10-yr median earnings
$53,263
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Bozeman, Montana
Montana State University
Montana State University is a public institution in Bozeman, Montana. as a public institution, published Scorecard outcomes are the federal Title-IV cohort view of former students — not every graduate and not a guarantee for any one enrollee.
- $22,499
- Avg net price / yr
- $53,263
- 10-yr median earnings
- 57.2%
- 150%-time completion
- 82.1%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
Montana State University pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 24%
- former-student earnings, US
- 82.1%
- acceptance rate
- 57.2%
- 150%-time completion
- +19%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small
Carnegie: R1
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this Montana State University profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
C-
College Value Score
54/100
Montana State University
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings B+
$53,263
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$22,499
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate C-
57.2%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$22,500
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
85.3%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
78.5%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$22,499
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
57.2%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 57.2%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - Montana State University vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How Montana State University ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
Montana State University: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$53,263 Top 24% higher than 76% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | Montana State University | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $53,263 | #1225 of 5103 | 76th |
| Average net price | $22,499 | #3550 of 5020 | 29th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 57.2% | #2421 of 4858 | 50th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 14,451 | #218 of 5462 | 96th |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
14,451
Undergraduate enrollment
82.1%
Acceptance rate
1,183
SAT average
57.2%
150%-time completion
$53,263
10-yr median earnings
78.5%
First-year retention
How Montana State University ranks in Montana
State rank among 25 reporting Montana colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | Montana State University | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $53,263 | #4 of 25 | 84th |
| Average net price | $22,499 | #25 of 26 | 4th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 57.2% | #7 of 26 | 73rd |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 14,451 | #1 of 27 | 96th |
Highest former-student earnings in Montana
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carroll College | $61,772 | $23,960 |
| 2 | Montana Technological University | $54,329 | $16,481 |
| 3 | Highlands College of Montana Tech | $54,329 | $14,962 |
| 4 | Montana State UniversityThis school | $53,263 | $22,499 |
| 5 | Montana State University-Northern | $49,505 | $12,664 |
| 6 | Rocky Mountain College | $49,036 | $19,751 |
| 7 | University of Providence | $48,296 | $17,649 |
| 8 | The University of Montana | $44,511 | $16,784 |
| 9 | Montana State University Billings | $44,296 | $16,524 |
| 10 | City College Montana State University Billings | $44,296 | - |
| 11 | The University of Montana-Western | $43,229 | $16,558 |
| 12 | Miles Community College | $42,862 | $10,405 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 82.1% |
| SAT Average | 1,183 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 525 – 640 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 540 – 645 |
| ACT Average | 24 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 21 – 27 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at Montana State University
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k
$0 – $30k
$17,797 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k
$30k – $48k
$18,570 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k
$48k – $75k
$21,977 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$25,905 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Montana State University - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $8,460 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $33,287 |
| Average Net Price | $22,499 |
16.4%
Pell Grant Rate
31.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$22,500
Median Debt
$239/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at Montana State University rose +26.8% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $16,236 in 2013 to $20,593 in 2023, a rise of $4,357 in nominal dollars. Across the 4,315 colleges measured over the same 2013–2023 span, the median change was +14.6%.
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $16,2362023 · $20,593
Over the same years, enrollment went +10.9% (13,055 → 14,472 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
49.3%
Female
23.3%
First Generation
Outcomes
78.5%
Retention Rate
$44,757
Median Earnings (6yr)
65.4%
Earning Over $25K
85.3%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 57.2% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 78.5% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $44,757 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $53,263 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 65.4% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 85.3% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $22,500 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $239/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 40 | 2,475 | $63,334 | $111,728 | $23,158 |
| Master's | 13 | 237 | $71,849 | $92,689 | $18,888 |
| Associate's | 4 | 102 | $52,593 | $74,026 | $15,003 |
| Certificate | 3 | 48 | $50,305 | $54,930 | - |
| Graduate Certificate | 2 | 32 | - | - | - |
| Doctoral | 1 | 0 | $126,894 | $126,894 | $55,433 |
Top programs at Montana State University by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Registered Nursing, Nursin…
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
$126,894 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$111,728 median earnings
- Computer Engineering
Computer Engineering
$99,411 median earnings
- Electrical, Electronics, a…
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
$98,331 median earnings
- Accounting and Related Ser…
Accounting and Related Services
$92,689 median earnings
- Construction Engineering T…
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician
$89,002 median earnings
- Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
$88,653 median earnings
- Industrial Engineering
Industrial Engineering
$88,087 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Matches use Scorecard measures among reporting colleges — not state-system recommendations or geographic proximity.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Public institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Public institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Career Technology Center of Lackawanna County
Scranton, PA
$22,521 net price · $22 apart
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA
$22,531 net price · $32 apart
The University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
$22,420 net price · $79 apart
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine
Media, PA
$22,585 net price · $86 apart
Similar 2013–2023 Net-Price Trend
Same-sector institutions with the same direction and nearest fitted annual change; only series with R² of at least 0.40 qualify.
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Chandler, AZ
+$435/year · $0/year apart
Northwest Missouri State University
Maryville, MO
+$438/year · $3/year apart
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA
+$439/year · $4/year apart
Culpeper Cosmetology Training Center
Culpeper, VA
+$440/year · $5/year apart
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Montana State University? ▼
Montana State University is a public institution in Bozeman, Montana. The acceptance rate is 82.1%. The average SAT score is 1,183. Undergraduate enrollment is 14,451 students.
How much do Montana State University former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at Montana State University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $53,263 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $44,757.
How much does Montana State University cost? ▼
The average net price at Montana State University is $22,499. In-state tuition is $8,460 and out-of-state tuition is $33,287. Median student debt at graduation is $22,500.
What is the graduation rate at Montana State University? ▼
Montana State University has a 57.2% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 78.5%.
Is Montana State University worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at Montana State University is $22,500, while former students earn a median of $53,263 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 42% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 85.3% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $239.
Sources & methodology
Public-college profiles lean on IPEDS enrollment and Scorecard Title-IV outcomes. State appropriations are outside this page; the figures below are the federal cohort measures only.
Every number is read live from the Mar–Jul 2026 Scorecard/IPEDS retrievals. Public institutions often enroll large Title-IV cohorts, so medians can be stable — still cohort averages, never a personal forecast. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from Montana State University
- Compare Montana State University against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Montana side by side.Browse Montana
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Public-college Scorecard figures are historical Title-IV cohort averages — confirm current tuition, aid, and admissions rules with the institution before deciding.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Public-institution profiles compile Scorecard Title-IV earnings, IPEDS enrollment/admissions, and Treasury linkage fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.