Montana State University

Bozeman, MT · Public

Official website

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Admission rate

Montana State University admitted 82.1% of applicants university-wide (17,786 of 21,652).

CohortAdmit rateAdmittedApplicants
University-wide82.1%17,78621,652
In-state86.2%4,0084,649
Out-of-state81.0%13,71116,930
International applicants91.8%6773
Men84.0%8,1659,725
Women80.7%9,31811,547

Also offers Early Action — the Common Data Set doesn't publish EA admit counts.

Of 17,786 admitted students, 3,612 enrolled (20.3% yield).

Montana State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C1–C2 · 2024 — Published cohort admit rates — context, not an applicant-specific probability.

Test scores and GPA of admitted students

SAT (mid-50%)
1070–1290
ACT (mid-50%)
21–27
GPA (mid-50%, 4.0 scale)
3.00–3.99

Testing policy: Test-optional (considered if submitted)

Montana State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C9–C12 · 2024 — Published admit stats reflect the entire incoming class unless explicitly labeled international-only.

Cost and financial aid

Published cost of attendance: $53,573/yr.

Out-of-state tuition$31,216
Fees, housing, food, books & other$22,357
Sticker cost of attendance$53,573/yr

Average net price by family income (US, federal aid data)

Under $30k$17,797
$30k–48k$18,570
$48k–75k$21,977
$75k–110k$24,732
Over $110k$25,905

U.S. Dept. of Education · College Scorecard — average net price by family income (Title IV, from IPEDS) · 2023

US applicants

Need- and merit-based aid available.

  • University Achievement Award — $4,000 per year (Merit)
  • Dean's Scholarship — $3,000 per year (Merit)
  • Freshman Merit Scholarship — $1,000 per year (Merit)
  • Transfer Merit Scholarship — $1,000 per year (Merit)
  • MSU Premier Scholarship — Full non-resident tuition waiver (Other)
  • Montana State University Grant — Varies based on need (Need Based)
  • Presidential Scholarship — Full tuition (Full Tuition)
  • Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Scholarship — 150% of Montana resident tuition (Other)

International applicants

No need-based aid reported for internationals.

  • MSU International Undergraduate Scholarship — Up to $15,000 per year (International Aid)
  • MSU Premier Scholarship — Full non-resident tuition waiver (Other)

Montana State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections G–H · 2024

Application requirements

US applicants

  • Admission Application
  • High School Transcript
  • ACT/SAT Scores (optional)
  • College/University Transcripts
  • AP/IB Scores (optional)
  • Application fee

International applicants

  • Admission Application
  • High School Transcript
  • ACT/SAT Scores (optional)
  • College/University Transcripts
  • AP/IB Scores (optional)
  • Application fee
  • English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
  • GPA credential conversion
  • Predicted Class XII marksheet
  • Financial documentation (I-20)

Montana State University · Application requirements (official admissions pages) · 2025

Essay prompts

Draft these in the free Essay Coach

Prompts from the Common App member feed · verified Jul 4, 2026

Graduate outcomes

Median earnings
$53,263
Median earnings · 10 years after entry
Graduation rate
57.1%
Within 150% of normal time
First-year retention
81.8%
Return for year two · CDS Section B
Median debt
$22,500
At graduation

Montana State University · U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (2023 release) · 2023 — Earnings and debt figures are federal data for aid-receiving graduates — cohort outcomes, not a guarantee for any individual student.

Published rankings

  • U.S. News National: #318
  • WSJ: #526
  • Forbes: #345
  • Niche: #403

Deadlines

  • 2027-03-01Regular Decision — Standard deadline

Montana State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections C21–C22 · 2024

Academics and campus

Largest degree fields: Business & marketing (17%), Engineering (14%), Biological & life sciences (9%).

Student–faculty ratio: 18:1 · 45% of class sections have under 20 students.

Montana State University Common Data Set 2024-2025 · Sections E, F, I · 2024 — Published institutional figures for the reporting year — descriptive of the current student body, not a prediction about your experience.

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