Public · University

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana · Small city

#5 best value in Montana
95.9%
Admit rate
$16,784
Avg net price
48%
Graduation rate
$44,511
Median earnings

The University of Montana is a public bachelor's-granting institution in Missoula, Montana (small city setting), enrolling 7,488 undergraduates.

PublicMidsize · 7,488 undergradsSmall cityAccessible · 96% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Big Sky ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against The University of Montana's admitted students.

Admit rate
95.9%
ACT (mid 50%)
23–28
Avg GPA (est.)
3.38

Enter a test score to see where you land against The University of Montana's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and The University of Montana's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Missoula, Montana

Missoula is a city in and the county seat of Missoula County, Montana, United States. Located at the confluence of five mountain valleys, the Missoula Valley was heavily traversed by local and distant native tribes that periodically went to the Eastern Montana plains in search of bison. Missoula, often considered the cultural center of Montana, is the location of the state's first university, and an eclectic mix of loggers, hippies, college students, sports fans, and retirees. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Missoula, MT
To the ocean
392 miles
Nearest airport
6 miles to Missoula Montana (MSO)

How The University of Montana compares

Selectivity95.9%

More selective than 12% · #6 most selective of 7 in Montana

SAT average1190

Higher than 56%

Graduation rate48%

Higher than 35% · #6 of 9 in Montana

First-year retention75%

Higher than 44%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$44,511

Higher than 23% · #7 of 9 in Montana

Average net price$16,784

Cheaper than 64% · #5 cheapest of 9 in Montana

Median debt at graduation$22,400

Lower than 57%

Student–faculty ratio17 : 1

Lower than 23%

Undergraduate enrollment7,488

Larger than 85%

Percentiles compare The University of Montana with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Montana.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

10,408students
  • Undergraduate7,48872%
  • Graduate2,92028%

Undergraduates by gender

7,488undergrads
  • Women4,14855%
  • Men3,34045%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White71%
  • Black0.9%
  • Hispanic6.2%
  • Asian1.2%
  • Other or multiracial20%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
7,488
Graduate enrollment
2,920
Student–faculty ratio
17 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
28%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
20%
Median family income
$36,050
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$83,790
Endowment
$287,380,104

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Admissions

Admission rate
95.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
SAT average
1190
SAT reading
SAT math
ACT composite
23–28
Average GPA (estimated)
3.38

Cost

In-state tuition
$8,552
Out-of-state tuition
$33,671
Room & board
$12,804
Books & supplies
$2,650
Total cost of attendance
$23,570
Average net price
$16,784

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
48%
Graduated on time (4 years)
34%
First-year retention
75%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$35,729
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$44,511
Median debt at graduation
$22,400
Students with federal loans
41%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
52%

About 14% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
34%
Low-income (Pell)
26%
First-generation
26%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
3,029
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
40%
Application fee
$30
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Big Sky Conference
Varsity athletes
500 (274 men · 226 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (8)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)230
Football134
Soccer36
Basketball32
Softball21
Tennis19
Volleyball19
Golf9

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
83
Property offenses (2022–2024)
43

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (10,811 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

42reported offenses a year
28 violent a year14 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
18
Burglary
8.3
Fondling
6.3
Motor vehicle theft
5.0
Aggravated assault
3.3
Arson
1.0

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$13,960
$30–48k
$14,892
$48–75k
$17,180
$75–110k
$19,269
$110k+
$20,930

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$76,414

$17,180/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

76%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$8,199
average award, among those who get one

A meaningful share of freshmen — 76% — get grant money from The University of Montana itself, averaging $8,199, which softens the sticker price.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 1,500 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$44,511
Typical debt at graduation
$22,400
Debt vs. one year's pay
50%
Out-earn a HS grad
53%

Typical debt would take roughly 5.0 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$41,034
Men
$48,156

Men out-earn women by $7,122 (17%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
85°F
Winter low
20°F
Annual rain
17.4″
Annual snow
50.2″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°50°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.01.32.6JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Missoula 2 NE, MT US station (2.8 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to The University of Montana

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare The University of Montana side by side →

Colleges near The University of Montana

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.