
Source: National Center for Educational Statistics. This is the most recent data available as of January 2022
Questions & Answers
What do all these numbers mean?
All costs shown here are the average net cost paid by families in each income bracket for one year at the college in question. Net cost is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus government grants and institutional scholarships. Figures are based on data from the 2019-20 school year, which is the latest available as of January 2022.
What is “Total Cost” on the chart?
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for one year at that particular college. It includes:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
There are detailed chart below for each school that shows these expenses. Click here to go to the individual cost breakdown for schools.
How can I use this information?
This information is useful for building a realistic college budget. It's a good place to start until you better understand your specific circumstances. For example, let's say your income is $100,000 per year. This chart shows that the average state school would run $17,620 and the average private school would be $19,670. You can also get information on specific Montana schools in the chart above or the tables below.
Will my family pay the amount on this chart?
Probably not. The numbers are averages. You may be below average or above average. However, there are two key points we can learn from this data:
- Families with higher incomes ($75,000-$110,000 and $110,000+) will most likely pay close to full price at the public schools.
- Private colleges have a higher list price but offer more discounts. This brings their net price much closer to the cost of state-funded schools.
Where did this information come from?
As part of federal financial aid, colleges are required to provide detailed cost information to the U.S. government. This data is made available to the public through the National Center for Education Statistics. For more details, click here.
What about athletes, merit aid or minority students?
Athletes, high achieving students, and those with minority status are averaged in with everyone else. Within each income bracket, there are families that pay more than average and families that pay less than average.
The costs on this chart seem large. How can families afford to pay it?
For many families paying for college is not easy, but in the end they figure out. Most families will pay their net cost of college with some combination of:
- College savings and investments
- Payments from current income
- Loans
- Outside scholarships (check out the Scholarship Guide For Busy Parents to learn how your student can win scholarships)
- Tax planning
- Student work

Net Price:
Net prices is the total cost of attendance for one year, minus the average amount in government grants and institutional scholarships the school awards. This is an average, so you may pay above the average or below the average. Your exact net price is likely to be different and sometimes drastically different.
Most families will pay the net price with some combination of savings and investments, current income and various loans. Some students will also receive scholarships from sources other than the federal or state government or the college. Any scholarships and grants from these outside sources are not included in the data. However, government grants and institutional scholarships are included in the averages.
Total Cost at The University of Montana (2019-20) | |
---|---|
Tuition and Fees | $7,354 |
Room and Board | $9,966 |
Books | $1,100 |
Other Expenses | $3,248 |
Total | $21,668 |
Total Cost:
Total cost is the total cost of attendance for that particular institution for the 2019-20 school year. This is the latest data available as of January 2022. Total costs include:
- Tuition and fees (in-state tuition for public schools)
- Room and board (on campus)
- Books and supplies
- Other expenses (travel and personal)
College Total Cost | ||
---|---|---|
Family Income | MT Public $20,259 | MT Private $37,860 |
$0 - $30k | $11,838 | $15,337 |
$30,001 – $48k | $12,688 | $16,924 |
$48,001 – $75k | $15,470 | $17,529 |
$75,001 – $110k | $17,620 | $19,670 |
$110,001+ | $17,897 | $25,375 |
Public vs. Private Averages
This table shows the average total cost of attendance for the Montana public and private colleges we have included in our analysis. The costs include a breakdown of the average net price paid by family income. Notice that the average private college is $3,000-$8,000 more than the average public school, depending on your income bracket. It is important to stress that these are averages. Most families will not be average, and their individual circumstances could be drastically different. I encourage all families to work with their preferred colleges to get information specific to their family.
Below are similar charts for each individual private and public college in Montana. Click a school to view its complete chart.
Public MT Schools Cost Breakdown
-
Montana State University-Billings
Billings Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $5,933 $5,980 Room and Board $7,420 $7,600 Books $1,550 $1,540 Other Expenses $4,640 $4,630 Total $19,543 $19,750 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $11,652 $11,775 $30,001 - $48k $12,257 $12,387 $48,001 - $75k $14,662 $14,817 $75,001 - $110k $16,493 $16,668 $110,001+ $16,755 $16,932 -
Montana Tech of the University of Montana
Butte Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $7,440 $7,390 Room and Board $9,854 $10,198 Books $1,350 $1,340 Other Expenses $4,164 $4,076 Total $22,808 $23,004 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $11,954 $12,057 $30,001 - $48k $11,712 $11,813 $48,001 - $75k $16,499 $16,641 $75,001 - $110k $18,851 $19,013 $110,001+ $18,214 $18,371 -
Montana State University
Bozeman Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $7,325 $7,371 Room and Board $10,300 $10,400 Books $1,450 $1,450 Other Expenses $3,738 $3,838 Total $22,813 $23,059 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,986 $16,158 $30,001 - $48k $16,779 $16,960 $48,001 - $75k $19,942 $20,157 $75,001 - $110k $21,940 $22,177 $110,001+ $22,073 $22,311
-
The University of Montana
Missoula Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $7,354 $7,430 Room and Board $9,966 $10,154 Books $1,100 $1,100 Other Expenses $3,248 $3,592 Total $21,668 $22,276 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $12,739 $13,096 $30,001 - $48k $13,429 $13,806 $48,001 - $75k $15,281 $15,710 $75,001 - $110k $16,939 $17,414 $110,001+ $18,481 $19,000 -
Montana State University-Northern
Havre Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $5,955 $5,955 Room and Board $6,470 $6,470 Books $1,400 $1,400 Other Expenses $3,200 $3,200 Total $17,025 $17,025 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $10,102 $10,102 $30,001 - $48k $11,003 $11,003 $48,001 - $75k $13,783 $13,783 $75,001 - $110k $15,682 $15,682 $110,001+ $15,933 $15,933 -
The University of Montana-Western
Dillon Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $5,725 $5,747 Room and Board $8,184 $8,280 Books $700 $800 Other Expenses $3,090 $3,600 Total $17,699 $18,427 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $8,596 $8,950 $30,001 - $48k $10,947 $11,397 $48,001 - $75k $12,653 $13,173 $75,001 - $110k $15,816 $16,467 $110,001+ $15,925 $16,580
Private MT Schools Cost Breakdown
-
Carroll College
Helena Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $36,280 $37,262 Room and Board $10,036 $10,262 Books $1,250 $1,200 Other Expenses $3,272 $3,180 Total $50,838 $51,904 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $15,994 $16,329 $30,001 - $48k $19,380 $19,786 $48,001 - $75k $21,482 $21,932 $75,001 - $110k $22,717 $23,193 $110,001+ $26,629 $27,187 -
University of Great Falls
Great Falls Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $26,242 $26,662 Room and Board $9,466 $9,746 Books $1,000 $1,000 Other Expenses $4,000 $4,000 Total $40,708 $41,408 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $23,031 $23,427 $30,001 - $48k $23,747 $24,155 $48,001 - $75k $24,544 $24,966 $75,001 - $110k $27,751 $28,228 $110,001+ $25,657 $26,098
-
Rocky Mountain College
Billings Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $29,552 $30,586 Room and Board $8,452 $8,596 Books $1,300 $1,300 Other Expenses $3,270 $3,270 Total $42,574 $43,752 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $17,309 $17,788 $30,001 - $48k $16,769 $17,233 $48,001 - $75k $18,472 $18,983 $75,001 - $110k $21,823 $22,427 $110,001+ $23,838 $24,498 -
Salish Kootenai College
Pablo Year 2019-20 2020-21 Tuition and Fees $6,399 $6,399 Room and Board $7,020 $7,020 Books $1,500 $1,500 Other Expenses $2,400 $2,400 Total $17,319 $17,319 Family Income Net Cost (Actual) Net Cost (Estimated) $0-$30k $5,014 $5,014 $30,001 - $48k $7,798 $7,798 $48,001 - $75k $5,619 $5,619 $75,001 - $110k $6,388 $6,388 $110,001+ $0 $0
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