Head-to-head comparison
Flathead Valley Community College vs Blackfeet Community College: which has better ROI?
Option A Kalispell, MT
Flathead Valley Community College
- Net price / year
- $8,099
- Earnings, 10 years
- $38,520
- Payback
- No payback
Option B Browning, MT
Blackfeet Community College
- Net price / year
- $5,410
- Earnings, 10 years
- $22,953
- Payback
- No payback
Neither clears its cost on institution-wide earnings, but Flathead Valley Community College comes closer — median earnings $38,520 against a $16,198 total, vs $22,953 at Blackfeet Community College. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
| Measure | Flathead Valley Community College | Blackfeet Community College |
|---|---|---|
| Net price / yr | $8,099 | $5,410 |
| Total net cost | $16,198 | $10,820 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs | $38,520 | $22,953 |
| Median debt | $10,500 | — |
| Payback | — | — |
| 20-year net return | -$212,998 | -$518,960 |
College Scorecard (2026), institution-level · payback and returns are our math. Figures blend all majors.
The short answer
Which is cheaper, Flathead Valley Community College or Blackfeet Community College?
Blackfeet Community College, at $5,410 a year after aid versus $8,099 — a gap of $2,689 a year, or $5,378 across the full degree. These are net prices after grants and scholarships, not sticker prices, so they reflect what an aided student pays.
The short answer
Do Flathead Valley Community College or Blackfeet Community College graduates earn more?
Flathead Valley Community College graduates report a median $38,520 ten years after entry, $15,567 more than the $22,953 at Blackfeet Community College. Both are institution-wide medians from federal tax records, so a high-paying major at the lower school can beat the average at the higher one.
The short answer
Which graduates more of its students?
62% of students finish at Blackfeet Community College, against 29% at Flathead Valley Community College. Completion matters to the ROI arithmetic because a degree that is never finished still carries its cost and its debt, but earns none of the graduate premium above the $48,360 high-school baseline.