More selective than 50% of Montana colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $25,905. College Scorecard.
Higher than 75% of Montana colleges we cover and 57% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 83% of Montana colleges we cover and 50% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
MSU acceptance rate & admissions
Of 21,975 applicants, Montana State University admitted 19,081 and 3,634 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1065–1285 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
MSU tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Montana residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What MSU costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Montana State University took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Montana. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $17,797 | $79,019 | 4.0 years |
| $30–48k | $18,570 | $82,451 | 4.2 years |
| $48–75k | $21,977 | $97,578 | 4.9 years |
| $75–110k | $24,732 | $109,810 | 5.6 years |
| $110k+ | $25,905 | $115,018 | 5.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (36% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($53,263) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MT (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,747 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
MSU majors, earnings & careers
Montana State University offers 59 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 16
- Engineering · 12
- Humanities & Languages · 11
- Business & Finance · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Arts & Design · 3
- Education · 2
- Technology & Computing · 1
Highest-earning majors at MSU
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $111,728 | $22,500 |
| Computer Engineering | $99,411 | $30,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $98,331 | $20,995 |
| Construction Engineering Technology / Technician | $89,002 | $27,044 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $88,653 | $25,011 |
| Industrial Engineering | $88,087 | $26,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $87,590 | $25,130 |
| Civil Engineering | $82,785 | $21,031 |
Quick list of all 59 majors
- Agricultural Business$79,621
- Animal Sciences$46,313
- Anthropology—
- Architectural Sciences and Technology$64,133
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biology$50,711
- Biomedical Engineering—
- Biotechnology—
- Business$71,578
- Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$66,498
- Chemical Engineering$87,590
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$82,785
- Computer Engineering$99,411
- Computer Science$111,728
- Construction Engineering Technology / Technician$89,002
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$62,511
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$45,523
- Education (Subject Teaching)$46,657
- Electrical Engineering$98,331
- English$47,757
- Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy—
- Environmental Design$57,668
- Environmental Engineering—
- Environmental Science / Conservation$48,646
- Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences$52,702
- Film and Photography$45,300
- Finance—
- Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
- Geology / Earth Science$49,241
- German—
- History$52,187
- Hospitality Management—
- Industrial Engineering$88,087
- Interdisciplinary Studies—
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$45,975
- Linguistics$55,352
- Mathematics$65,731
- Mechanical Engineering$88,653
- Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians$80,089
- Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions—
- Microbiological Sciences and Immunology$60,221
- Music$39,920
- Nursing$76,146
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Plant Sciences$45,392
- Political Science$51,285
- Psychology$53,623
- Religious Studies—
- Sociology$48,273
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics—
- Studio Art$46,741
- Sustainability Studies$41,979
- Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Business → Management analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.1% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Bozeman
Overall prices in the Bozeman, MT area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,109. Housing costs 39% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 20 inches of rain a year, 91 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Gallatin County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Gallatin County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare MSU with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Montana by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana State University | 82% | $22,499 | 57% | $53,263 | This school |
| The University of Montana | 96% | $16,784 | 48% | $44,511 | |
| Montana Technological University | 91% | $16,481 | 58% | $54,329 | |
| The University of Montana-Western | 100% | $16,558 | 51% | $43,229 | |
| Montana State University-Northern | — | $12,664 | 41% | $49,505 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Montana State University would cost you $5,715 more per year than The University of Montana, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Montana State University, mostly from higher housing & meal costs (+$1,254).
- The University of Montana gives aided families $3,380 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Montana resident | MSU | The University of Montana | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $8,460 | $8,552 | −$92 |
| Books & supplies | $1,450 | $1,100 | +$350 |
| Housing & meals | $13,446 | $12,192 | +$1,254 |
| Personal & travel | $3,692 | $3,784 | −$92 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$1,143 | −$2,058 | +$915 |
| Sticker price | $25,905 | $23,570 | +$2,335 |
| Average grants | −$3,406 | −$6,786 | +$3,380 |
| You pay | $22,499 | $16,784 | +$5,715 |
“+” means MSU costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about MSU
What is the MSU acceptance rate?
Montana State University accepts 82% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 19,081 of 21,975 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1065–1285 on the SAT or 21–27 on the ACT.
How much does Montana State University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $25,905 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $22,499 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $17,797 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,905.
How much do MSU graduates earn?
Former Montana State University students earn a median $53,263 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the MSU graduation rate?
57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for their second year.
How long does a MSU degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Montana State University costs about $97,578 after grants ($21,977 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $53,263 ten years after starting, $19,747 more than high school graduates in Montana ($33,516), so the cost is repaid in 4.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Montana State University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/montana-state-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).