The University of Montana-Western
Dillon, Montana · Also known as Western Montana College; Montana Western; UM Western; WMC; UMW · Website
$43,229
median earnings, 10 years after starting
$43,229
median earnings, 10 years after starting
The University of Montana-Western is a public 4-year college in Dillon, Montana with 1,198 undergraduates and 23 graduate students. Its average net price after grants is $16,558 a year (tuition and fees $6,670 in-state, $20,130 out-of-state). It admits 100% of applicants and 51% of students finish within 6 years. Former students earn a median $43,229 a year 10 years after they started, and graduates leave with a median $21,000 in federal student loans.
Updated Oct 10, 2026 · June 2026 data
Net price
$16,558
US median $17,138
Tuition in-state
$6,670
Out-of-state $20,130
Admission rate
100%
US median 78%
Completion rate
51%
Within 6 years, US 58%
Median debt
$21,000
About $223 a month
Earnings at 10 years
$43,229
Rank 2,201 of 5,094 in the US
Cost
What a year costs: posted prices and the average after grants
Net price by family income
Average yearly cost after grants, for students who get aid
- Net price
- $16,558
- Tuition in-state
- $6,670
- Tuition out-of-state
- $20,130
- Cost of attendance
- $21,403
- Students with a need-based grant
- 35%
- Students with federal loans
- 34%
- Net price, family income under $30K
- $14,822
- Net price, family income $30K to $48K
- $14,058
- Net price, family income $48K to $75K
- $15,951
- Net price, family income $75K to $110K
- $17,785
- Net price, family income over $110K
- $20,125
Net price is what students who get aid pay on average after grants.
Tuition and net price by year
School years 2015-16 to 2024-25. The year on the chart is the year the school year starts.
Yearly cost
Tuition and fees went from $4,835 in 2015-16 to $6,670 in 2024-25.
Admission, completion and retention
Share of applicants admitted, of students who finish and of first-year students who come back
Admission and students
- Admission rate
- 100%
- Undergraduates
- 1,198
- Graduate students
- 23
- Part-time students
- 15%
- Women
- 64%
- Students per teacher
- 16
- Completion rate
- 51%
- Retention rate
- 79%
- Highest degree
- Graduate degree
- Programs
- 33
- Endowment
- $13.0M
Earnings and debt
Compared with the medians of the colleges of its state, of colleges of the same kind and of all US colleges
Median earnings 10 years after starting rank 2,201 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 of 25 in Montana (1 = highest).
| Measure | College | MT median | Same kind | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net price | $16,558 | $13,337 | $12,792 | $17,138 |
| Tuition in-state | $6,670 | $4,961 | $8,626 | $11,837 |
| Admission rate | 100% | 82% | 83% | 78% |
| Completion rate | 51% | 45% | 46% | 58% |
| Retention rate | 79% | 64% | 76% | 75% |
| Median debt | $21,000 | $18,500 | $19,500 | $13,271 |
| Earnings after 6 years | $37,252 | $35,820 | $43,105 | $35,656 |
| Earnings after 10 years | $43,229 | $41,951 | $50,314 | $40,813 |
Best-paid programs
Median earnings 1 year after graduation
Same kind: US public 4-year colleges. Earnings and debt are medians of former students who received federal student aid. 60% of borrowers lowered their balance within 3 years. 66% earn more than a typical high school graduate 6 years after starting.
Programs
33 fields of study and credentials, with graduates, debt and earnings
| Field of study | Graduates | Median debt | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yr | US median 4 yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and HumanitiesAssociate's | Associate's | 58 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $44,125 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 57 | $20,829 | $36,742 | $41,988 | $47,382 |
| Education, GeneralOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 35 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,787 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 26 | $20,918 | $35,880 | $47,344 | $68,257 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasBachelor's | Bachelor's | 24 | $21,500 | $38,151 | $46,457 | $51,389 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/FitnessBachelor's | Bachelor's | 19 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $54,562 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineAssociate's | Associate's | 17 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $37,656 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and MethodsOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 16 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal ServicesBachelor's | Bachelor's | 13 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $40,334 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsAssociate's | Associate's | 12 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Military Applied SciencesCertificate | Certificate | 11 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| Biology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $57,214 |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, OtherBachelor's | Bachelor's | 10 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,693 |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal ServicesAssociate's | Associate's | 9 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $34,692 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and ResearchBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $55,012 |
| Psychology, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 8 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,706 |
| Special Education and TeachingOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 5 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject AreasOnlineCertificate | Certificate | 5 | - | - | Withheld | - |
| English Language and Literature, GeneralBachelor's | Bachelor's | 5 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,590 |
| Fine and Studio ArtsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 4 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $41,367 |
| Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population BiologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $48,842 |
| Sociology and AnthropologyBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $46,959 |
| HistoryBachelor's | Bachelor's | 2 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | $50,680 |
| Agricultural and Domestic Animal ServicesCertificate | Certificate | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
| MathematicsBachelor's | Bachelor's | 1 | Withheld | Withheld | Withheld | - |
In the area
- Jobs, pay and new homes: the county of Dillon and Montana on Local Economy
- More colleges: All colleges in Montana
- Homes: Homes for sale in Montana
Questions and answers
How much does The University of Montana-Western cost?
$16,558 a year is the average net price at The University of Montana-Western after grants and scholarships. Tuition and fees are $6,670 for in-state students and $20,130 for out-of-state students, and the full cost of attendance with housing, food and books is $21,403. Families earning under $30,000 pay $14,822 on average.
What is the acceptance rate at The University of Montana-Western?
100% of applicants are admitted to The University of Montana-Western. The median admission rate of colleges in Montana is 82%.
How much do The University of Montana-Western graduates earn?
$43,229 a year is the median pay of former The University of Montana-Western students who work, 10 years after they started ($37,252 after 6 years). That ranks 2,201 of 5,094 US colleges and 11 of 25 in Montana. Its best-paid program one year after graduation is Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's) at $38,151.
How much student debt do The University of Montana-Western graduates have?
$21,000 is the median federal student loan debt of The University of Montana-Western graduates, about $223 a month over 10 years. The median across US colleges is $13,271. 34% of undergraduates take out federal loans.
What is the graduation rate at The University of Montana-Western?
51% of first-time, full-time students at The University of Montana-Western finish within 6 years. 79% of first-year students come back for a second year. The median of public 4-year colleges is 46%.
What are the most popular majors at The University of Montana-Western?
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (58 associate's graduates), Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (57 bachelor's graduates), Education, General (35 associate's graduates) had the most graduates in the newest year, out of 33 programs.
Official public data, June 2026 release. Net price is for first-time, full-time students who get aid. Completion counts first-time, full-time students who finish within 150% of the normal time. Debt and earnings are medians of students who received federal student aid, measured a few years after they left, in the dollars of the year measured; earnings count former students who work and are not enrolled, including those who did not finish.