of Montana-Western
Dillon Public
37$35,880
3Montana State University - Northern
Havre Public
31$40,381
4Carroll College
Helena Private not-for-profit
23$48,337
5Rocky Mountain College
Billings Private not-for-profit
22$42,971
6Miles Community College
Miles City Public
13Not reported
7Montana State University
Bozeman Public
11Not reported
8Blackfeet Community College
Browning Private not-for-profit
8Not reported
9Montana State University Billings
Billings Public
7Not reported
10Great Falls College Montana State University
Great Falls Public
7Not reported
Show the other 6 Montana colleges offering Business Administration
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
University of ProvidenceGreat FallsPrivate not-for-profit27
Salish Kootenai CollegePabloPublic23
Little Big Horn CollegeCrow AgencyPublic6
Flathead Valley Community CollegeKalispellPublic4
Fort Peck Community CollegePoplarPublic3
Chief Dull Knife CollegeLame DeerPublic1

Career outlook

What this program leads to: General and Operations Managers (SOC 11-1021).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+4.4%
About as fast as average
Openings / yr (US)
~308,700
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$102,950
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringCritical ThinkingActive Learning

What General and Operations Managers earn in Montana

Jobs in Montana
11,840
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$107,490
median $91,380
Best-paying metro
$117,020
Bozeman, MT

Related careers

General and Operations Managers
$107,490 avg · 11,840 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
$53,880 avg · 5,830 jobs
Business Operations Specialists, All Other
$77,550 avg · 4,760 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers
$66,010 avg · 4,030 jobs
Project Management Specialists
$96,530 avg · 2,940 jobs
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
$84,430 avg · 2,690 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Business Administration programs in Montana.

Which Montana colleges award the most Business Administration degrees?+

The University of Montana (198 graduates a year), The University of Montana-Western (37 graduates a year) and Montana State University - Northern (31 graduates a year) award the most Business Administration degrees in Montana, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 16 Montana colleges offer Business Administration.

What is the best college for Business Administration in Montana?+

By graduate earnings, Carroll College leads among bachelor's Business Administration programs in Montana, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $48,337, College Scorecard. Rocky Mountain College and Montana State University - Northern follow. By degrees awarded, The University of Montana is the largest, with 198 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Business Administration program in Montana has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, Carroll College tops the list at $48,337. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do General and Operations Managers earn in Montana?+

The average annual wage for General and Operations Managers in Montana is $107,490 (median $91,380), across about 11,840 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Business Administration program?+

The Business Administration program, officially titled Business Administration, Management and Operations, equips students with essential skills for managing and leading organizations. This program is ideal for individuals seeking to…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, monitoring, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for General and Operations Managers?+

The national job outlook is about +4.4% growth with around 308,700 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

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.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published 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.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
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.

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