by our College Data Analytics TeamHere’s the full picture on paying for Montana State University, from sticker cost of attendance and projected degree cost to net price, debt at graduation, and aid breakdowns.
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Attendance costs at Montana State University came in between $23,779.00 and $48,606.00 depending on your residency status.
The lower figure reflects the in-state rate and the higher figure the out-of-state rate: close to $23,779.00 in-state, rising to $48,606.00 for out-of-state students.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $8,460.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,319.00 |
| Total cost | $23,779.00 |
| That is 24% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,779.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$3,406.00 |
| Net price | $20,373.00 |
| That is 6% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $23,779.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$8,108.00 |
| Net price | $15,671.00 |
| That is 19% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $33,287.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $15,319.00 |
| Total cost | $48,606.00 |
| That is 152% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $48,606.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$3,406.00 |
| Net price | $45,200.00 |
| That is 135% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $48,606.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$8,108.00 |
| Net price | $40,498.00 |
| That is 110% above the national average net price. | |
| Want the line-by-line detail? Dig into tuition and fees and living costs. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by roughly 5.6% annually, so the projections below total more than one year of attendance. These tables carry the cost across a degree for three cases: low-income w/ aid, average aid, and no aid. Loan totals assume a ten-year repayment at 6.8%.
| 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 | $16,549.00 | $21,515.00 | $25,112.00 |
| Senior year | $19,492.00 | $25,340.00 | $29,576.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $71,975.00 | $93,571.00 | $109,215.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $27,420.00 | $35,647.00 | $41,607.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $828.00 | $1,077.00 | $1,257.00 |
| Total amount paid | $99,395.00 | $129,219.00 | $150,822.00 |
| 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 | $16,549.00 | $21,515.00 | $25,112.00 |
| Senior year | $17,477.00 | $22,721.00 | $26,520.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $34,027.00 | $44,236.00 | $51,632.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $12,963.00 | $16,852.00 | $19,670.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $392.00 | $509.00 | $594.00 |
| Total amount paid | $46,990.00 | $61,089.00 | $71,302.00 |
| 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 | $42,768.00 | $47,734.00 | $51,331.00 |
| Senior year | $50,372.00 | $56,220.00 | $60,456.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $186,003.00 | $207,599.00 | $223,243.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $70,861.00 | $79,088.00 | $85,047.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $2,141.00 | $2,389.00 | $2,569.00 |
| Total amount paid | $256,864.00 | $286,687.00 | $308,290.00 |
| 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 | $42,768.00 | $47,734.00 | $51,331.00 |
| Senior year | $45,166.00 | $50,410.00 | $54,208.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $87,934.00 | $98,144.00 | $105,539.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $33,500.00 | $37,389.00 | $40,207.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $1,012.00 | $1,129.00 | $1,215.00 |
| Total amount paid | $121,434.00 | $135,533.00 | $145,746.00 |
For the complete net-price picture, see the net price section below.
Net price strips out grant and scholarship aid to show what families really pay. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $22,499.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $20,593.00 |
Net price varies sharply by family income, dropping as need-based aid grows. The breakdown below splits average net price across income brackets:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $16,713.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $17,165.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $20,572.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $23,456.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $23,771.00 |
Run your own numbers with the Montana State University Net Price Calculator, or get in touch with the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the grants & scholarships detail.
Typical debt at graduation from Montana State University works out to $13,748.00, which federal data classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden tier.
The percentile spread of debt at graduation is shown below:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $3,500.00 |
| 25th | $5,500.00 |
| Median (50th) | $13,748.00 |
| 75th | $26,000.00 |
| 90th | $36,500.00 |
The distance from the 10th to the 90th percentile shows how widely debt outcomes vary.
Read the complete debt breakdown on the student-loan-debt breakdown.
Debt at graduation is far from uniform across income levels. The figures below split graduating borrowers into three income brackets:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $15,538.00 |
| Middle income | $14,175.00 |
| High income | $12,018.00 |
Low-income graduates carry $3,520.00 more debt than high-income graduates.
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $14,250.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $13,000.00 |
First-generation borrowers from Montana State University leave with $1,250.00 in additional median debt versus continuing-generation peers.
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. The Pell vs non-Pell debt gap reveals how borrowing differs by need.
The Pell-versus-non-Pell median debt difference at Montana State University stands at $5,500.00. This school is flagged by the Department of Education for Pell-related debt inequity.
The default-rate classification at Montana State University is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 4.2% |
To put the rates in context, Stafford loans at Montana State University total $670,109,448.00 over 37,774 borrowers.
Veterans and active-duty service members may qualify for substantial federal education benefits like the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD tuition assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 389 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $5,933.00 |
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 21 |
| Avg DoD Tuition Assistance | $2,802.00 |
Read more about military and veteran aid on the veterans benefits detail.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through Montana State University, consider the following:
Explore the related pages below for a deeper look at the cost picture:
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.