COLLEGES · 30-YEAR ROI · MISSOULA, MT

Is The University of Montana worth the money?

Yes — at resident pricing. A The University of Montana degree clears +$292K in 30-year projected net value over skipping college and investing the difference.

A public four-year school in Missoula, Montana, priced as a Montana resident — earnings rolled up from 36 FREOPP-reported programs.

IPEDS 2023 cost · FREOPP 2021 earnings · BEA 2023 cost-of-living · same model as /worth-it · this school clears positive net value.

The University of Montana · Missoula, MT

30-year net value · resident pricing
+$292K
Median earnings · 10 yrs after entry
$41,361
Breaks even by age
—
Annual tuition · Montana resident
$8,152
Annual tuition · out-of-state
$31,622
Total cost of attendance (4 years, sticker)
$81,376
FREOPP program coverage
36 programs
How this is computed (and what it isn’t)

The University of Montana runs through the /worth-it model at its resident tuition rate, with the standard loan assumptions, a 30-year horizon, and Montana’s own cost-of-living on the skip-college path. The “30-year net value” is the projected accumulated value of going vs. skipping and investing the difference, in real dollars.

What it isn’t: a verdict on every major. The school-level number averages across 36 FREOPP-reported programs — the field you pick swings it by over a million dollars on its own. We only publish school pages that clear positive net value at resident pricing; earnings roll up from at least three FREOPP programs (ADR-0032), so a single high-earning major can’t fake the number.

Questions

Is The University of Montana worth the money?
At resident pricing, yes: The University of Montana clears +$292K in 30-year projected net value versus skipping college and investing the difference. That is computed from a total cost of attendance of $81,376 and median earnings of $41,361 ten years after entry (IPEDS 2023 cost, FREOPP 2021 earnings, BEA 2023 cost-of-living — the same model as the LE TEEN calculator).
How much is tuition at The University of Montana?
The University of Montana's annual sticker tuition is $8,152 for Montana residents and $31,622 for out-of-state students, before financial aid. Total cost of attendance over 4 years — tuition plus fees, housing, and living costs — is $81,376 (IPEDS 2023).
What is the total cost of The University of Montana?
Over 4 years, The University of Montana's sticker cost of attendance is $81,376 — tuition, fees, housing, and living costs at Montana prices, before financial aid. Median earnings ten years after entry are $41,361.
What is out-of-state tuition at The University of Montana?
Non-resident annual sticker tuition at The University of Montana is $31,622, versus $8,152 for Montana residents — a premium of $23,470 a year.
How long until a The University of Montana degree pays for itself?
Under our defaults the degree path finishes +$292K ahead at the 30-year horizon; the year-by-year crossover depends on your loan share and time horizon — run your own assumptions on the calculator.
What could change the number for The University of Montana?
Two levers dominate. Residency: this page prices The University of Montana as a Montana resident — non-resident tuition is a different trade (see the out-of-state tax in Montana). And the major: the field you pick swings lifetime ROI by over a million dollars on its own (see the majors pages).

Keep going

Cite this:

LE TEEN (2026). “Is The University of Montana worth the money? 30-year ROI.” Data: IPEDS 2023 · FREOPP 2021 · BEA 2023. https://le-teen.com/colleges/the-university-of-montana