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CollegeROIData

Montana State University vs Montana State University Billings

Side-by-side college ROI comparison from College Scorecard data

Reviewed by CollegeROIData Editorial Team · Updated

Verdict

Montana State University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Montana State University Billings at 100.0%. Average median debt: Montana State University at $24,315 vs Montana State University Billings at $25,871. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $59,200 vs $51,700.

MetricMontana State UniversityMontana State University Billings
Graduation Rate100.0%100.0%
School TypePublicPublic
StateMtMt
Avg Median Debt
Average median debt across all tracked majors
$24,315*$25,871
Avg 1yr Earnings
Average first-year earnings across all tracked majors
$59,200*$51,700
Majors Tracked2020
Best ROI MajorComputer Science (95/100)*Business/Commerce (78/100)
Best Major Debt$21,036*$25,364
Best Major 1yr Earnings$95,000*$65,000

Montana State University has a 100.0% graduation rate compared to Montana State University Billings at 100.0%. Average median debt: Montana State University at $24,315 vs Montana State University Billings at $25,871. Average first-year post-graduation earnings: $59,200 vs $51,700.

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Completion rates run close at the two schools: 100.0% versus 100.0%. When graduation probability is comparable across both options, the decision comes down to cost and post-graduation earnings rather than degree-completion risk.

Average median debt is roughly even across Montana State University and Montana State University Billings. The cost side of the comparison effectively cancels out; the meaningful question becomes whether the program mix and the earnings outcomes differ enough to break the tie.

Median first-year earnings sit moderately apart at Montana State University and Montana State University Billings. The school with stronger earnings has a real edge for high-cost-of-living markets where the absolute dollar figure matters; the school with lower earnings can still be the better choice in markets where the cost-of-living differential more than offsets the income gap.

Both schools sit in Mt, which simplifies the in-state-vs-out-of-state tuition question and aligns the regional labor markets students will enter post-graduation. Cross-school comparisons within the same state should weight program mix and employer-pipeline depth heavily — the cost-of-living and labor-market backdrop is effectively held constant, so program-level differences are the differentiator.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, 2026.