What is Montana State University’s Compass Score?

Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 45% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.

How much does Montana State University cost after financial aid?

The average net price is $22,499 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.

How hard is it to get into Montana State University?

Montana State University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.

How do Montana State University’s graduates do?

57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $53,263; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,500.

National university

#2 Best colleges for exercise science and kinesiology in Montana

Montana State University

Bozeman, MT · Public · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $22,499 a year

Median debt at graduation: $22,500 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In Montana

Academic Excellence

Good · Top 45%

From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

Graduation rate 35% of score57%
First-year retention 20% of score79%
Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreSAT 1,183 · ACT 24
Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of score18 to 1
Instructional spending per student 15% of score$9,613

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family income	Price after aid
Up to $30,000	$17,797
$30,001–$48,000	$18,570
$48,001–$75,000	$21,977
$75,001–$110,000	$24,732
Over $110,000	$25,905

Full cost of attendance before aid: $25,905 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS)	14,872
Men and women College Scorecard, fall 2023	Men 54% · Women 47%
First-generation students College Scorecard	23%
First-year students from another state IPEDS, fall 2023	64%
Total students	16,960
Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid	$22,499
Cost of attendance (per year)	$25,905
Median federal debt at graduation	$22,500
Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time	57%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients College Scorecard, within 6 years	48%
Graduation rate for first-generation students College Scorecard, within 6 years	45%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years College Scorecard, within 3 years	69%
First-year retention	79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry	$53,263
Admission rate	82%
Application fee IPEDS, 2023–24	$38
Typical rent HUD fair market rent, FY2026	About $1,642 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants	16%

Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1065–1285ACT 21–27

Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT	1183
SAT reading & writing	540–645
SAT math	525–640
ACT composite	21–27
Test policy	Considered but not required

Value: Good (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
Major	Median earnings
Computer science	$111,728
Computer engineering	$99,411
Electrical engineering	$98,331
Construction Engineering Technology/Technician	$89,002
Mechanical engineering	$88,653
Industrial Engineering	$88,087
Chemical Engineering	$87,590
Civil engineering	$82,785
Mechanical engineering technology	$80,089
Agricultural business	$79,621
Nursing	$76,146
Business (general)	$71,578
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences	$66,498
Mathematics	$65,731
Architectural Sciences and Technology	$64,133
Economics	$62,511
Microbiological Sciences and Immunology	$60,221
Environmental Design	$57,668
Linguistics	$55,352
Psychology	$53,623
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences	$52,702
History	$52,187
Political science	$51,285
Biology	$50,711
Geology and earth science	$49,241
Natural resources and conservation	$48,646
Sociology	$48,273
English	$47,757
Fine arts	$46,741
Secondary education	$46,657
Animal Sciences	$46,313
Liberal arts	$45,975
Teacher education	$45,523
Plant Sciences	$45,392
Film and video	$45,300
Sustainability Studies	$41,979
Music	$39,920

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Astronomy and Astrophysics, Biomedical/Medical Engineering, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Counseling and mental health, East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering, Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy, Finance, Foods, Nutrition,, General studies, German, Hospitality management, Kinesiology and exercise science, Philosophy, Physics, Religious studies, Romance languages, Statistics, Wildlife and Wildlands Science and Management.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
Field	Share of degrees
Business	15%
Engineering	14%
Health professions	14%
Biology	9%
Psychology	6%

Campus life

School colors
Setting	City
Part-time undergraduates	11%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older	8%
On-campus room and board (per year)	$14,000
Sports	NCAA Division I · Big Sky Conference
ROTC	Army · Air Force
Study abroad	Offered
Students per faculty member	18 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability office	About 6%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability services	Visit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time	58%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student	$19,521IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm space	For about 32% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline service	Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN)About 9 miles away
Town population	56,114Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or more	DenverAbout 514 miles away
Typical weather	25°F in January · 67°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Bozeman Montana State University, MT

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
Category	This campus	U.S. rate
Rape	0.06	0.07
Robbery	0.00	0.01
Aggravated assault	0.07	0.04
Burglary	0.01	0.08
Motor vehicle theft	0.04	0.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Montana State University’s Compass Score?: Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 45% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Montana State University cost after financial aid?: The average net price is $22,499 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Montana State University?: Montana State University admitted 82% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Montana State University’s graduates do?: 57% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $53,263; the median federal debt at graduation is $22,500.

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About this school’s data

IPEDS unit ID 180461
Carnegie classification: Doctoral university (very high research)
Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
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