Montana State University Billings
Billings, Montana · Public
ROI Score: 34/100 · Below Benchmark
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release
Montana State University Billings earns a CampusROI score of 34 out of 100, landing in the Below Benchmark tier. The score reflects a structural mismatch: low in-state tuition of $7,280 (a strong starting point) is undercut by a 30.0% completion rate that pulls the completion sub-score down to 10. Average net price after aid is $16,524, with four-year cost at $66,096. The earnings premium over high-school-only workers is 14.1%, the payback period is 22.2 years, and average earnings six years out are $34,300 rising to a median $44,296 by year ten. The 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio against $18,209 in median federal debt is genuinely solid (sub-score 67), and the repayment rate of 76.4% is above average. The story here is that finishers do reasonably well; it is just that finishing is statistically uncommon. MSU Billings serves a heavily commuter, working-adult population in southeastern Montana and operates an upper-division program at the City College branch (a community-college conversion), both of which complicate the federal completion methodology. Students who finish in nursing, business, or education see real value at the in-state price.
How Montana State University Billings scores under our methodology
These are the College Scorecard measures that pull this school's CampusROI score down. They describe the published figures, not the quality of the education, and they are our reading of the data. Check them against your own aid offer and intended major.
- ROI Score34/100 - Below Benchmark tier of our scale (below 45). For context, 38% of the schools we score reach 60 or higher.
- 6-year graduation rate30.0% - The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our score, since a degree that is not finished rarely pays back.
- Payback period22.2 years - The median payback across the schools we score is about 12 years.
Montana State University Billings
Quick Numbers
| In-state tuition + fees | $7,280/yr |
| Out-of-state tuition + fees | $22,897/yr |
| Average net price | $16,524/yr |
| Total 4-year cost (net) | $66,096 |
| Median earnings (10yr post-entry) | $44,296 |
| Average earnings (6yr post-entry) | $34,300 |
| Median debt at graduation | $18,209 |
| Estimated monthly loan payment | $193 |
| Estimated payback period | 22.2 years |
| 6-year graduation rate | 30.0% |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 2,626 |
Data as of 2024-2025. Source: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education).
The Full Financial Picture
The first number you'll see is the sticker price: $7,280/year ($22,897/year out-of-state), which covers tuition and fees only. The net price counts books, supplies, and average living costs on top of tuition and fees, then subtracts grants and scholarships. For the average student here it comes to $16,524/year, or roughly $66,096 over four years. That's the number to plan around.
What you actually pay depends a lot on what your family earns. Families making under $30,000/year pay an average of $13,927/year here, while families earning over $110,000 pay $20,035/year.
Among graduates who borrowed, the median federal loan debt from this school is $18,209, which works out to about $193 a month on the standard 10-year repayment plan. Our debt-to-earnings ratio divides that debt by average earnings six years after entry ($34,300) and comes to 0.53, under 1.0, meaning median debt is less than a full year of those earnings.
Net Price by Family Income
What families actually pay after grants and scholarships, by income bracket.
| Family Income | Avg Net Price/Year |
|---|---|
| $0 - $30,000 | $13,927 |
| $30,001 - $48,000 | $14,387 |
| $48,001 - $75,000 | $16,749 |
| $75,001 - $110,000 | $18,948 |
| $110,001+ | $20,035 |
Cost by Income Bracket Explained
Lower-income families (under $30K)
Families earning under $30,000 face an average net price of $13,927 per year at MSU Billings. With Pell stacking, four-year cost lands near $55,700. For low-income students who finish a nursing or business credential, the math works well; nursing graduates earn $71,449 in year one alone. The completion-rate caveat applies forcefully here.
Middle-income families ($30K-$110K)
The $48,001 to $75,000 bracket pays $16,749 per year and the $75,001 to $110,000 bracket pays $18,948. Four-year totals are $67,000 to $75,800. Middle-income Montana families get a respectable in-state deal, particularly for nursing-bound students.
Higher-income families ($110K+)
Families above $110,000 pay $20,035 per year, with four-year cost approaching $80,140. The aid curve flattens at the top, but pricing remains well below private-college alternatives.
Earnings by Major
Top 7 most popular majors at Montana State University Billings with available earnings data.
| Major | Median Earnings | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Business Administration and Management | $58,827 | C+ |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | $67,304 | F |
| Teacher Education | $37,846 | D |
| Registered Nursing | $71,449 | C+ |
| Teacher Education, Subject-Specific | $39,422 | - |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $39,666 | B |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other | $65,875 | C |
Earnings reflect median 4-year post-completion (or 1-year where 4-year unavailable). Grades based on debt-to-earnings ratio.
Program Analysis
Why these programs deliver their earnings outcomes.
Business Administration and Management
Business is the largest program with 113 graduates per cohort, the dominant cohort by far. Year-one earnings of $44,082 climb to $58,827 by year four. With $22,625 in median debt, the 0.51 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C+ ROI grade. This is the strongest high-volume program at the school and reflects the labor-market value of a business credential in the Billings regional economy.
Liberal Arts and Sciences
Liberal Arts graduates 39 students per cohort with year-one earnings of $29,832 climbing dramatically to $67,304 by year four; the steep four-year growth suggests many graduates pursue post-baccalaureate study or progress into management roles. However, median debt of $39,800 is unusually high (more than double the school median), producing a 1.33 debt-to-earnings ratio against year-one earnings and an F ROI grade. Students choosing this track should plan for graduate work and target jobs deliberately.
Teacher Education
Teacher Education graduates 34 students per cohort. Year-one earnings of $35,132 climb modestly to $37,846 by year four. With $24,652 in debt, the 0.70 ratio earns a D ROI grade. Graduates entering the Montana Teachers' Retirement System gain pension benefits not visible in earnings.
Registered Nursing
Registered Nursing graduates 28 students per cohort with year-one earnings of $71,449, a notably strong figure. With $32,988 in median debt, the 0.46 debt-to-earnings ratio earns a C+ ROI grade. Graduates clear their debt on standard repayment in well under ten years.
Teacher Education, Subject-Specific
Subject-Specific Teacher Education graduates 24 students per cohort. Year-one earnings of $39,422 are reported, but four-year earnings, debt, and ROI grade are not reported. The year-one number tracks the same Montana K-12 wage structure as general teacher education and slightly exceeds the broader teacher-prep program.
How Graduates Do
Earnings
Loan Repayment
| Metric | This School | Median of schools we score |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year repayment | 71.5% | 68.8% |
| 3-year repayment | 76.4% | 73.6% |
| 5-year repayment | 62.5% | 67.7% |
| 7-year repayment | 69.7% | 72.8% |
Completion Rate
Trends Over Time
How Montana State University Billings’s cost and outcomes have moved across College Scorecard releases (2009-2024).
Average Net Price
Completion Rate
Median Earnings, 10 Years After Entry (as reported)
Earnings reflect borrowers measured 10 years after entry and publish on an irregular cadence with a multi-year reporting lag, so this series shows only the years the Department of Education reported - the data is never interpolated.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, release years shown. Net price and completion are reported annually.
Admissions Snapshot
| Enrollment | 2,626 |
| Pell Grant recipients | 25.4% |
| Avg faculty salary (monthly) | $7,728 |
Admission rate is not reported in current Scorecard data for MSU Billings, and SAT/ACT mid-ranges are not reported either. The school operates with broadly accessible admissions consistent with its regional public-comprehensive mission, and many students enroll on a part-time, non-traditional, or transfer basis where the federal first-time-freshman methodology does not apply.
Compared to Similar Schools
Peer institutions matched by type, size, and selectivity.
| School | ROI | Net Price | 10yr Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montana State University Billings (this school) | 34 | $16,524 | $44,296 |
| Montana Technological University | 69 | $16,481 | $54,329 |
| Montana State University | 52 | $22,499 | $53,263 |
| SUNY College of Technology at Canton | 36 | $15,268 | $47,860 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | 34 | $12,250 | $44,030 |
| University of South Carolina Aiken | 33 | $11,641 | $45,603 |
Who Thrives Here
MSU Billings serves about 2,626 students with a 25.4% Pell rate, indicating a working-class but not deeply low-income student body. The fit case is strongest for Montana residents pursuing nursing, business, or education credentials at the in-state price, who can commit to finishing on a four- or five-year timeline. Working adults using the upper-division pathway after a community-college start are also well-served.
The Verdict: Below Benchmark Under Our Scoring
Under our methodology, Montana State University Billings scores 34/100, which falls in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At a net price of $16,524 per year, with typical graduate earnings of $44,296 ten years after entry, we estimate the payback period at about 22.2 years. In our view that makes the financial case a hard one to make on the numbers alone, but those numbers are averages: your major, your aid package and what you want from a degree all change the picture, so run your own numbers before you commit.
What to keep an eye on: weak earnings relative to cost, its 30.0% graduation rate, a long payback period.
Median debt of $18,209 among graduates who borrowed, against average earnings of $34,300 six years after entry, gives a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53, under the 1.0 point at which debt would equal a full year of those earnings. Your major matters a lot here: graduates in higher-earning fields will see the better end of this.
Montana State University Billings: Common Questions
Is Montana State University Billings worth it?
In our view, the financial case is a hard one to make on the numbers alone. Montana State University Billings scores 34/100 on our ROI scale, in the Below Benchmark tier (below 45). At $16,524 a year after aid against $44,296 in typical earnings ten years out, we estimate the payback period at about 22.2 years. Your major and aid package can change the picture, so run your own numbers.
How much does Montana State University Billings cost after financial aid?
The average net price - the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, books, supplies and average living costs) minus grants and scholarships, for full-time, first-time students receiving federal aid - is about $16,524 a year, or roughly $66,096 over four years. Because it counts living costs, it can run above tuition alone. That is the number to plan around. Actual cost varies by family income, per the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
What do Montana State University Billings graduates earn?
The typical graduate earns about $44,296 ten years after enrolling, roughly $2,496 a year more than the median high-school graduate ($41,800, per NCES, 2022). That earnings gap is what has to cover the cost of the degree.
How long does it take to pay off Montana State University Billings?
We estimate the payback period - the time it takes for the earnings bump over a high-school graduate to cover what you spent - at about 22.2 years for Montana State University Billings. The median across the schools we track is about 12 years.
How much debt do Montana State University Billings graduates take on?
Among graduates who borrowed, median federal loan debt from this school is about $18,209, against average earnings of $34,300 six years after entry - a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.53. In our view that is reasonable, though your major matters: higher-earning fields will see the better end of it.
What is the graduation rate at Montana State University Billings?
The six-year graduation rate is 30.0%. The national average for four-year schools is 64% (NCES, 2022). Completion is 15% of our ROI score, since a degree you don't finish rarely pays back.
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Data: College Scorecard API (U.S. Department of Education)
Vintage: 2024-2025 · Last updated: 2026-03-25
Earnings reflect median outcomes for all federal financial aid recipients. Individual results vary by major, effort, and career path.