The University of Montana-Western
Dillon, MT · Public · Town (remote) · Montana Western · UM Western · UMW · WMC · Western Montana College
Public institution in Dillon, MT · 1,271 undergraduates · 100% acceptance rate · $43,229 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 12%In-state tuition & fees
- Top 17%Cost of attendance
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
- $16,669803rd cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $6,430239th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $19,038794th cheapest of 2,024 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $19,414336th cheapest of 1,969 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $21,000751st lowest of 1,865 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $43,2291,445th highest of 1,954 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $37,2521,397th highest of 1,950 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 49.5%1,174th highest of 2,014 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 79.2%709th highest of 1,837 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 99.5%1,535th most selective of 1,596 reporting
- Average SAT
- —
- Median ACT
- —
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 1,2711,214th largest of 2,144 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 15.0:11,301st smallest of 2,141 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 35.4%914th highest of 2,122 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 307 mi (SLC)
On 2 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 21 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $35,907 | $39,009 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasEducation | bachelors | $35,594 | $36,437 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsEducation | bachelors | $33,281 | $32,925 |
| Biology, GeneralBiological Sciences | bachelors | $30,771 | — |
| Health and Physical Education/FitnessParks, Recreation & Fitness | bachelors | $29,685 | $30,771 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchNatural Resources | bachelors | $28,236 | $36,221 |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal ServicesAgriculture | bachelors | $23,649 | — |
| Behavioral SciencesMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | — | — |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBiological Sciences | bachelors | — | — |
| Education, GeneralEducation | bachelors | — | — |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralEnglish Language & Literature | bachelors | — | — |
| Fine and Studio ArtsVisual & Performing Arts | bachelors | — | — |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1893source
- Athletic nickname: "Bulldogs"source
- School colors: Redsource
- Mascot: Baxter the Bulldogsource
- Formerly known as "{{collapsible list|"source
- Formerly known as "* Montana State Normal School" (1893–1903)source
- Formerly known as "* Montana State Normal College" (1903–1931)source
- Formerly known as "* Montana State Teachers College" (1931–1949)source
- Formerly known as "* Western Montana College of Education" (1949–1965)source
- Formerly known as "* Western Montana College (1965–1988)* Western Montana College of The University of Montana" (1988–2001)source
- Formerly known as "}}"source
- Athletic conference: NAIAsource
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
Athletics — 5 sports
NAIA Division I · NAIA
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $873,940 (M $594,285 · W $279,655)
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Similar-size colleges
Nearest undergraduate enrollment to The University of Montana-Western’s 1,271 (College Scorecard UGDS, compiled 2026-10-24). Size only — not a judgment of similarity or quality.
In MT
- Montana Technological UniversityButte, MT · 1,428 undergrads
- Carroll CollegeHelena, MT · 1,052 undergrads
- Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings, MT · 790 undergrads
- Montana State University-NorthernHavre, MT · 787 undergrads
- Salish Kootenai CollegePablo, MT · 568 undergrads
- University of ProvidenceGreat Falls, MT · 527 undergrads
Elsewhere
- Concordia University-NebraskaSeward, NE · 1,270 undergrads
- Massachusetts Maritime AcademyBuzzards Bay, MA · 1,270 undergrads
- Wittenberg UniversitySpringfield, OH · 1,269 undergrads
- Missouri Valley CollegeMarshall, MO · 1,274 undergrads
- Mount Saint Mary CollegeNewburgh, NY · 1,268 undergrads
- Hardin-Simmons UniversityAbilene, TX · 1,275 undergrads
Key links
- Official websiteumwestern.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 180692)
- 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
- Compare with Montana Technological UniversitySide by side on every Scorecard measure — closest in-state school by enrollment
- Showdown: The University of Montana-Western vs Montana Technological UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 5 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.