Montana State University
Bozeman, MT
82.1%
Acceptance Rate
$8,460
Avg Cost (In-State)
$33,287
Avg Cost (Out-of-State)
57.2%
Graduation Rate
14,451
Total Enrollment
Popular programs
Application requirements
Regular Deadline
Rolling
Common App
No
Test Policy
Test Optional
Essays Required
0
Letters of Rec
0
Application Fee
$38
Interview
Not required
Essays: No essay required for standard admission
Requirements are AI-generated from public data and may change. Always verify directly with the college.
Getting there
Graduate outcomes
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
$39,531
Median Earnings at 6 Years
median graduate salary 6 years after starting
$44,296
Median Earnings at 10 Years
median graduate salary 10 years after starting
29%
4-Year Graduation Rate
students completing degree within 4 years
Earnings data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures reflect federal aid recipients only — actual median earnings may be higher at schools where many students receive grants rather than loans.
Earnings by major
Median earnings 1 year after graduation, by bachelor's program. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard FieldOfStudy data.
| Program | Median earnings (1yr) | Earnings (4yr) | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. | $71,915 | $76,146 | 331 |
| Business/Commerce, General. | $48,164 | $71,578 | 237 |
| Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General. | $31,910 | $52,702 | 171 |
| Mechanical Engineering. | $68,469 | $88,653 | 157 |
| Computer Science. | $66,918 | $111,728 | 105 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods. | $37,501 | $45,523 | 105 |
| Biology, General. | $29,435 | $50,711 | 98 |
| Chemical Engineering. | $62,206 | $87,590 | 86 |
Tracked through federal tax records. Programs with fewer than 30 graduates with reported earnings are privacy-suppressed. 4-year figure tracks the same cohort 3 years later.
What current students say
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Personalized cost estimate based on your family's finances and academic profile
Calculate Your Cost at Montana State University
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Tactics that apply here
Things you can do that most families don't know about.
Early Action priority deadlines unlock the biggest merit pools
~$15k valueAt many public universities, applying by the EA deadline (Nov 1) instead of regular (Feb 1) decides whether you're considered for the top merit awards.
Who it helps: Students with their applications ready by November of senior year, especially those targeting merit-rich publics.
How to use: List each target school's EA deadline (commonly Nov 1, sometimes Oct 15 or Dec 1). Submit complete applications + test scores by then. Confirm merit-scholarship deadlines separately — some require a different priority date or supplemental essay.
Source ↗File FAFSA the day it opens
~$5k valueMost schools award state and institutional aid first-come-first-served from a fixed pool. Filing FAFSA in October beats filing in February by thousands.
Who it helps: Every student applying for need-based aid, but especially families relying on state grants or institutional aid.
How to use: Set a calendar reminder for the FAFSA opening date (currently Oct 1 most years; Dec 1 in the 2024-25 transition year). Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to auto-fill tax info. Submit even if you have to estimate; corrections are easy.
Source ↗CSS Profile is required by 200+ private schools — separate from FAFSA
Most selective private colleges use the CSS Profile in addition to FAFSA. It costs $25 + $16/school and reaches deeper into family finances than FAFSA does.
Who it helps: Any student applying to a private 4-year with significant institutional aid needs.
How to use: Check the CSS Profile school list for each of your target colleges. Open the app at cssprofile.collegeboard.org as soon as it opens (early Oct). Submit ahead of each school's earliest priority date — often before the FAFSA deadline.
Source ↗Scholarships
Scholarships you may qualify for.
Montana Higher Education Grant
Up to $1,000/year
stateMT residents at MT public 2- or 4-year institutions with financial need.
Deadline: FAFSA by March 1
Learn more ↗Montana University System Honor Scholarship
Up to 4 years tuition at MT public
stateTop 10% of MT HS class with 3.4+ GPA + 22 ACT/1100 SAT.
Deadline: Identified senior year of HS
Learn more ↗Univ of Montana Presidential Leadership Scholarship
Up to full in-state tuition
universityTop UMontana freshmen via competitive process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Montana State Bobcat Premiere Scholarship
$2,500-$10,000/year
universityTop Montana State incoming freshmen via tiered automatic merit.
Deadline: February 1
Learn more ↗Montana State University Presidential Scholarship
Up to full tuition + fees + stipend
universityTop MSU Bozeman incoming freshmen via competitive process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗University of Montana Presidential Leadership Scholarship
Up to full tuition + fees
universityTop UMontana incoming freshmen via competitive process.
Deadline: December 1
Learn more ↗Montana Community Foundation Scholarships
$500-$10,000 across statewide funds
localMontana HS seniors; many funds restricted to specific rural / Hi-Line / reservation counties.
Deadline: March 1
Learn more ↗Montana Chafee Education and Training Voucher
Up to $5,000/year
stateMT current/former foster youth ages 14-23; MT CFSD Independent Living + ETV.
Deadline: Rolling
Learn more ↗Montana Community Foundation Scholarship
$500-$10,000
localHS seniors from Bozeman, Great Falls, statewide MT via Montana community foundation funds; multiple sub-awards.
Deadline: Varies
Learn more ↗Round-by-round
Acceptance rates by application round.
The single overall 82.1% rate hides a 2–4x gap between ED and RD at most selective schools. Class of 2027 cycle.
Regular Decision
82.14%
acceptance
Bulk-imported from College Scorecard (admission_rate.overall). Deadline/notification dates are typical RD defaults; revise as needed.
Source ↗Class profile
Who actually goes here.
From the most recent Common Data Set and IPEDS.
16.4%
% Pell-eligible
Federal Pell grant recipients
23.3%
% first-generation
First in family to attend college
8.7%
% URM
Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native combined
78.5%
1st-to-2nd year retention
Freshmen who return as sophomores
57.1%
6-year grad rate
Graduate within 150% normal time
Peer colleges
Similar colleges to consider.
Similar selectivity
Towson University
Towson, MD
82% acceptance
Both admit around 82% of applicants, with 16k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
Colorado Mesa University
Grand Junction, CO
82% acceptance
Both admit around 82% of applicants, with 8k undergrads and a s campus — a close selectivity match.
Morgan State University
Baltimore, MD
82.2% acceptance
Both admit around 82% of applicants, with 9k undergrads and a u campus — a close selectivity match.
Cheaper alternatives
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ
78.9% acceptance
Similar selectivity (79% vs 82%) but out-of-state cost runs $18k — meaningfully less than $33k.
California State University-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
91.3% acceptance
Similar selectivity (91% vs 82%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $33k.
California State University-Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
90.5% acceptance
Similar selectivity (91% vs 82%) but out-of-state cost runs $20k — meaningfully less than $33k.
Reaches above this college
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT
67.8% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (68% vs 82%) — a stretch target if Montana State University is already on your list.
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA
41.8% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (42% vs 82%) — a stretch target if Montana State University is already on your list.
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA
31.3% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but more selective (31% vs 82%) — a stretch target if Montana State University is already on your list.
Safer alternatives
California State University-Chico
Chico, CA
92.7% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but higher admit rate (93% vs 82%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA
93.3% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but higher admit rate (93% vs 82%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
The University of Montana
Missoula, MT
95.9% acceptance
Same c setting in the West, but higher admit rate (96% vs 82%) — a likelier admit with a similar feel.
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