There are 30 colleges in Montana - 20 public and 10 private schools.
The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in Montana is $6,325 for Montana residents and $18,386 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $23,966. For Montana community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $4,391 for state residents and $9,112 for out-of-state students.
In Montana, for public 4-years colleges, in-state tuition & fees increased by 31.16% from $5,456 (2015) to $7,156 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 10.35% over the past decade from $16,739 (2015) to $18,472 (2024).
In private Montana colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 27.41%, from $18,810 (2015) to $23,966 (2024).
Cost of Attendance (COA) Trends
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 18.91% when living on campus and 17.74% when living off campus at Montana Colleges.
In private Montana Colleges, the COA has increase by 28.94% (on-campus) and 27.71% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2023-2024, the total cost of attendance is $33,448 when a student lives on campus and $33,656 when living off campus at Montana Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for Montana Colleges over the past 10 years.
Cost of Attendance (COA) Trends of Montana Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2014-15 |
$16,847 | $28,130 | $30,201 | $17,302 | $28,585 | $30,656 |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$17,352
3.00% | $28,959
2.95% | $32,965
9.15% | $17,812
2.95% | $29,419
2.92% | $33,425
9.03% |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$17,557
1.18% | $29,678
2.48% | $32,249
-2.17% | $17,987
0.98% | $30,108
2.34% | $32,679
-2.23% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$18,210
3.72% | $30,512
2.81% | $33,478
3.81% | $18,637
3.61% | $30,939
2.76% | $33,905
3.75% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$19,732
8.36% | $32,316
5.91% | $38,909
16.22% | $20,392
9.42% | $32,976
6.58% | $39,569
16.71% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$18,881
-4.31% | $31,745
-1.77% | $35,197
-9.54% | $19,643
-3.67% | $32,507
-1.42% | $35,959
-9.12% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$18,673
-1.10% | $31,848
0.32% | $33,680
-4.31% | $19,783
0.71% | $32,958
1.39% | $34,790
-3.25% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$19,032
1.92% | $32,516
2.10% | $35,848
6.44% | $20,651
4.39% | $34,135
3.57% | $37,467
7.69% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$20,763
9.10% | $34,118
4.93% | $38,033
6.10% | $21,591
4.55% | $34,946
2.38% | $38,861
3.72% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$22,132
6.59% | $33,448
-1.96% | $38,942
2.39% | $22,340
3.47% | $33,656
-3.69% | $39,150
0.74% |
|---|
Tuition & Fees Changes
For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for Montana Colleges is $7,156 for Montana residents and $18,472 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $23,966.
For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $8,811 for Montana residents and $20,513 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $28,131.
The tuition & fees has increased 10.35% for undergraduate programs and 4.37% for graduate programs at Montana Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
Tuition & Fees Changes for Montana Colleges
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2014-15 |
$5,456 | $16,739 | $18,810 | $6,168 | $18,175 | $22,217 |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$5,491
0.64% | $17,098
2.14% | $21,104
12.20% | $6,214
0.75% | $18,610
2.39% | $23,208
4.46% |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$5,567
1.38% | $17,688
3.45% | $20,259
-4.00% | $6,263
0.79% | $19,120
2.74% | $24,120
3.93% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$5,874
5.51% | $18,176
2.76% | $21,142
4.36% | $6,472
3.34% | $19,218
0.51% | $26,430
9.58% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$6,025
2.57% | $18,609
2.38% | $25,202
19.20% | $6,668
3.03% | $20,130
4.75% | $22,521
-14.79% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$6,053
0.46% | $18,917
1.66% | $22,369
-11.24% | $6,703
0.52% | $20,480
1.74% | $21,003
-6.74% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$6,075
0.36% | $19,250
1.76% | $21,082
-5.75% | $6,805
1.52% | $20,923
2.16% | $27,393
30.42% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$6,102
0.44% | $19,586
1.75% | $22,918
8.71% | $6,870
0.96% | $21,477
2.65% | $22,806
-16.75% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$6,842
12.13% | $20,197
3.12% | $24,112
5.21% | $7,074
2.97% | $22,236
3.53% | $25,279
10.84% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$7,156
4.59% | $18,472
-8.54% | $23,966
-0.61% | $7,212
1.95% | $18,970
-14.69% | $25,705
1.69% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
For the current year (2024), the average book & supplies costs is $1,244 for Montana Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2015 to 2024.
Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Montana Colleges
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|
| 2014-15 | $1,045 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,071
2.49% |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $1,113
3.92% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $1,127
1.26% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $1,277
13.31% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $1,183
-7.36% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $1,114
-5.83% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $1,191
6.91% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $1,200
0.76% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $1,244
3.67% |
|---|
Living Costs Changes
For Montana Colleges, the living have increased 25.48% when a student lives on campus facilities and 18.60% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
Living Costs Changes for Montana Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| 2014-15 | $10,346 | $10,771 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $10,790
4.60% | $11,211
4.70% |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $10,877
0.99% | $11,314
0.38% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $11,209
4.21% | $11,658
4.02% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $12,430
8.62% | $12,939
10.82% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $11,645
-3.70% | $12,150
-2.43% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $11,484
0.22% | $12,095
3.03% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $11,739
0.43% | $12,208
7.76% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $12,721
8.02% | $13,349
-2.90% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $13,732
10.63% | $14,512
2.07% |
|---|