Montana State University
Bozeman, MT · Public · Small city · Carnegie R1/R2 · MSU
Public institution in Bozeman, MT · 14,472 undergraduates · 87% acceptance rate · $53,263 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 8%Undergraduates
- Top 18%In-state tuition & fees
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $20,5931,135th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $8,083373rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $31,3371,303rd cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $23,779610th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $22,500941st lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $53,263897th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $44,757908th highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 57.4%863rd highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 77.9%782nd highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 86.8%1,134th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1154511th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 24421st highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 14,472172nd largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 18.0:11,713th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 16.7%1,866th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 340 mi (SLC)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $38
- Personal essay
- Optional / not required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 54 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical, Electronics and Communications EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $69,817 | $65,387 |
| Construction Engineering TechnologiesEngineering Technology | bachelors | $63,997 | $63,997 |
| Computer Science | bachelors | $63,430 | $72,325 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $60,603 | $59,411 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $58,479 | $61,090 |
| Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/TechniciansEngineering Technology | bachelors | $56,415 | $57,318 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $56,302 | $56,234 |
| Chemical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $52,107 | $41,565 |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $52,107 | $65,332 |
| Industrial EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $47,260 | — |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $46,087 | — |
| Business/Commerce, GeneralBusiness | bachelors | $42,682 | $40,697 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1893source
- Athletic nickname: "Bobcats"source
- Bobcat Stadium seats about 17,777source
- Competes in NCAA Division Isource
- School colors: Blue and Goldsource
- Mascot: Champsource
- Motto: ""Mountains & Minds""source
- Campus size: about 1,170 acressource
- Formerly known as "Agricultural College of the State of Montana" (1893–1913)source
- Formerly known as "Montana College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts" (1913–1965)source
- Athletic conference: Big Skysource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Plays for the "The Great Divide Trophy" (since 1897)source
- Fight song: ""Stand Up and Cheer""source
- Notable alum: Maurice Hillemansource
- Notable alum: Steve Dainessource
- Notable alum: Lincoln Chafeesource
- Notable alum: Loren Actonsource
Athletics — 7 sports
NCAA Division I-FCS · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $7,149,020 (M $4,589,106 · W $2,559,914)
- Football: 2025
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitemontana.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 180461)
- Compare colleges in MTRe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in MontanaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Montana State University vs The University of MontanaHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 7 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.