by our College Data Analytics TeamHere’s the full picture on paying for Montana State University-Northern, from the published cost of attendance and projected degree cost through to net price, median student debt at graduation, default outcomes, and how aid varies by family income.
Jump to any section of this page using the links below:
Cost of attendance at Montana State University-Northern spanned $17,363.00 ranging to $32,256.00 depending on whether you qualify for in-state rates.
In-state students paid the lower published figure, while out-of-state students faced the higher one: close to $17,363.00 for in-state students versus $32,256.00 out-of-state.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $6,982.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,381.00 |
| Total cost | $17,363.00 |
| That is 10% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $17,363.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$3,914.00 |
| Net price | $13,449.00 |
| That is 30% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $17,363.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$6,638.00 |
| Net price | $10,725.00 |
| That is 44% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $21,875.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,381.00 |
| Total cost | $32,256.00 |
| That is 68% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $32,256.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$3,914.00 |
| Net price | $28,342.00 |
| That is 47% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $32,256.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$6,638.00 |
| Net price | $25,618.00 |
| That is 33% above the national average net price. | |
| Explore each piece on the tuition & fees page and room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years at a recent average of 5.6% a year, so a full degree will cost more than a single year — the tables below carry that forward. The projections below run a full degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and the full sticker price. The loan rows amortise the projected total over a ten-year, 6.8% repayment.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $11,321.00 | $14,197.00 | $18,329.00 |
| Senior year | $13,317.00 | $16,700.00 | $21,560.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $49,205.00 | $61,703.00 | $79,660.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $18,745.00 | $23,506.00 | $30,347.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $566.00 | $710.00 | $917.00 |
| Total amount paid | $67,951.00 | $85,209.00 | $110,007.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $11,321.00 | $14,197.00 | $18,329.00 |
| Senior year | $11,951.00 | $14,986.00 | $19,348.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $23,272.00 | $29,183.00 | $37,676.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $8,866.00 | $11,118.00 | $14,353.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $268.00 | $336.00 | $434.00 |
| Total amount paid | $32,138.00 | $40,301.00 | $52,030.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $27,043.00 | $29,918.00 | $34,050.00 |
| Senior year | $31,810.00 | $35,192.00 | $40,052.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $117,533.00 | $130,030.00 | $147,987.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $44,776.00 | $49,537.00 | $56,378.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,353.00 | $1,496.00 | $1,703.00 |
| Total amount paid | $162,308.00 | $179,567.00 | $204,365.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 5.6% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| Freshman year | $27,043.00 | $29,918.00 | $34,050.00 |
| Senior year | $28,546.00 | $31,582.00 | $35,943.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $55,589.00 | $61,500.00 | $69,993.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $21,177.00 | $23,429.00 | $26,665.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $640.00 | $708.00 | $805.00 |
| Total amount paid | $76,767.00 | $84,929.00 | $96,658.00 |
Read more in the net-price section.
Net price reflects the true cost to attend after grant and scholarship aid is deducted. For most students, this is the more useful number than published tuition because it reflects the real out-of-pocket cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $12,664.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $14,164.00 |
Net price is not the same for every family — it falls as financial need rises and grant aid increases. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $11,283.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $11,704.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,599.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $17,049.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $17,363.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Montana State University-Northern Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the grants & scholarships detail.
The median amount borrowed by graduates of Montana State University-Northern works out to $10,560.00, which the Department of Education classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden tier.
Across borrowers, debt at graduation distributes like this:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $2,219.00 |
| 25th | $4,370.00 |
| Median (50th) | $10,560.00 |
| 75th | $18,625.00 |
| 90th | $28,462.00 |
The 10th-to-90th-percentile spread is one signal of how variable debt outcomes are across the student body.
Dig deeper into debt on the student loan debt detail.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. The table below divides borrowers into three income tiers:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $10,250.00 |
| Middle income | $8,970.00 |
| High income | $12,000.00 |
Whether your parents attended college is associated with differences in median debt at graduation.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $10,676.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $9,514.00 |
First-generation graduates from Montana State University-Northern carry $1,162.00 in additional median debt versus continuing-generation peers.
Pell Grant eligibility is a useful proxy for low-income status among undergraduates. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The median debt gap between Pell and non-Pell graduates of Montana State University-Northern amounts to $-750.00.
The federal default-rate tier for Montana State University-Northern is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 8.8% |
For scale, federal Stafford loan disbursements at Montana State University-Northern amount to $71,085,595.00 distributed across 5,379 borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Department of Defense Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 23 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $5,546.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the veteran aid breakdown.
The data above is a foundation; round it out by asking yourself about Montana State University-Northern, a few questions are worth asking:
Each page below covers one part of paying for college in more detail:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.