Fort Hays State University (FHSU) vs UM Western

Fort Hays State University and The University of Montana-Western, both public institutions with rich histories, offer distinct educational experiences. Fort Hays State, located in Hays, Kansas, boasts a higher acceptance rate (86%) compared to Montana-Western's 78% in Dillon, Montana. While Fort Hays State's student body is more diverse, with 30% of students identifying as minorities, Montana-Western has a smaller student population, fostering a close-knit community. Both universities offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, with popular majors including Business, Education, and Health Sciences at Fort Hays State and Business, Education, and Liberal Arts at Montana-Western. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' graduation rates, tuition fees, and other key factors that can help you make an informed decision about your academic journey.
Fort Hays State University logo

Fort Hays State University

The University of Montana-Western logo

The University of Montana-Western

Overview

Location Hays, Kansas Dillon, Montana
Campus setting Town: Remote Town: Remote
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate
Students retention rate 73.0% 73.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 90.3% 33.3%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $30

Graduate: $40
$30
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 1,997 1,278
Total number of admissions given out 1,804 426
Admitted students who chose to enroll 955 229
Yield rate 52.9% 53.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $19,364

Out of state: $29,804
In state: $21,456

Out of state: $32,920
Average net price $13,788 $12,377
Tuition
In state: $4,140

Out of state: $14,580
In state: $4,523

Out of state: $15,913
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $4,047

Meal plan: $4,326
Room/dormitory: $3,244

Meal plan: $4,800
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

91.0%
Average amount $5,027
89.0%
Average amount $8,492
Students receiving federal student loan 50.0%
Average amount $5,059
58.0%
Average amount $7,476
Students taking out private loans 3.0%
Average amount $9,055
5.0%
Average amount $7,955

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 11,402
Men 39.1% Women 60.9%
1,399
Men 33.0% Women 67.0%
Graduate students 2,700
Men 29.7% Women 70.3%
N/A
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students N/A 31.4%
International students 1.7% 0.1%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote Town: Remote
Dormitory capacity 1,731 420
First year students are required to live on campus? No No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from N/A Montana Washington Idaho Nevada California

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Business
  • Education
  • Health Professions
  • Liberal Arts
  • Social Sciences
  • Education
  • Liberal Arts
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Military Technologies
Students to faculty ratio 15:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome

Graduation rate 50.5% 41.8%
Dropout rate 31.2% 26.3%
Transferred out 15.0% 28.6%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $85,036
  • Year 2: $82,440
  • Year 3: $99,232
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,228
  • Year 2: $55,286
  • Year 3: $67,227
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,873
  • Year 2: $57,461
  • Year 3: $61,895
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies, Other (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $58,104
  • Year 2: $57,995
  • Year 3: $60,659
Industrial Production Technologies/Technicians (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $48,849
  • Year 3: $59,909
Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,167
  • Year 2: $51,392
  • Year 3: $57,191
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,360
  • Year 2: $55,512
  • Year 3: $53,880
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $51,829
  • Year 3: $52,488
Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,081
  • Year 2: $47,846
  • Year 3: $49,888
Educational/Instructional Media Design (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $50,407
  • Year 2: $48,432
  • Year 3: $49,592
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $30,379
  • Year 2: $39,009
  • Year 3: $40,922
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,928
  • Year 2: $36,437
  • Year 3: $39,876
Natural Resources Conservation and Research (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,221
  • Year 3: $37,419
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $34,421
  • Year 2: $32,925
  • Year 3: $32,976
Health and Physical Education/Fitness (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $30,771
  • Year 3: N/A

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