UC Riverside vs MSU-Bozeman

Nestled in the heart of California's Inland Empire, University of California-Riverside (UCR) stands as a beacon of academic excellence, while Montana State University (MSU) thrives in the vibrant city of Bozeman, Montana. With acceptance rates of 63% and 84%, respectively, both universities welcome students from diverse backgrounds. UCR boasts a larger student body, with over 25,000 undergraduates, while MSU fosters a close-knit community of around 15,000 undergraduates. While UCR excels in fields like engineering, business, and psychology, MSU shines in areas such as nursing, education, and engineering. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to uncover more distinctions between these two esteemed institutions and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Montana State University logo

Montana State University

University of California-Riverside logo

University of California-Riverside

Overview

Location Bozeman, Montana Riverside, California
Campus setting Town: Remote City: Large
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% 88.0%
Common app member No No
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 73.0% 65.4%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $38

Graduate: $60
Undergraduate: $70

Graduate: $120
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 52,672
Total number of admissions given out 19,522 34,437
Admitted students who chose to enroll 3,874 5,203
Yield rate 19.8% 15.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $23,286

Out of state: $44,022
In state: $32,312

Out of state: $62,066
Average net price $17,821 $13,502
Tuition
In state: $5,654

Out of state: $26,086
In state: $11,442

Out of state: $41,196
Room & board $10,400 $16,600
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

92.0%
Average amount $6,287
78.0%
Average amount $18,676
Students receiving federal student loan 35.0%
Average amount $5,191
28.0%
Average amount $4,703
Students taking out private loans 5.0%
Average amount $17,984
2.0%
Average amount $8,151

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 14,648
Men 53.5% Women 46.5%
22,868
Men 47.0% Women 53.0%
Graduate students 2,140
Men 42.0% Women 58.0%
3,979
Men 53.8% Women 46.2%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Very Low
Moderate
Out-of-state students 66.1% 0.8%
International students 2.3% 8.1%
Campus local/setting Town: Remote City: Large
Dormitory capacity 4,603 8,597
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 California Nevada Florida Arizona New Mexico

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Education
  • Business
  • Health Professions
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Business
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Education
Students to faculty ratio 18:1 24:1
Institutional accreditation Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 54.5% 76.5%
Dropout rate 42.1% 6.2%
Transferred out N/A 16.4%
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
Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $69,338
  • Year 3: $85,748
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,571
  • Year 2: $69,617
  • Year 3: $84,080
Education, General (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $79,838
  • Year 3: $81,740
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $66,399
  • Year 2: $66,076
  • Year 3: $80,825
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $54,188
  • Year 2: $59,912
  • Year 3: $68,240
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $59,114
  • Year 2: $60,320
  • Year 3: $67,946
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,484
  • Year 2: $49,464
  • Year 3: $66,365
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,049
  • Year 2: $58,568
  • Year 3: $64,438
Biomedical/Medical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,664
  • Year 2: $49,214
  • Year 3: $63,844
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $57,269
  • Year 2: $42,682
  • Year 3: $59,823

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