Quad

Head-to-head

Idaho State
U. Montana

Key differences

The biggest gaps between these schools, largest first.

  1. 1

    Idaho State costs about $10.8K less per year on average than U. Montana ($15,215 vs. $26,011, all students)

    Average cost, all students
  2. 2

    Idaho State's grants cover 36% of its full price on average, vs. 24% at U. Montana

    Aid generosity
  3. 3

    Idaho State graduates 9 pts more of its students than U. Montana (56% vs. 47%)

    Graduation rate
  4. 4

    Idaho State has 6 pts more first-gen students than U. Montana (36% vs. 30%)

    First-generation students
  5. 5

    Idaho State is more diverse (index 0.48 vs. 0.46)

    Diversity index
  6. 6

    Idaho State grads earn $1.1K more ten years out than U. Montana's ($45,608 vs. $44,511)

    Median earnings, 10 yrs

The shape of each school

Each axis is a national rank among 4-year colleges; further out = more of it.

SelectivityTest scoresSizePell shareFirst-genDiversity

Hollow dots at the center mean that measure isn't reported.

Who's hardest to get into

U. Montana admits 96%; Idaho State doesn't report an acceptance rate.

Acceptance rate
Idaho StateNot reported
U. Montana96%
Quad's selectivity
  • Idaho StateNot rated
  • U. MontanaOpen
ACT middle 50%Axis 19–36
Idaho StateNot reported
U. Montana
23–28
How they read a recordfirst-years at 3.75+
  • Idaho StateNot reported
  • U. MontanaRigor and GPA very important35%

Who's on each campus

Idaho State and U. Montana are about the same size; both have the same Pell share, 28%.

Undergrads
Idaho State7.6K
U. Montana7.5K
Pell Grant share
Idaho State28%
U. Montana28%

Majors and faculty

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse leads at Idaho State, and Psychology at U. Montana; Idaho State has 14 students per faculty member to U. Montana's 17.

Students per faculty member
Idaho State14 to 1
U. Montana17 to 1
Most popular majorshare of graduates
  • Idaho StateRegistered Nursing/Registered Nurse13%
  • U. MontanaPsychology, General9%

What each costs

Idaho State costs about $10.8K less a year than U. Montana on average, and its grants cover the larger share of its price.

Average cost, all students
Idaho State$15.2K
U. Montana$26K
Aid generosity
Idaho State36%
U. Montana24%

What each pays off

Idaho State's former students earn more, a median $45.6K ten years after enrolling; six-year graduation runs from 56% at Idaho State to 47% at U. Montana.

Median earnings, 10 years
Idaho State$45.6K
U. Montana$44.5K
Graduation rate
Idaho State56%
U. Montana47%

How each has changed

Applications grew at U. Montana, which got less selective.

Applications, 10-year change
  • Idaho StateNot reported
  • U. MontanaGrowing+79%
All the numbersEvery figure for these colleges in one table, with differences highlighted.
Sources for this comparisonEvery dataset and year behind the numbers in this comparison; tap any ⓘ for one number's source

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, most recent release;IPEDS Institutional Characteristics survey, 2023–24;IPEDS Student Financial Aid survey, 2023–24;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;IPEDS Fall Enrollment survey (part D), Fall 2024;IPEDS Completions survey (degrees awarded by field), 2024–25 graduates;College Scorecard, 2023–24;IPEDS Graduation Rates survey (Pell Grant and subsidized loan recipients), Entered fall 2018;The University of Montana (Fall 2025), Fall 2025;The University of Montana Common Data Set 2025–26, Entered fall 2024About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why