Accounting at Carroll College

Carroll College's accounting program carries an estimated $24,050 in median debt—slightly below both the national ($25,000) and Montana ($23,775) benchmarks for bachelor's accounting degrees. The earnings picture, however, relies entirely on estimation since the college's graduate cohort is too small for the Department of Education to publish actual outcomes.

Based on national peer programs, graduates might expect around $53,694 in first-year earnings, which would produce a manageable debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45. That figure notably exceeds the one reported Montana program (University of Montana at $47,164), though it's impossible to know whether Carroll's outcomes actually outperform the state flagship or whether they simply track closer to national norms. The $6,500 difference matters considerably when evaluating a $24,000 investment.

The fundamental challenge here is uncertainty. Carroll charges tuition comparable to other private Montana colleges, maintains respectable admissions standards, and produces debt loads in line with state averages. But without actual graduate outcomes, you're effectively betting that a small program at a regional private college will deliver returns matching national medians rather than local ones. If the Montana market dictates earnings closer to $47,000 than $54,000, that debt becomes less comfortable. Parents should press the school's career services office for concrete placement data—employer names, starting salaries, CPA exam pass rates—before committing.