Public · Community college

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell, Montana · Remote town

#5 for grad earnings in Montana

15%
Transfer rate: $8,099
Avg net price: 29%
Grad / completion: $38,520
Median earnings

Flathead Valley Community College is a public associate-granting institution in Kalispell, Montana (remote town setting), enrolling 1,202 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 1,202 undergradsRemote townCold wintersSnowy

About Kalispell, Montana

Kalispell is a city in and the county seat of Flathead County, Montana, United States. The first European settler to explore the Flathead Valley was likely surveyor Peter Fidler of the Hudson's Bay Company in the 18th century. Nestled in the Flathead valley, Kalispell is 31 miles (50 km) from Glacier National Park and 22 miles (35 km) from Hungry Horse Dam. Skiers have access to Whitefish Mountain Resort on Big Mountain and Blacktail Mountain Ski Area, each 17 miles (27 km) away. (Wikipedia)

Setting: Remote town
Highest degree offered: Associate
Nearest big city: 95 miles to Missoula, MT
To the ocean: 363 miles
Nearest airport: 7 miles to Glacier Park (FCA)

How Flathead Valley Community College compares

Graduation rate29%

Higher than 12% · #13 of 17 in Montana

First-year retention63%

Higher than 29%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$38,520

Higher than 63% · #5 of 15 in Montana

Average net price$8,099

Cheaper than 78% · #7 cheapest of 17 in Montana

Median debt at graduation$10,500

Lower than 42%

Student–faculty ratio15 : 1

Lower than 56%

Undergraduate enrollment1,202

Larger than 75%

Percentiles compare Flathead Valley Community College with the nation's 3,519 two-year and certificate schools, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count two-year and certificate schools in Montana.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

Women71159%
Men49141%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

White81%
Black0.7%
Hispanic4.2%
Asian1.3%
Other or multiracial13%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,202
Student–faculty ratio: 15 : 1
Pell Grant recipients: 19%
First-generation students: 40%
Students over 25: 26%
Median family income: $27,476
Avg faculty salary (academic year): $58,887
Endowment: $18,633,530

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 309 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

From Montana90%
Other U.S. states10%

Most first-years stay in state — Flathead Valley Community College draws overwhelmingly from Montana.

Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Cost

In-state tuition: $4,912
Out-of-state tuition: $11,659
Room & board: $10,277
Books & supplies: $1,125
Total cost of attendance: $14,882
Average net price: $8,099

Outcomes

Graduated: 29%
First-year retention: 63%
Transferred to another college: 15%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry: $32,850
Median earnings, 10 years after entry: $38,520
Median debt at graduation: $10,500
Students with federal loans: 10%
Paying down their loans (1 year in): 44%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students

29%

Low-income (Pell)

38%

First-generation

39%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing: Yes
Dorm capacity: 124
Dorm capacity vs undergrads: 10%
Housing charge (year): $6,130
Application fee: Free

Campus safety

Safety grade: B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students: 0.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024): 1
Property offenses (2022–2024): 4

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

1.7reported offenses a year

0.3 violent a year1.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Burglary

1.0

Aggravated assault

0.3

Motor vehicle theft

0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k

$6,341

$30–48k

$7,484

$48–75k

$9,903

$75–110k

$11,293

$110k+

$12,552

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

53%

of first-years get a grant from the school

$2,715

average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 53% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,715. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 176 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years): $38,520
Typical debt at graduation: $10,500
Debt vs. one year's pay: 27%
Out-earn a HS grad: 44%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.7 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women

$32,541

Men

$46,736

Men out-earn women by $14,195 (44%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high: 82°F
Winter low: 16°F
Annual rain: 16.8″
Annual snow: 54.4″

Average temperature

HighLow

Average precipitation (inches)

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Kalispell Glacier AP, MT US station (6.1 mi from campus).

What Flathead Valley Community College graduates study — and earn

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssoc.

115 grads$30k 1 yr$45k 5 yr$11k debt

115$30,079$44,781$11,000 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingAssoc.

20 grads$71k 1 yr— 5 yr$21k debt

20$71,348—$21,187 Precision Metal WorkingCert.

15 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

15———Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/TechniciansAssoc.

11 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

11———Precision Metal WorkingAssoc.

11 grads$44k 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

11$43,711——Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment ProfessionsAssoc.

11 grads— 1 yr$53k 5 yr— debt

11—$52,816—Allied Health and Medical Assisting ServicesAssoc.

10 grads$38k 1 yr$37k 5 yr— debt

10$38,335$37,226—Electrical and Power Transmission InstallersCert.

9 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

9———Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsAssoc.

7 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

7———Design and Applied ArtsAssoc.

6 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

6———Entrepreneurial and Small Business OperationsCert.

6 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

6———Practical Nursing, Vocational Nursing and Nursing AssistantsCert.

5 grads— 1 yr— 5 yr— debt

5———

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Flathead Valley Community College

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Flathead Valley Community College side by side →

Great Falls College Montana State University

Public

Great Falls, Montana · Small city · 135 mi to Missoula

Students: 894
Tuition: $4k
Transfer: 15%
Earnings: $38k

Helena College University of Montana

Public

Helena, Montana · Small city · 96 mi to Missoula

Students: 585
Tuition: $4k
Transfer: 14%
Earnings: $41k

Salish Kootenai College

Public

Pablo, Montana · Distant rural · 50 mi to Missoula

Students: 580
Tuition: $4k
Transfer: 1%
Earnings: $33k

Windward Community College

Public

Kaneohe, Hawaii · Midsize suburb · 8 mi to Honolulu

Students: 1,159
Tuition: $3k
Transfer: 12%
Earnings: $38k

Southwestern Oregon Community College

Public

Coos Bay, Oregon · Remote town · 74 mi to Eugene

Students: 1,270
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 23%
Earnings: $38k

Cayuga County Community College

Public

Auburn, New York · Distant town · 21 mi to Syracuse

Students: 1,187
Tuition: $7k
Transfer: 21%
Earnings: $39k

Colleges near Flathead Valley Community College

Crevier's Academy of Cosmetology Arts

Kalispell, MT · Private for-profit · Certificate · 79 students

2 mi

Salish Kootenai College

Pablo, MT · Public · Associate · 580 students

45 mi

Blackfeet Community College

Browning, MT · Private nonprofit · Associate · 286 students

64 mi

The University of Montana

Missoula, MT · Public · Bachelor's · 7,488 students

96 mi

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.