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Main St, Bozeman, Montana (1)Photo: Chris06 · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Bozeman

Bozeman is a college town: 24 of every 100 residents are students

Montana State University (15,951 students on campus) is inside the city. Across Montana, 5 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town24% of residents are studentsMontana State University

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Bozeman. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
1
15,951 students on campus
Nearest college
1.1 mi
Montana State
Residents in college
24%
Above MT (5%)
Nearest community college
72.3 mi
Highlands College of Montana Tech · $4,130 tuition
Nearest public university
1.1 mi
Montana State · $8,460 in-state
Students on campus in Bozeman
15,951
next to 58,814 residents

What stands out about college in Bozeman

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town24 of every 100 Bozeman residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Montana.A university in BozemanMontana State University has 15,951 students on campus in Bozeman, 57% of whom graduate within six years.In-state price at Montana StateLiving in Montana, Montana State University charges $8,460 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $33,287. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 72.3 miles awayHighlands College of Montana Tech in Butte: tuition and fees $4,130 a year for Montana residents.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Bozeman

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

24 of every 100 Bozeman residents are in college (MT: 5).

15,951students on campus at Montana State University, next to 58,814 residents (dorm students count as residents)
9,649college students live in Bozeman households rather than dorms
28.9median age · MT 40.4
53%of residents are men · MT 51% (±0.9 points)
55%of homes rented · MT 31%
$1,717median rent · 59% above the state
BozemanBozeman, MT
Cost of living$1,717/mo median rentDSafetyCrime reported to the FBIC−HealthCDC estimatesAJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundA−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Bozeman’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income A−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 13.9% of Bozeman residents are below the poverty line, 6.7% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 3 points either way). 45% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living D

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 24%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health A

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Bozeman’s median age is 28.9 (Montana 40.4), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C−

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Bozeman

It is public. Every other college is more than 15 miles from Bozeman.

5 mi10 mi15 miMontana StateBozeman
University or collegeCommunity college
Montana State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · 15,951 on campus · In Bozeman82%admitted$22knet price57%graduate$53kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $75–110k, where Bozeman’s median household income ($85,747) falls.

Montana State UniversityIn Bozeman · sticker $25,905$24,732a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Bozeman: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Montana State
Montana State University57% graduate$53k earnings$22k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Bozeman

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field at Montana State University, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Business 16%Engineering 13%Health professions 8%Biology 8%Psychology 5%Visual & performing arts 5%Everything else 44%

Biggest programs

Business/Commerce, General291 graduates a year
$72k4 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing284 graduates a year
$76k4 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering171 graduates a year
$89k4 yrs out
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General145 graduates a year
$53k4 yrs out
Psychology, General140 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out
Computer Science102 graduates a year
$112k4 yrs out
Biology, General100 graduates a year
$51k4 yrs out
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods76 graduates a year
$46k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Bozeman

Is Bozeman a college town?

Yes. 24 of every 100 Bozeman residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 5 across Montana. Montana State University has 15,951 students on campus, next to 58,814 residents.

What colleges are in Bozeman?

Montana State University is inside the city. Highlands College of Montana Tech is 72.3 miles away in Butte.

Why is Bozeman’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 13.9% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 6.7% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 3 points).

What is the closest community college to Bozeman, and what does it cost?

Highlands College of Montana Tech in Butte, 72.3 miles away. Tuition and fees are $4,130 a year for Montana residents; the federal net price, $14,962, counts housing and food at full cost.

How hard is it to get into Montana State University?

Montana State University admitted 82% of applicants in the Scorecard’s latest year; the middle half of admitted students scored 1,065–1,285 on the SAT.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Bozeman. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →