Montana State University

www.montana.edu/

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2020 Undergraduate Tuition

$5,654

0% growth from 2019

2020 Average Net Price

$17,656

After Financial Aid

2018 Student Loan

3.59%

Default Rate

2020 Acceptance Rate

80.8%

18,892 Applicants

2020 Enrolled Students

16,218

77.5% Full-Time

2020 Graduation Rate

58.7%

1,396 Graduates

About

Montana State University is a higher education institution located in Gallatin County, MT. In 2020, the most popular Bachelor's Degree concentrations at Montana State University were General Marketing & Marketing Management (292 degrees awarded), Registered Nursing (246 degrees), and General Family & Consumer Sciences (215 degrees).

In 2020, 3,472 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs at Montana State University. 50.9% of these degrees were awarded to women, and 49.1% awarded men. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients was white (2,922 degrees), 18.4 times more than then the next closest race/ethnicity group, two or more races (159 degrees).

The median undergraduate tuition at Montana State University is $5,654, which is $−22,909 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

Photo by Tim Evanson

Costs

The median undergraduate tuition at Montana State University is $5,654, which is $−22,909 less than the national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

After taking grants and loans into account, the average net price for students is $17,656.

In 2020, 60% of undergraduate students attending Montana State University received financial aid through grants. Comparatively, 37% of undergraduate students received financial aid through loans.

Tuition Costs

$5,654

2020 Undergraduate Tuition

In 2020, the cost of tuition at Montana State University was $5,654. The cost of tuition at Montana State University is $−22,909 less than than the overall (public and private) national average for Doctoral Universities ($28,563).

This chart compares the tuition costs of Montana State University (in red) with those of other similar universities.

Average Net Price

$17,656

2020 Value

5.43%

1 Year Growth

In 2020 Montana State University had an average net price — the price paid after factoring in grants and loans — of $17,656. Between 2019 and 2020, the average net price of Montana State University grew by 5.43%.

This chart compares the average net price of Montana State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

Average net price is calculated from full-time beginning undergraduate students who were awarded a grant or scholarship from federal, state or local governments, or the institution.

Other Student Expenses

$10,300

Room and Board

$1,450

Books and Supplies

The average yearly cost of room and board at Montana State University was of $10,300 in 2020. During the same period, the average yearly cost of books and supplies was $1,450. The cost of room and board increased by 1.98% between 2019 and 2020. The cost of books and supplies did not change during the same period.

This chart compares the average student costs at Montana State University (in red) with that of similar universities.

Financial Aid by Income Level

60%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Grants

37%

Undergraduates Receiving Financial Aid through Loans

60% of undergraduate students at Montana State University received financial aid through grants or loans in 2020. This represents a growth of 33.3% with respect to 2019, when 45% of undergraduate students received financial aid.

This chart compares the average award discount at Montana State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

The average award discount is the ratio between the average grant or scholarship value, and the cost, which is the sum of out-of-state tuition, room, board, book, supplies, and other expenses.

Student Loan Default Rate

Cohort default rates only account for borrowers who default in the first three years, and some schools only have a small proportion of borrowers entering repayment. These rates should be interpreted with caution, as they may not be reflective of the entire school population.

3.59%

2018 Default Rate

107

Number of Defaults

In 2018 the default rate for borrower's at Montana State University was 3.59%, which represents 107 out of the 2982 total borrowers.

A cohort default rate is the percentage of a school's borrowers who enter repayment on certain Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program loans during a particular federal fiscal year (FY), October 1 to September 30, and default or meet other specified conditions prior to the end of the second following fiscal year.

Admissions

Montana State University received 18,892 undergraduate applications in 2020, which represents a 1.31% annual decline. Out of those 18,892 applicants, 15,260 students were accepted for enrollment, representing a 80.8% acceptance rate.

There were 16,218 students enrolled at Montana State University in 2020, and 42% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications.

Montana State University has an overall enrollment yield of 21.4%, which represents the number of admitted students who ended up enrolling.

Acceptance Rate

80.8%

Acceptance Rate in 2020

15,260

Accepted Out of 18,892

In 2020, the undergraduate acceptance rate of Montana State University was 80.8% (15,260 admissions from 18,892 applications). This is lower than the acceptance rate of 2019, which was 81.9%. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of applicants declined by −1.31%, while admissions declined by −2.7%.

This chart compares the acceptance rate of Montana State University (in red) with that of other similar universities.

SAT Scores

42%

Submission Percentage

1,385

Scores Submitted

42% of enrolled first-time students at Montana State University in 2020 submitted SAT scores with their applications.

This chart shows the SAT scores for the 25th and 75th percentile of applicants broken out into each section of the test that their are evaluated on.

Enrollment

Montana State University has a total enrollment of 16,218 students. The full-time enrollment at Montana State University is 12,577 students and the part-time enrollment is 3,641. This means that 77.5% of students enrolled at Montana State University are enrolled full-time.

The enrolled student population at Montana State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 83.9% White, 4.95% Two or More Races, 4.81% Hispanic or Latino, 1.46% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.04% Asian, 0.419% Black or African American, and 0.0802% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders.

Students enrolled at Montana State University in full-time Undergraduate programs are most commonly White Male (45.2%), followed by White Female (40%) and Two or More Races Male (2.64%). Students enrolled in full-time Graduate programs are most commonly White Female (46.6%), followed by White Male (33%) and Hispanic or Latino Female (3.09%).

Full-Time vs Part-Time Enrollment

77.5%

Full-Time Enrollment

The total enrollment at Montana State University, both undergraduate and graduate, is 16,218 students. The full-time enrollment at Montana State University is 12,577 and the part-time enrollment is 3,641. This means that 77.5% of students enrolled at Montana State University are enrolled full-time compared with 76.5% at similar Doctoral Universities.

This chart shows the full-time vs part-time enrollment status at Montana State University (in red) compares to similar universities.

Retention Rate over Time

78%

2020 Retention Rate

Retention rate measures the number of first-time students who began their studies the previous fall and returned to school the following fall. The retention rate for full-time undergraduates at Montana State University was 78%. Compared with the full-time retention rate at similar Doctoral Universities (85%), Montana State University had a retention rate lower than its peers.

This chart shows the retention rate over time at Montana State University (highlighted in red) compares to similar universities.

Enrollment by Race & Ethnicity

Most Common Race or Ethnicity

White
13,610
Two or More Races
803
Hispanic or Latino
780

The enrolled student population at Montana State University is 83.9% White, 4.95% Two or More Races, 4.81% Hispanic or Latino, 1.46% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.04% Asian, 0.419% Black or African American, and 0.0802% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders. This includes both full-time and part-time students as well as graduate and undergraduates. By comparison, enrollment for all Doctoral Universities is 50% White, 15% Hispanic or Latino, and 9.69% Black or African American.

Any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis is categorized as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the share of those students are shown in the chart below. Additionally, 192 students (1.18%) did not report their race.

Graduates

In 2020, 64 more women than men received degrees from Montana State University. The most common race/ethnicity group of degree recipients at Montana State University is white (2,922 degrees awarded). There were 18.4 times more white graduates than the next closest race/ethnicity group, two or more races (159 degrees).

The most common Bachelor's Degree concentration at Montana State University is General Marketing & Marketing Management (292 degrees awarded), followed by Registered Nursing (246 degrees) and General Family & Consumer Sciences (215 degrees).

The most specialized majors across all degree types at Montana State University, meaning they have significantly more degrees awarded in that concentration than the national average across all institutions, are Architecture and Related Services (76 degrees awarded), Human Sciences (223 degrees), and Natural Resources & Conservation (88 degrees).

Common Jobs by Major

Software developers

Most Common Job

The most common jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Montana State University are Software developers (355,804 people), Other managers (354,379 people), Miscellaneous engineers, including nuclear engineers (316,114 people), Civil engineers (250,869 people), and Mechanical engineers (181,624 people).

The most specialized majors at Montana State University are Architecture and Related Services (76 degrees awarded), Human Sciences (223 degrees), Natural Resources & Conservation (88 degrees), Agriculture (109 degrees), and Engineering (513 degrees).

Highest Paying Jobs by Major

Surgeons

Highest Paying Job

The highest paying jobs for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Montana State University are Surgeons, Dentists, Securities, commodities, & financial services sales agents, Physicians, and Chief executives & legislators

Common Industries by Major

Architectural, engineering & related services

Most Common Industry

The most common industries for people who hold a degree in one of the 5 most specialized majors at Montana State University are Architectural, engineering & related services (540,269 people), Computer Systems Design (399,239 people), Construction (307,247 people), Colleges, universities & professional schools, including junior colleges (218,558 people), and Elementary & secondary schools (187,366 people).

Majors Awarded

IPEDS uses the Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) standard, so the categories may not match the exact concentrations offered by Montana State University.

Most Common

General Marketing & Marketing Management
292 degree-majorss awarded
Registered Nursing
246 degree-majorss awarded
General Family & Consumer Sciences
215 degree-majorss awarded

In 2020, the most common bachelors degree concentration at Montana State University was General Marketing & Marketing Management with 292 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of degree-majors recipients from bachelors degree programs at Montana State University according to their major.

Sex Breakdown for Common Majors

1,704

Degrees Awarded to Men

in 2020

1,768

Degrees Awarded to Women

in 2020

In 2020, 1,704 degrees were awarded to men at Montana State University, which is 0.964 times less than the number of degrees awarded to females (1,768).

This chart displays the sex disparity between the top 5 majors at Montana State University by degrees awarded.

Most Common Male Majors

In 2020, 165 degrees were awarded to men at Montana State University in General Marketing & Marketing Management, which is 1.3 times more than the 127 female recipients with that same degree.

Most Common Female Majors

In 2020, 217 degrees were awarded to women at Montana State University in Registered Nursing, which is 6.38 times more than the 34 male recipients with that same degree.

Time to Complete

25%

100% Completion Time

57%

150% Completion Time

In 2020, 25% of students graduating from Montana State University completed their program within 100% "normal time" (i.e. 4 years for a 4-year degree). Comparatively, 57% completed their degrees within 150% of the normal time, and 62% within 200%.

The following chart shows these completion rates over time compared to the average for the Doctoral Universities Carnegie Classification group.

Graduation rate is defined as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within a specific percentage of "normal time" to completion for their program.

Graduation Rate by Race and Sex

Showing demographic groups with ≥ 5 graduating students.

Black or African American Female

Highest Graduation Rate (100%)

The student demographic with the highest graduation rate at Montana State University is Female and Black or African American (100% graduation rate). Across all Doctoral Universities, Asian Female students have the highest graduation rate (72.4%).

The department of education defines graduation rate as the percentage of full-time, first-time students who received a degree or award within 150% of "normal time" to completion.

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) categorizes any student who is studying in the United States on a temporary basis as a "Non-Resident Alien", and the graduation rate of those students is shown in the chart below. Additionally, 2.72% of graduates (38 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Share

Most Common Student Race or Ethnicity

White
2,922 degrees awarded
Two or More Races
159 degrees awarded
Hispanic or Latino
119 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity at Montana State University is white (2,922 degrees awarded). There were 18.4 times more white recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, two or more races (159 degrees).

2.3% of degree recipients (80 students) did not report their race.

Race & Ethnicity by Sex

Most Common Sex Demographic

White Female
1,494 degrees awarded
White Male
1,428 degrees awarded
Two or More Races Male
82 degrees awarded

The most common race/ethnicity and sex grouping at Montana State University is white female (1,494 degrees awarded). There were 1.05 times more white female recipients than the next closest race/ethnicity group, white male (1,428 degrees).

Operations

Montana State University has an endowment valued at nearly $162M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The return on its endowment was of $6.21M (3.84%), compared to the 3.43% average return ($10.5M on $307M) across all Doctoral Universities.

In 2020, Montana State University had a total salary expenditure of $517M. Montana State University employs 219 Professors, 195 Associate professors, and 162 Assistant professors. Most academics at Montana State University are Male Professors (152), Male Associate professors(101), and Female Assistant professors (95).

The most common positions for non-instructional staff at Montana State University are: Service, with 262 employees, Business and Financial Operations, with 249 employees, and Research with 235 employees.

Endowment

$162M

2020 Endowment

3.01%

growth from 2019

Montana State University has an endowment valued at about $162M, as of the end of the 2020 fiscal year. The endowment of Montana State University grew 3.01% from the previous year. The value of their endowment was $145M lower than than the median endowment of Doctoral Universities according to the Carnegie Classification grouping.

This line chart shows how the endowment at Montana State University (in red) compares to that of some similar universities.

The small bar chart below shows the endowment quintiles for all universities in the Doctoral Universities: Higher Research Activity Carnegie Classification grouping.

Government Grants and Contracts

Grants & Contracts

$92.9M - Federal
$6.46M - State
$0 - Local

As of 2020, Montana State University received $92.9M in grants and contracts from the federal government, $6.46M from state grants and contracts, and $0 from local grants and contracts.

Salary Expenditure

$221M

2020 Salaries

4.22%

growth from 2019

In 2020, Montana State University paid a median of $221M in salaries, which represents 42.8% of their overall expenditure ($517M) and a 4.22% growth from the previous year. This is compared to a 5.75% growth from 2018 and a 1.68% growth from 2017.

The median for similar Doctoral Universities is 238M (42.6% of overall expenditures).

Instructional Salaries

$60M

Instructional Salaries

736

Number of Employees

In 2020, Montana State University paid a total of $60M to 736 employees working as instructors, which represents 27.1% of all salaries paid.

This is compared to a median of $70.3M (29.6%) for similar Doctoral Universities.

Occupations by Share

Professor

Most Common Instructor

219 Employees

Service

Most Common Non-Instructional Employee

262 Employees

In 2020, the most common positions for instructional staff at Montana State University were Professor with 219 employees; Associate professor with 195 employees; and Associate professor with 162 employees.

In 2020, the most common positions for non-instructional staff at Montana State University were Service with 262 employees; Business and Financial Operations with 249 employees; and Research with 235 employees.

Instructors by Academic Rank and Sex

Most Common Demographic

Male Professor
Male Associate professor
Female Assistant professor

In 2020, the most common demographic for instructional staff at Montana State University was Male Professor with 152 employees, Male Associate professor with 101 employees, and Female Assistant professor with 95 employees.

This chart shows the sex split between each academic rank present at Montana State University.