# Montana State University (MSU)

Public college in Bozeman, MT. IPEDS ID 180461.
Source page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/montana-state-university · Data: https://educationguide.com/data/colleges/montana-state-university.json · Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score

## Key numbers
- Acceptance rate: 82% (Fall 2024, College Scorecard)
- Average net price after grants: $22,499 per year (AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25)
- Graduation rate (6 years): 57%; beats 75% of MT colleges and 57% nationwide
- Median earnings 10 years after starting: $53,263; beats 83% of MT colleges and 50% nationwide
- Median debt at graduation: $13,748

## Net price by family income (per year, after grants)
| Family income | Net price |
|---|---|
| 0-30k | $17,797 |
| 30-48k | $18,570 |
| 48-75k | $21,977 |
| 75-110k | $24,732 |
| 110k+ | $25,905 |

Average after grants for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, in-state. Negative values mean grants exceed cost.

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
Graduates took 4.44 years on average (36% finished in 4 years; Fall 2017 entrants, IPEDS). Earnings gain = $53,263 (median earnings of former students 10 years after starting college (College Scorecard)) minus $33,516 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in MT (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| 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 |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Sticker price
- Cost of attendance: $25,905 in-state; about $50,732 out-of-state
- Tuition and fees: $8,460 in-state, $33,287 out-of-state
- Housing and meals: $13,446; books: $1,450

## Admissions
- SAT reading & writing: 540–645; SAT math: 525–640; ACT: 21–27 (25th–75th percentile, Fall 2024)
- Fall 2023: 21,975 applicants, 19,081 admitted, 3,634 enrolled; test scores considered but not required
- Fall 2024: acceptance 82%, ACT 21–27 (College Scorecard)
- Fall 2023: acceptance 87%, ACT 20–27 (IPEDS Admissions)

## Majors (59 bachelor's majors)
| Major | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $66,918 | $111,728 | $22,500 |
| Computer Engineering | $67,015 | $99,411 | $30,500 |
| Electrical Engineering | $77,060 | $98,331 | $20,995 |
| Construction Engineering Technology / Technician | $77,139 | $89,002 | $27,044 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $68,469 | $88,653 | $25,011 |
| Industrial Engineering | $64,082 | $88,087 | $26,000 |
| Chemical Engineering | $62,206 | $87,590 | $25,130 |
| Civil Engineering | $67,373 | $82,785 | $21,031 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies / Technicians | $62,605 | $80,089 | $27,500 |
| Agricultural Business | $50,876 | $79,621 | $20,000 |
| Nursing | $71,915 | $76,146 | $28,000 |
| Business | $48,164 | $71,578 | $23,000 |
| Cell / Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $32,538 | $66,498 | $23,625 |
| Mathematics | $34,475 | $65,731 | $24,000 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | not reported | $64,133 | $25,500 |
| Economics | $47,098 | $62,511 | $25,500 |
| Microbiological Sciences and Immunology | $37,181 | $60,221 | $22,065 |
| Environmental Design | not reported | $57,668 | not reported |
| Linguistics | $33,415 | $55,352 | $23,250 |
| Psychology | $28,928 | $53,623 | $22,977 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences / Human Sciences | $31,910 | $52,702 | $25,000 |
| History | $29,692 | $52,187 | $22,500 |
| Political Science | $35,476 | $51,285 | $20,540 |
| Biology | $29,435 | $50,711 | $24,750 |
| Geology / Earth Science | $29,030 | $49,241 | $22,250 |
| Environmental Science / Conservation | $36,745 | $48,646 | $27,040 |
| Sociology | $36,595 | $48,273 | $22,250 |
| English | $33,483 | $47,757 | $20,472 |
| Studio Art | $32,265 | $46,741 | $26,000 |
| Education (Subject Teaching) | $38,576 | $46,657 | $24,000 |
| Animal Sciences | $30,220 | $46,313 | $24,034 |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $30,380 | $45,975 | $27,036 |
| Education (Elementary / Secondary) | $37,501 | $45,523 | $26,000 |
| Plant Sciences | $33,311 | $45,392 | $20,500 |
| Film and Photography | $29,608 | $45,300 | $24,495 |
| Sustainability Studies | $22,296 | $41,979 | not reported |
| Music | $38,807 | $39,920 | not reported |
| Environmental / Natural Resources Management and Policy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Area Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biomedical Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Environmental Engineering | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean) | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| German | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Spanish / French / Romance Languages | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Biotechnology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Statistics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Interdisciplinary Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Kinesiology / Exercise Science | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Philosophy | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Religious Studies | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Astronomy and Astrophysics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Chemistry | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Physics | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Anthropology | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Finance | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Hospitality Management | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Major to career
- Nursing → Registered nurse: median wage $99,310 (Bozeman, MT), $85,280 (MT), $97,550 (U.S.)
- Business → Management analyst: median wage $115,130 (Bozeman, MT), $97,470 (MT), $101,860 (U.S.)

## Sources and years
- Net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; cost of attendance: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; tuition: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25; earnings: Treasury AY2009-10, AY2010-11 pooled cohort measured in CY2020, CY2021, inflation adjusted to 2022 dollars; debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
- Major earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).