10-yr median earnings
$43,229
Federal aid recipients only
Public · Dillon, Montana
The University of Montana-Western
The University of Montana-Western is a public institution in Dillon, Montana. Former students earn a median of $43,229 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $16,558/yr — 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.
- $16,558
- Avg net price / yr
- $43,229
- 10-yr median earnings
- 50.3%
- 150%-time completion
- 99.8%
- Acceptance rate
The verdict
The University of Montana-Western pairs above-median former-student earnings with open admission.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 43%
- former-student earnings, US
- 99.8%
- acceptance rate
- 50.3%
- 150%-time completion
- +16%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
Town: Remote
Carnegie: Bacc: Diverse
The University of Montana-Western is a public institution in Dillon, Montana enrolling 1,198 undergraduates, using College Scorecard institution data retrieved in July 2026. The acceptance rate is 99.8%. Federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $43,229 ten years after entry. Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort is $16,558. This profile combines source fields with separately labeled PlainCollege comparisons and derived metrics.
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for The University of Montana-Western
The University of Montana-Western operates as a public institution located in Dillon, Montana (town: remote), with a reported undergraduate enrollment of 1,198 students. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile's peer group and cost cohort are determined; The University of Montana-Western is categorized as "Baccalaureate Colleges: Diverse Fields" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.
Admissions and cost fields are IPEDS-derived values published through the Scorecard and retain their source reporting periods. 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; the income-band fields provide more context but still do not replace an institution's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-derived records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year; the entry cohort includes completers and noncompleters. IPEDS completion and retention rates use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so their denominator is not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not as a causal verdict or an individual forecast.
College Value Score
D
College Value Score
49/100
The University of Montana-Western
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 C
$43,229
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C-
$16,558
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate F
50.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$21,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B
70.0%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention C
78.6%
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
$16,558
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
50.3%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 50.3%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - The University of Montana-Western 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 The University of Montana-Western 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.
The University of Montana-Western: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$43,229 Top 43% higher than 57% 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
Quick Facts
1,198
Undergraduate enrollment
99.8%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
50.3%
150%-time completion
$43,229
10-yr median earnings
78.6%
First-year retention
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 99.8% |
Share of applicants admitted
Costs & Financial Aid
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $6,670 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $20,130 |
| Average Net Price | $16,558 |
Net Price by Family Income
| $0 – $30,000 | $14,822 |
| $30,001 – $48,000 | $14,058 |
| $48,001 – $75,000 | $15,951 |
| Over $110,000 | $20,125 |
35.2%
Pell Grant Rate
34.4%
Federal Loan Rate
$21,000
Median Debt
$223/mo
Monthly Payment
What students pay at The University of Montana-Western rose +82.5% since 2013
Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort went from $9,132 in 2013 to $16,669 in 2023, a rise of $7,537 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 · $9,1322023 · $16,669
Over the same years, enrollment went -12.5% (1,452 → 1,271 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
63.4%
Female
36.0%
First Generation
Outcomes
50.3%
150%-Time Completion
78.6%
Retention Rate
$37,252
Median Earnings (6yr)
$43,229
Median Earnings (10yr)
55.2%
Earning Over $25K
70.0%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Programs & Earnings
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Bachelor's | 33 | $47,344 | $20,918 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | Bachelor's | 27 | $46,457 | $21,500 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | Bachelor's | 101 | $41,988 | $20,829 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Bachelor's | 17 | - | - |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | Bachelor's | 16 | - | - |
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at The University of Montana-Western? ▼
The University of Montana-Western is a public institution in Dillon, Montana. The acceptance rate is 99.8%. Undergraduate enrollment is 1,198 students.
How much do The University of Montana-Western former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at The University of Montana-Western who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $43,229 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $37,252.
How much does The University of Montana-Western cost? ▼
The average net price at The University of Montana-Western is $16,558. In-state tuition is $6,670 and out-of-state tuition is $20,130. Median student debt at graduation is $21,000.
What is the graduation rate at The University of Montana-Western? ▼
The University of Montana-Western has a 50.3% 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 78.6%.
Is The University of Montana-Western worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at The University of Montana-Western is $21,000, while former students earn a median of $43,229 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 49% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 70.0% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $223.
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).
What this means for The University of Montana-Western
- The University of Montana-Western's reported 10-year former-student earnings land in the 57th percentile among reporting colleges.
- The average net price after aid is $16,558 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
- See how this school compares to every other college in Montana.Browse Montana
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.