Public · Community college

Northwest College

Powell, Wyoming · Remote town

#4 best value in Wyoming#5 graduation rate in Wyoming
11%
Transfer rate
$7,463
Avg net price
49%
Grad / completion
$36,950
Median earnings

Northwest College is a public associate-granting institution in Powell, Wyoming (remote town setting), enrolling 890 undergraduates. Admission is open to all applicants.

PublicSmall · 890 undergradsRemote townNJCAA Division ICold winters

About Powell, Wyoming

Powell is a city in Park County, Wyoming, United States. Powell was incorporated in 1909. Powell was named for John Wesley Powell, U.S. soldier, geologist and explorer. Powell post office was established January 23, 1908. Powell was originally established as a cattle ranching community. Oil reserves were found in the late-19th century, prompting the CB&Q Railroad (later BNSF), to extend a line into Powell. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Remote town
Highest degree offered
Bachelor's
Nearest big city
72 miles to Billings, MT
To the ocean
674 miles
Nearest airport
21 miles to Yellowstone (COD)

How Northwest College compares

Graduation rate49%

Higher than 36% · #5 of 10 in Wyoming

Earnings, 10 years after entry$36,950

Higher than 56% · #7 of 9 in Wyoming

Average net price$7,463

Cheaper than 80% · #4 cheapest of 10 in Wyoming

Median debt at graduation$10,000

Lower than 46%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 62%

Undergraduate enrollment890

Larger than 71%

Percentiles compare Northwest 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 Wyoming.

Student body

Undergraduates by gender

890undergrads
  • Women49556%
  • Men39544%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White69%
  • Hispanic8.4%
  • Asian0.8%
  • Other or multiracial21%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
890
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
18%
First-generation students
36%
Students over 25
18%
Median family income
$34,915
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$66,618
Endowment
$34,903,663

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 302 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Wyoming63%
  • Other U.S. states23%
  • International14%

A regional draw: about 63% of first-years come from Wyoming, the rest from elsewhere.

14% came from outside the U.S. 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
$4,962
Out-of-state tuition
$11,262
Room & board
$9,474
Books & supplies
$1,456
Total cost of attendance
$16,898
Average net price
$7,463

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated
49%
First-year retention
Transferred to another college
11%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$33,237
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$36,950
Median debt at graduation
$10,000
Students with federal loans
7%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
52%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
49%
Low-income (Pell)
35%
First-generation
33%

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
632
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
71%
Housing charge (year)
$3,090
Meal plan (year)
$3,750
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NJCAA Division I
Varsity athletes
164 (106 men · 58 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (6)

Soccer51
Other Sports33
Basketball29
Wrestling19
Rodeo17
Volleyball15

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
1.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
6
Property offenses (2022–2024)
1

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,486 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

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

2.3reported offenses a year
2.0 violent a year0.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.7
Fondling
0.3
Burglary
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
$7,390
$30–48k
$6,822
$48–75k
$7,961
$75–110k
$110k+
$7,821

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.

82%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$6,278
average award, among those who get one

Modest institutional aid: 82% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $6,278. 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 265 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)
$36,950
Typical debt at graduation
$10,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
27%
Out-earn a HS grad
48%

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
$31,428
Men
$42,400

Men out-earn women by $10,972 (35%) 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
85°F
Winter low
6°F
Annual rain
6.7″
Annual snow
11.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
0°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.00.71.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Powell Fld Stn, WY US station (1.1 mi from campus).

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 Northwest College

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

Colleges near Northwest College

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.