University of Montana: the complete school report for parents

What does University of Montana actually weigh in admissions?

University of Montana rates 2 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA. It does not consider 13 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is University of Montana's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What GPA do admitted students actually have?

54% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.41 on a 4 scale, reported for 95% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.

Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?

University of Montana admitted 81.0% of 1,578 transfer applicants, against 95.2% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here. The minimum college GPA considered is 2.

When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?

University of Montana offers neither Early Decision nor Early Action, so there is no early round to strategize about and every applicant is read in one pool.

What will University of Montana actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $16,784 a year at University of Montana after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $9,694. The published price is not what most families pay.

What families at each income level actually paid:

, which the federal data puts at about $237 a month in repayment University of Montana’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from University of Montana pay off?

Graduates earn a median $44,511 ten years after entering, and $35,729 at six years. 66% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 58% are actively paying down their loans three years in.

Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:

A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.

$103,587 to $24,639, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at University of Montana:

College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.

Will my child actually graduate?

77% of first-years return for a second year. 45% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 33.8% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 53.4% of everyone else, a gap of 19.6 points.

How big are the classes?

The student-faculty ratio is 17:1, and 69% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

What is life at University of Montana like?

7,874 undergraduates, 41% of first-years from out of state. 85% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 42% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 6% of men join a fraternity and 6% of women a sorority. 30% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $50,573.

What this means for your student

• Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
• 54% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.41. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
• Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
• Its highest-earning major returns $103,587 five years out against $24,639 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
• See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.

Common questions about University of Montana

Other schools families compare with University of Montana

• UVM
  Admissions report · 73.0% admit rate
• URI
  Admissions report · 74.6% admit rate
• UAF
  Admissions report · 64.2% admit rate
• San Jose State University
  Admissions report · 80.4% admit rate
• Sacramento State
  Admissions report · 93.6% admit rate
• SUNY Stony Brook State University of New York at Stony Brook
  Admissions report · 48.2% admit rate