MSU-Bozeman vs Salish Kootenai College

Montana State University and Salish Kootenai College, two distinct institutions of higher learning in Montana, offer unique educational experiences tailored to diverse student aspirations. With an acceptance rate of 88%, Montana State University welcomes a larger and more diverse student body, while Salish Kootenai College, with its 100% acceptance rate, fosters a close-knit community among its students. While both institutions offer a range of undergraduate and graduate programs, Montana State University boasts a wider selection of majors, including popular fields like engineering, business, and nursing. Salish Kootenai College, on the other hand, specializes in Native American studies and environmental science, reflecting its commitment to preserving and promoting indigenous knowledge and culture. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve into further details about these institutions, including graduation rates, student demographics, and additional factors that may influence your higher education journey.

	Montana State University	Salish Kootenai College
Overview
Location	Bozeman, Montana	Pablo, Montana
Campus setting	Town: Remote	Rural: Distant
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Quarter
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	76.0%	61.0%
Common app member	No	No
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	73.0%	Open Admission
Application fees	Undergraduate: $38 Graduate: $60
SAT range	1070 - 1300	N/A
ACT range	20 - 27	N/A
Students submitting SAT score	26.0%
Students submitting ACT score	42.0%
Total number of applicants	26,741
Total number of admissions given out	19,522
Admitted students who chose to enroll	3,874
Yield rate	19.8%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	Not required
High school GPA	Required	N/A
Recommendation letters	Not required	N/A
High school transcript	Not required	N/A
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	N/A

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,286 Out of state: $44,022	In state: $17,319 Out of state: $22,503
Average net price	$17,821	$6,051
Tuition	In state: $5,654 Out of state: $26,086	In state: $5,076 Out of state: $10,260
Room & board	$10,400
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	92.0% Average amount $6,287	62.0% Average amount $6,648
Students receiving federal student loan	35.0% Average amount $5,191	8.0% Average amount $3,198
Students taking out private loans	5.0% Average amount $17,984	0.0% Average amount $0

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,648 Men 53.5% Women 46.5%	615 Men 31.1% Women 68.9%
Graduate students	2,140 Men 42.0% Women 58.0%	5 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Very Low
Out-of-state students	66.1%	N/A
International students	2.3%	N/A
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	Rural: Distant
Dormitory capacity	4,603	109
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Montana Washington Colorado California Oregon	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Engineering Education Business Health Professions Biological and Biomedical Sciences	Health Professions Education Business Psychology Natural Resources and Conservation
Students to faculty ratio	18:1	6:1
Institutional accreditation	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities

Outcome
Graduation rate	54.5%	61.8%
Dropout rate	42.1%	34.4%
Transferred out	N/A	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $69,934 Year 2: $72,325 Year 3: $85,881 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $70,974 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $73,528 Construction Engineering Technologies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,082 Year 2: $63,997 Year 3: $73,041 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,740 Year 2: $61,090 Year 3: $73,003 Accounting and Related Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,299 Year 2: $57,860 Year 3: $64,492 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $62,767 Year 2: $59,411 Year 3: $59,227 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,660 Year 2: $56,234 Year 3: $58,924 Educational Administration and Supervision (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $60,052 Year 2: $53,671 Year 3: $57,998 Environmental Design (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $20,010 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $55,431 Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,200 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $53,365	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: N/A Year 3: $55,777 Ground Transportation (Undergraduate Certificates or Diplomas) Year 1: $24,002 Year 2: N/A Year 3: N/A

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