The University of Montana
#1 Best Online Colleges in Montana- Graduation Rate
- 47% D+
- Lower completion rate than most colleges
- Earnings (10yr)
- $44,511 C+
- Roughly in line with national averages
- Net Price
- $16,784 C
- Close to the national average
- Acceptance Rate
- 96% F
- Accessible to most qualified applicants
Bottom line: A C- overall grade — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges. 17.6× return on investment — every $1 spent returns $17.6 over 20 years. Ranked #1 in Best Online Colleges in Montana.
Every $1 spent returns $17.6 over 20 years — debt pays back in ~under a year. Net gain: $1,111,417.
What The Data Says
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A C- overall — outcomes trail most U.S. colleges on measured metrics.
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Every $1 invested returns $17.6 over 20 years — an exceptional return.
Economic Footprint
- Inventor Rate
- 0.1%
- Top 87%
- Patents
- 26
- Linked to graduates
- World Rank
- #276-300
- Times Higher Education
- Patent Citations
- 186
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 15/100
- Times Higher Education
Why The University of Montana Matters
The University of Montana is a public research university in Missoula, MT ranked #276-300 in the world by Times Higher Education, and its outcomes are not an accident. They are driven by a top-tier research enterprise and a well-connected, high-opportunity alumni network. The result: measurable returns for the students it serves.
Interpretation generated from this school's federal outcomes, research, and mobility data.
Institutional Profile
- Institution Type
- Public Research University
- Carnegie Class
- R1 · Very High Research
- Enrollment
- 7,488
- Setting
- Urban
- Primary Strengths
- Business & Marketing, Social Sciences, Health Professions, Visual & Performing Arts
Why students choose The University of Montana
CollegeRanker Report Card
Graded on outcomes, against every U.S. college.
Each grade is this school's national percentile on a real outcome — earnings, value, mobility, and more.
How we grade →Admissions
Accessible — admits about 96% of applicants. Run your numbers in the admissions predictor below.
Check your odds →Net price + aid
Students pay about $16,784 a year after grants and scholarships — 2% below the typical U.S. college. See net price by family income below.
See cost & aid →Earnings + debt
Graduates earn a median of $44,511 ten years after enrolling — 9% above the typical college, against $22,400 in median debt.
See outcomes →Mobility + social capital
Moves 1.3% of its students from the bottom income fifth to the top — top 59% nationally for mobility. High social capital (1.35 economic connectedness).
See mobility →Overview
With an acceptance rate of 96%, the University of Montana welcomes a diverse range of students, making it a fitting choice for those seeking a supportive environment. Students here tend to gravitate towards popular programs like Business & Marketing, Health Professions, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Computer Science & IT, reflecting a broad interest in both practical and academic fields. This variety can appeal to individuals who are still exploring their passions while preparing for a future career.
After graduation, students can expect to earn about $44,511 a year within a decade. While this figure gives a general sense of post-college life, it’s important to consider the affordability of education here. With a net price of $16,784 after aid, many graduates find themselves in a manageable position regarding their finances. However, with a median debt of $22,400, it’s essential to weigh the potential earnings against the debt when planning for life after college.
In terms of who thrives at the University of Montana, students who appreciate a collaborative and community-oriented setting often find their niche here. The relatively low acceptance rate indicates a welcoming atmosphere, but the graduation rate of 47% suggests that commitment and resourcefulness are key to success. As we consider the financial landscape, it’s clear that this school can be a practical choice for students who are ready to engage in their studies and take advantage of the resources available to them.
Rankings
- #1 Best Online Colleges in Montana
- #2 Best Colleges in Montana
- #2 Best Master's Programs in Montana
- #3 Best Business Colleges in Montana
- #7 Best Nursing Colleges in Montana
- #8 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana
- #17 Colleges With the Best Loan Repayment Rates
- #17 Colleges With the Highest Mobility Rates
Can I Get In?
How selective The University of Montana is — and how your numbers stack up.
Tool
Will I Be Accepted?
Enter your credentials to see your chances at this school.
Academics & Admissions
Is It Hard to Get Into The University of Montana? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
The University of Montana, located in Missoula, Montana, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 96%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,190. The graduation rate is roughly 47%.
- Acceptance Rate
- 96%
- Retention Rate
- 75%
- SAT Average
- 1190
- ACT Midpoint
- 22
- ACT Range
- 23–28
- Full-Time Faculty
- 69%
- Faculty Salary (mo)
- $9,310
- Student–Faculty Ratio
- 17:1
- Diversity Index
- 0.47
- First-Gen Students
- 30%
- Applicants
- 8,943
- Admitted
- 8,530
Can I Afford It?
What you'll actually pay after grants and aid — not the sticker price.
Cost & Financial Aid
How Much Does It Cost to Attend The University of Montana? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at The University of Montana is $33,671, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $16,784. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,960 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $22,400 in federal student loans.
- In-State Tuition
- $8,552
- Out-of-State
- $33,671
- Avg Net Price
- $16,784
- Median Debt
- $22,400
- Pell Grant Rate
- 28%
- Federal Loan Rate
- 41%
What Families Actually Pay
- Family Income $0–$30K
- $13,960
- Family Income $30K–$48K
- $14,892
- Family Income $48K–$75K
- $17,180
- Family Income $110K+
- $20,930
What Happens After?
Earnings, debt, and where graduates actually land.
Students Like You
Tell us a little about yourself to see what students like you have typically experienced at The University of Montana — the net price for your income, your admission odds, and the outcomes that follow. These are patterns from federal data, not predictions.
Graduate Outcomes
Is The University of Montana Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of The University of Montana report median earnings of $44,511, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
- 6 Years After Entry
- $35,729
- 8 Years
- $40,221
- 10 Years
- $44,511
- Debt-to-Earnings
- 0.5x
- Earning > $25K
- 57%
Earnings Trajectory
Graduation by Timeframe
- 100% (427)
- 30%
- 100% (427)
- 30%
- 100% (427)
- 30%
- 100% (427)
- 30%
How The Compares
Dot right of center = above national average.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after aid, by income bracket.
The Mobility Equation
Mobility = Access x Success. How many low-income students get in, and how many reach the top 20%?
College ROI Calculator
Is The University of Montana Worth It?
A data-driven look at the return on your educational investment — using real federal data.
Yes — for most students, The University of Montana delivers a positive return. Over four years, the typical net price is $16,784/year ($67,136 total). Graduates earn $44,511 at ten years, and over a 20-year career we project $1,178,553 in total earnings — a net gain of $1,111,417 (17.6× your investment). The median debt is $22,400, which takes less than a year to pay back at typical earnings. With a 47% graduation rate, the path to that return is well-tested. This is a exceptional ROI compared to national averages.
- Total Cost (4yr)
- $67,136
- Projected 20yr Earnings
- $1,178,553
- Net Return
- $1,111,417
- ROI Multiple
- 17.6×
- Cost Per Year
- $16,784
- Median Debt
- $22,400
- Debt Payback
- Less than 1 yr
- Graduation Rate
- 47%
Does It Change Lives?
Mobility, social capital, and innovation — does it move people up?
Social Mobility
Data: Raj Chetty's Mobility Report Card · 30M+ anonymized tax records
Does The University of Montana Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
The University of Montana is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.30%, well above the typical college. About 8.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 15.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $82,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
- Mobility Rate
- 1.30%
- Bottom 20% → Top 20%
- Success Rate
- 15.5%
- If bottom 20% get in
- From Bottom 20%
- 8.4%
- Share of students
- Parent Median Income
- $111,953
- today's $ (2015 cohort data)
Innovation & Knowledge Creation
Patents, inventors, and research influence · Opportunity Insights & Times Higher Education
The University of Montana produces inventors at a measurable rate, with 26 patents tied to its graduates, and ranks among research universities with a 15/100 research score.
- Inventor Rate
- 0.14%
- Top 87% nationally
- Patents Produced
- 26
- Linked to graduates
- Patent Citations
- 186
- Downstream influence
- Research Score
- 15/100
- Times Higher Ed
- Academic Influence
- 72/100
- Citation impact (THE)
- Industry Engagement
- 34/100
- Knowledge transfer (THE)
- Inventors From Low-Income
- 0.11%
- Bottom-20% families
Institutional Finances
Data: NCES IPEDS
- Investment Income
- $-1,951,630
Top Programs
The fields The University of Montana awards the most degrees in, by share of completions. Where federal field-of-study data exists, we show what graduates in that major earned early in their careers. Each links to its degree guide — or see what someone with your income, scores, and major would pay and earn here in the Students Like You simulator.
- Business & Marketing 14% $65,690 early-career
- Social Sciences 9% $33,550 early-career
- Health Professions 9% $68,105 early-career
- Visual & Performing Arts 8% $35,271 early-career
- Humanities 8% $28,903 early-career
- Computer Science & IT 8% $80,393 early-career
- Biology & Biomedical 6% $28,214 early-career
- Psychology 6% $31,485 early-career
Early-career median earnings by major (typically 1–2 years after completion, bachelor's level where available), in today's dollars (CPI-adjusted). Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard field of study. Distinct from the school-wide 10-year median; suppressed for small programs.
Top Careers
Where these majors tend to lead — common career paths for The University of Montana's most popular programs, ranked by median pay with our proprietary scorecard insights.
- CChief Executive Officer$189,520 · 3% growthAdaptable 64
- C+IT Manager$169,510 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- C+Cloud Architect$142,000 · 15% growthAdaptable 52
- B-Site Reliability Engineer$140,000 · 20% growthAdaptable 52
- CSolutions Architect$138,000 · 12% growthAdaptable 52
- CHR Manager$136,350 · 5% growthAdaptable 64
- CPharmacist$136,030 · 3% growthResilient 82
- CSales Manager$135,160 · 4% growthAdaptable 64
Frequently Asked Questions
Is It Hard to Get Into The University of Montana? Acceptance Rate & Requirements
The University of Montana, located in Missoula, Montana, admits most of the students who apply; the acceptance rate is roughly 96%. Admitted students typically arrive with an average SAT score near 1,190. The graduation rate is roughly 47%.
How Much Does It Cost to Attend The University of Montana? Tuition, Net Price & Aid
Published tuition at The University of Montana is $33,671, but few families pay that. The number to watch is net price, what students actually pay each year after federal grants and institutional scholarships. Here it averages about $16,784. Students from families earning under $30,000 typically pay closer to $13,960 after need-based grants. The median graduate leaves with about $22,400 in federal student loans.
Is The University of Montana Worth It? Graduate Earnings & ROI
Ten years out, alumni of The University of Montana report median earnings of $44,511, a figure worth comparing against the cost of attendance before enrolling.
Does The University of Montana Drive Upward Mobility? Economic Mobility & Low-Income Outcomes
The University of Montana is a genuine engine of upward mobility. Its mobility rate, the share of students who start in the bottom income quintile and climb to the top, is 1.30%, well above the typical college. About 8.4% of students come from families in the bottom income quintile. Among bottom-quintile students who attend, roughly 15.5% go on to reach the top of the income ladder. The median family income of students sits near $82,400, a snapshot of the campus's socioeconomic mix.
How Connected Is The University of Montana? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at The University of Montana. Its economic connectedness score is 1.35, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
How Research-Intensive Is The University of Montana? World Rank, Teaching & Citations
Times Higher Education places The University of Montana at #276-300 worldwide. Its profile spans a research score of 15/100, teaching at 29/100, and citation impact of 72/100, reflecting both the volume of research output and how often that work is cited by scholars elsewhere.
Similar Schools
Schools with similar outcomes, selectivity, and student profiles to The University of Montana.
- Pennsylvania Western UniversityCalifornia, PA · Close peer51% grad $47,295 earn 94% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Troy UniversityTroy, AL · Close peer48% grad $42,062 earn 96% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- Wright State University-Main CampusDayton, OH · Close peer44% grad $49,500 earn 96% acceptWhy: similar selectivity · similar grad rate · similar size
- Austin Peay State UniversityClarksville, TN · Close peer42% grad $44,301 earn 96% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of Central ArkansasConway, AR · Close peer53% grad $45,938 earn 89% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
- University of the CumberlandsWilliamsburg, KY · Close peer48% grad $45,036 earn 99% acceptWhy: similar earnings · similar selectivity · similar grad rate
Social Capital
Data: Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
How Connected Is The University of Montana? Social Capital & Cross-Class Networks
Social capital, the web of cross-class friendships that researchers link to long-run upward mobility, runs high at The University of Montana. Its economic connectedness score is 1.35, where about 1.0 is the national norm. Its friending bias is low (0.01), a sign that students from different economic backgrounds actually mix rather than self-segregate. Around 9% of students take part in civic and volunteering activity.
Research Note