Fort Peck Community College — ROI, Cost & Payback
Fort Peck Community College charges a net price of $400/yr after aid — a 2-year total of $800. Median earnings ten years after entry are $14,747, below the $48,360 high-school baseline, so on this institution-wide metric the degree does not clear its cost. Program choice is what changes that. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
On institution-wide earnings, Fort Peck Community College does not clear its cost — it ranks #18 of 18 Montana colleges we track by ROI. The specific program you pick moves this more than the school average.
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Net price (after aid) | $400/yr | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Total net cost (2 yrs) | $800 | our math |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $14,747 | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Earnings premium over HS baseline | -$33,613/yr | our math |
| Median debt (completers) | — | Scorecard, 2026 |
| Payback | does not clear | our math |
| 20-year net return | -$673,060 | our math |
College Scorecard (2026 release), institution-level · payback and returns are our math.
The arithmetic, on Fort Peck Community College's own numbers. Net price $400 × 2 years = $800 total. Median earnings $14,747 fall $33,613 short of the $48,360 high-school baseline, so the premium this formula divides by is not positive and no break-even year exists on institution-wide pay. A programme here earning $58,360 would clear the $800 bill in about 0.1 years — the gap, not the price, is what blocks payback. Full method.
What share of Fort Peck Community College students graduate?
17% finish their degree — 83% leave carrying the cost without the credential. Spread the $800 bill across that completion rate and the cohort pays $4,706 per graduate produced — our math, and the figure a payback number never shows.
Is Fort Peck Community College expensive compared with other Montana colleges?
Its $400 net price runs $13,413 below the $13,813 median across the 18 Montana colleges we profile, and $26,826 less across the full degree.