MSU-Bozeman vs Montana U

Montana State University and The University of Montana, both esteemed public research universities in Montana, offer distinct educational experiences. MSU, located in Bozeman, boasts a higher acceptance rate (87%) compared to UM's 82%. MSU excels in engineering, nursing, and agriculture, while UM shines in liberal arts, education, and journalism. MSU's student body is slightly larger and more diverse, with a higher percentage of male students. UM, on the other hand, has a slightly higher graduation rate (68% vs. 66%). To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two universities. Explore the table to find the institution that best aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Montana State University	The University of Montana
Overview
Location	Bozeman, Montana	Missoula, Montana
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	73.0%	82.1%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $38 Graduate: $60	Undergraduate: $30 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1070 - 1300	1070 - 1280
ACT range	20 - 27	18 - 26
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%	9.0%
Students submitting ACT score	42.0%	41.0%
Total number of applicants	26,741	7,233
Total number of admissions given out	19,522	5,941
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,874	1,542
Yield rate	19.8%	26.0%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,286 Out of state: $44,022	In state: $23,736 Out of state: $44,720
Average net price	$17,821	$15,228
Tuition	In state: $5,654 Out of state: $26,086	In state: $5,352 Out of state: $26,112
Room & board	$10,400	Room/dormitory: $4,730 Meal plan: $6,324
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $6,287	97.0% Average amount $6,340
Students receiving federal student loan	35.0% Average amount $5,191	44.0% Average amount $5,401
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $17,984	4.0% Average amount $13,104

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,648 Men 53.5% Women 46.5%	7,223 Men 41.9% Women 58.1%
Graduate students	2,140 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%	2,883 Men 37.0% Women 63.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	66.1%	N/A
International students	2.3%	1.9%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	4,603	2,886
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Montana Washington Colorado California Oregon	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Education Business Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Business Natural Resources and Conservation Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	15:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.5%	47.7%
Dropout rate	42.1%	49.1%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,934 Year 2: $72,325 Year 3: $85,881 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,974 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $73,528 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,082 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $73,041 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,740 Year 2: $61,090 Year 3: $73,003 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,299 Year 2: $57,860 Year 3: $64,492 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,767 Year 2: $59,411 Year 3: $59,227 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,660 Year 2: $56,234 Year 3: $58,924 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,052 Year 2: $53,671 Year 3: $57,998 Environmental Design (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,010 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $55,431 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,200 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $53,365	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $114,396 Year 2: $113,016 Year 3: $118,046 Management Information Systems and Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $49,692 Year 2: $55,286 Year 3: $71,476 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $62,746 Year 2: $58,673 Year 3: $65,366 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $65,302 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $67,886 Year 2: $62,707 Year 3: $64,764 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,287 Year 2: $57,318 Year 3: $61,703 Law (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $51,687 Year 2: $52,433 Year 3: $59,094 Public Administration (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,412 Year 2: $47,260 Year 3: $52,044 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,236 Year 2: $39,729 Year 3: $50,914 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,604 Year 2: $45,852 Year 3: $48,041

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