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The University of Montana-Western

Dillon, MT · official site ↗

PublicBaccalaureate: Diverse FieldsSmall
59
Fin. Resilience
Resilience score

vs. 63 peers in its group

The University of Montana-Western is a public institution in Dillon, MT, classified by Carnegie as “Baccalaureate: Diverse Fields.”

It enrolls about 1,198 undergraduates and is benchmarked here against 63 peer institutions (Baccalaureate: Diverse Fields · Public).

On Ibex's Financial Resilience score it rates 59 out of 100 within that peer group, a transparent composite of endowment per undergraduate, net tuition revenue per student, and instructional spend per student.

Its strongest standing relative to peers is full-time faculty share (100%, 100th percentile).

Its weakest is field-demand outlook (10-yr) (+3.1%).

Ibex's cross-metric scan flags: Undergrad enrollment down 18% since 2016.

Peer group

Baccalaureate: Diverse Fields · Public

63 institutions

Undergrad enrollment down 18% since 2016
Policy & demographic exposure

How exposed The University of Montana-Western is to the structural shifts reshaping higher ed: a composite structural-risk index plus the 2025 federal budget law’s endowment excise tax and Grad PLUS elimination and the demographic enrollment cliff. Only signals that apply to this institution are shown.

Structural risk indexAn indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure) blending operating margin, months of cash cushion, tuition dependency and the home-state enrollment cliff. Screens for the financial and demographic strain that precedes closures and mergers — directional, not a prediction.
61
Elevated
Enrollment cliff (home state)Projected change in the institution's home-state high-school graduates from 2025 to 2041 (WICHE). The U.S. total falls about 13%; a directional feeder-market signal, not an enrollment forecast.
1.4%
Stable or growing

Indicative signals, not forecasts — see each metric’s definition and the methodology. Endowment-tax and Grad PLUS figures appear only where the institution is actually exposed; “nationally” compares against all schools that report each signal.

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Financial Health Index
-1.1
on a −4 to 10 scale
Financial Health IndexStress

NACUBO Composite Financial Index — the balance-sheet health score accreditors and institutional boards use to gauge financial health; bond-rating agencies track similar ratios. 14th percentile of 63 peers.

Primary reserve 35%0.2 mo
Reserves vs. debt 35%0.07×
Return on net assets 20%-8.8%
Operating result 10%-5.7%

Composite of four ratios on a strength-factor scale (−4 weak → 10 strong): below 3 falls short of the threshold for financial health, below 1 signals acute stress, and above 6 is strong. Computed from IPEDS FY2022-23, the most recent finance release (it lags the current year by 2–3 years). Branch campuses that report finances at a parent/system level can show distorted ratios. For informational benchmarking, not a credit rating or financial advice.

Revenue composition
Where the money comes from $29.4M total revenue · IPEDS FY2022-23

Government appropriations is the largest single source at 30% of revenue.

Government appropriations30.4%
Tuition & fees27.5%
Government grants & contracts16.7%
Auxiliary enterprises13.1%
Other revenue7.1%
Private gifts & grants3.7%
Investment return1.5%

Where each dollar of revenue comes from, as a share of total positive revenue. Sources are standardized across public (GASB) and private (FASB) reporting; a net investment loss in a down market is shown as 0% and excluded from the mix.

Net price by income
Average net price by family income After grant & scholarship aid · Scorecard 2024-25
$0–30K$14,822
$30–48K$14,058
$48–75K$15,951
$75–110K$17,785
$110K+$20,125

Average annual net price (total cost minus grant and scholarship aid) paid by federal-aid recipients in each family-income band. Lower-income bands often pay less where need-based aid is strong.

Financial Health
Net tuition revenue / FTETuition revenue per full-time-equivalent student after institutional aid/discounts — what tuition actually nets.
Strong
$7,190
81st percentile in peer grouppeer median $5,300
Instructional spend / FTESpending on instruction per FTE student — how much of the budget reaches the classroom.
Below peers
$6,545
30th percentile in peer grouppeer median $9,434
Endowment (end of year)Total endowment value at year end — long-term invested wealth that funds operations and cushions shocks.
Average
$13M
47th percentile in peer grouppeer median $13.5M
In-state tuition & feesPublished in-state tuition and fees before aid (sticker price).
$6,670
24th percentile in peer grouppeer median $8,424
Out-of-state tuition & feesPublished out-of-state tuition and fees before aid (sticker price).
$20,130
66th percentile in peer grouppeer median $16,579
Avg annual cost of attendanceAverage total annual cost — tuition, fees and living costs — before aid.
$21,403
53rd percentile in peer grouppeer median $21,129
Avg monthly faculty salaryAverage monthly salary of full-time faculty (IPEDS) — a proxy for faculty investment.
Average
$7,879
52nd percentile in peer grouppeer median $7,830
Average monthly salary of full-time faculty, as reported to IPEDS.
Average net priceAverage yearly price families actually pay after grants and scholarships.
Below peers
$16,558
85th percentile in peer grouppeer median $12,675
Endowment per undergradEndowment divided by undergraduate headcount — endowment wealth behind each undergrad.
Average
$10,876
65th percentile in peer grouppeer median $6,583
Operating marginNet surplus as a share of total revenue — whether the institution runs in the black.
Deficit
-5.4%
17th percentile in peer grouppeer median 7.1%
Net surplus as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23): (total revenues − total expenses) ÷ total revenues. A surplus above 4% is strong; a thin surplus near 0% leaves little margin for shocks.
Tuition dependencyTuition's share of total revenue — how exposed the budget is to enrollment swings.
27.5%
81st percentile in peer grouppeer median 17.7%
Tuition & fees as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23). Higher = more exposed to enrollment swings.
State appropriations shareState appropriations' share of total revenue — material for public institutions, near zero for private.
30.4%
42nd percentile in peer grouppeer median 33.2%
State appropriations as a share of total revenue (IPEDS FY2022-23). Material for public institutions; ~0 for private.
Months of operating cushionMonths of operating expenses covered by expendable reserves — the institution's cash cushion.
Thin
0.2 mo
22nd percentile in peer grouppeer median 3.4 mo
How many months of operating expenses the institution could cover from expendable reserves (IPEDS FY2022-23 primary reserve ratio × 12). About 5 months — one semester — is the accreditor benchmark for solid footing; below ~3 months is thin. A negative figure means expendable reserves are themselves negative.
Reserves vs. debtExpendable reserves divided by long-term debt — whether reserves could cover the debt.
Thin
0.07×
17th percentile in peer grouppeer median 0.57×
Expendable reserves ÷ plant-related debt (IPEDS FY2022-23 viability ratio). At or above 1.25×, reserves fully cover long-term debt. Shown blank when the institution carries little or no plant debt.
Return on net assetsChange in net assets over the year — whether the institution grew wealthier.
Weak
-8.8%
10th percentile in peer grouppeer median 5.7%
Change in total net assets ÷ net assets (IPEDS FY2022-23) — whether the institution grew wealthier over the year. 2–4% is adequate; above 4% is strong.
Endowment per FTE studentEndowment per full-time-equivalent student — the FTE-correct measure of endowment wealth per student.
Average
$9,833
65th percentile in peer grouppeer median $6,557
End-of-year endowment ÷ 12-month FTE enrollment — endowment wealth per full-time-equivalent student. The FTE-correct companion to endowment-per-undergraduate; FTE counts graduate and part-time load, so research universities look less wealthy on this basis than on a headcount basis.
Structural risk indexAn indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure) blending operating margin, months of cash cushion, tuition dependency and the home-state enrollment cliff. Screens for the financial and demographic strain that precedes closures and mergers — directional, not a prediction.
Elevated
61
— percentile in peer group
An indicative 0–100 structural-risk index (higher = more pressure), an equal-weight blend of the stress signals we measure: thin or negative operating margin, low months of operating cushion, high tuition dependency, and a shrinking home-state high-school-graduate pipeline (enrollment cliff). Averaged over whichever signals are available (at least two required). It screens for the financial and demographic pressures that precede closures and mergers — a directional indicator, NOT a prediction that any institution will close, and not a credit rating.
Graduation & completion
Graduation rate · first-time, full-time
51.2%

51.2% graduate within 6 years (150% of normal time)
28.9% on-time, within 4 years (100%)
Counts only students who entered full-time as first-time freshmen and earned a bachelor's here — the conventional headline rate. Excludes part-time entrants and transfer-ins.

Completion rate · all students
53.4%

53.4% earned a degree or certificate within 8 years (IPEDS Outcome Measures)
The broader cohort — also counts part-time entrants and transfer-ins, and any credential. More inclusive, so it can run higher than the graduation rate.

Why two numbers? They measure different students over different windows, so they are not directly comparable. The graduation rate is the standard federal headline but tracks only first-time, full-time students through a bachelor's; the all-students completion rate adds the part-time and transfer students it leaves out, over a longer window. Read each for what it covers. Source: U.S. Department of Education — IPEDS Graduation Rates & Outcome Measures, via College Scorecard.

Enrollment & Pipeline
Undergraduate enrollmentNumber of degree-seeking undergraduates (IPEDS fall headcount). A size measure, not a quality signal.
1,198
35th percentile in peer grouppeer median 1,913
Admission rateShare of applicants offered admission. Lower means more selective; open-admission schools report none.
99.8%
96th percentile in peer grouppeer median 84%
First-year retentionShare of first-time, full-time freshmen who return for a second year — an early signal of student fit and support.
Strong
78.6%
77th percentile in peer grouppeer median 69.6%
Graduation rate (6-yr · first-time, full-time)Of first-time, full-time freshmen, the share who earn a bachelor's at this institution within six years (150% of normal time) — the conventional headline graduation rate. It counts only first-time, full-time students and excludes part-time entrants and transfer-ins, who are captured instead by the all-students completion rate.
Strong
51.2%
75th percentile in peer grouppeer median 40.9%
Graduation rate (4-yr on-time · first-time, full-time)Of first-time, full-time freshmen, the share who earn a bachelor's within four years (100% of normal time) — the 'on-time' rate. It runs well below the six-year rate because many students take a fifth or sixth year; same first-time, full-time cohort as the six-year rate.
Strong
28.9%
70th percentile in peer grouppeer median 23.4%
Pell recipient shareShare of undergraduates on a federal Pell Grant — a proxy for the share from lower-income families.
35.2%
49th percentile in peer grouppeer median 35.4%
Program concentration (HHI)How concentrated a school's annual completions are across academic fields, as a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (10,000 = one field, lower = many). Higher means more reliance on a few fields; lower means a diversified program portfolio.
Highly concentrated
3,147
— percentile in peer group
How concentrated the institution's degree and certificate output is across academic fields (CIP 2-digit families), as a Herfindahl-Hirschman Index on the latest year's completions: 10,000 means every completion is in one field; lower means output is spread across many. A higher value means the school leans on fewer fields and is more exposed to demand shifts in them; a lower value reflects a broad program portfolio. Shown for institutions reporting at least 100 annual completions. A structural-diversification signal, not a measure of quality.
12-month FTE enrollmentFull-time-equivalent enrollment over the full year — the denominator for per-student finance measures.
1,325
33rd percentile in peer grouppeer median 1,905
Full-time-equivalent enrollment over the full 12-month year (IPEDS 12-month enrollment, 2022-23). Counts part-time students at their fractional load, so it runs above fall full-time headcount and is the denominator used for per-student finance measures.
Student-faculty ratioStudents per instructional faculty member — lower usually means smaller classes and more contact.
15:1
52nd percentile in peer grouppeer median 15:1
Students per instructional faculty member (IPEDS, fall 2023). Lower generally means smaller classes and more faculty contact, though the measure mixes undergraduate and graduate teaching and is institution-reported.
Enrollment cliff (home state)Projected change in the institution's home-state high-school graduates from 2025 to 2041 (WICHE). The U.S. total falls about 13%; a directional feeder-market signal, not an enrollment forecast.
Stable or growing
1.4%
— percentile in peer group
Projected change in the number of high-school graduates in the institution's HOME STATE from the class of 2025 (the national peak) to 2041, per WICHE's Knocking at the College Door, 11th Edition (Dec 2024). The 'enrollment cliff' is the post-2008 birth decline reaching college age; the U.S. total is projected to fall about 13% over this window. A college recruits from many states, so its home-state projection is an indicative directional signal of feeder-market pressure, not a forecast of that institution's own enrollment.
Completion rate (all students · 8-yr)Of ALL entering degree-seeking undergraduates — full- and part-time, first-time and transfer-in — the share who earned a degree or certificate at this institution within eight years (IPEDS Outcome Measures). Broader than the graduation rate, which counts only first-time, full-time students, so the two are measured on different students and are not directly comparable.
Strong
53.4%
71st percentile in peer grouppeer median 46.9%
Share of ALL entering degree-seeking undergraduates — full- and part-time, first-time and transfer-in — who earned a degree or certificate at this institution within eight years (IPEDS Outcome Measures, via College Scorecard). Broader and more inclusive than the graduation-rate figures, which count only first-time, full-time students entering a bachelor's program — so the two are measured on different groups of students and are not directly comparable.
Admission yield
Strong
38%
66th percentile in peer grouppeer median 28.1%
Share of admitted students who enrolled (IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023): students who enrolled ÷ students admitted. A demand signal — how many accepted offers the institution converts to enrollment. Higher yield generally reflects stronger demand, though binding early-decision programs and price positioning can inflate it. Open-admission institutions do not report admissions and show none.
Student body
Undergraduate race & ethnicity IPEDS 2024-25
White80.4%
Two or more races5.6%
Hispanic/Latino5.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native5.0%
Black1.2%
Unknown1.2%
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander0.6%
Asian0.4%
International0.3%

Undergraduate enrollment by race and ethnicity, as reported to IPEDS (College Scorecard). “International” denotes nonresident students; “Unknown” means race/ethnicity was not reported.

Student Outcomes & Risk
Median earnings (10 yr)Median earnings of former students ten years after first enrolling (working, federally-aided students).
Average
$43,229
38th percentile in peer grouppeer median $47,779
Median debt at graduationMedian federal loan debt graduates carry at the point they complete.
Average
$21,000
58th percentile in peer grouppeer median $20,118
3-yr cohort default rateShare of borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment. Lower is better.
Average
11.1%
62nd percentile in peer grouppeer median 9.5%
Share of borrowers who defaulted within three years of entering repayment (U.S. Dept. of Education official cohort default rate). Shown for the FY2017 borrower cohort — the most recent cohort whose full three-year default window closed before the 2020-23 federal student-loan payment pause. More recent cohorts are reported by the College Scorecard at essentially 0%, but that reflects the payment pause (no payments were due, so almost no one could default), not borrower health, so the pre-pause cohort is the last meaningful reading. Lower is better.
Share taking federal loansShare of students taking out federal loans — a borrowing-reliance signal.
34.4%
59th percentile in peer grouppeer median 29.9%
Full-time faculty shareShare of faculty employed full-time — higher generally means more availability and continuity.
Strong
100%
100th percentile in peer grouppeer median 69.2%
Debt-to-earnings ratioMedian graduate debt divided by median earnings — how heavy the debt load is versus what graduates earn. Lower is better.
Below peers
0.49×
81st percentile in peer grouppeer median 0.39×
Return on credentialMedian 10-year earnings divided by the four-year cost of attendance (annual cost × 4) — a rough payback ratio for the degree.
Average
0.50×
43rd percentile in peer grouppeer median 0.53×
Median 10-year earnings divided by the four-year cost of attendance (average annual cost × 4). A rough payback ratio: 1.0× means a graduate's annual 10-year earnings roughly equal the full four-year sticker cost. Earnings reflect federally-aided students; cost of attendance is the published sticker price before aid, so this is conservative relative to what families net of aid pay.
Field-demand outlook (10-yr)Employment-weighted 10-year BLS job-growth projection for the occupations this school's program mix feeds (U.S. all-occupations benchmark +3.1%). An indicative broad-field demand signal, not a program-specific or placement guarantee.
Outpaces job-market average
+3.1%
8th percentile in peer group
Projected 10-year (2024-34) change in U.S. employment for the occupations this institution's degrees and certificates feed, blended across its program mix. Built by mapping each CIP 2-digit field to its occupations via the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk, taking the employment-weighted average of each occupation's BLS-projected percent change, then weighting fields by the institution's latest-year completions. The U.S. all-occupations benchmark is 3.1%, so a higher value means the school's graduates concentrate in faster-growing labor markets. An INDICATIVE field-level signal at broad-field granularity — not a program-specific or graduate-specific projection, and not a placement or earnings guarantee. Structurally diffuse CIP families whose crosswalk maps to 'any job' are excluded from the signal: 05 Area/Ethnic/Gender Studies, 24 Liberal Arts & Humanities, and 30 Multi/Interdisciplinary. Shown where at least 50% of completions fall in fields with a coherent occupational mapping and the school reports 100+ annual completions.
Loan repayment rate (3-yr)
59.5%
62nd percentile in peer grouppeer median 57.8%
Share of student-loan borrowers who had repaid at least $1 of their loan principal within three years of entering repayment (College Scorecard, FY2024-25). Read it as context, not a simple good/bad score: a low rate can mean borrowers are struggling, but it can also mean many graduates have postponed payments while enrolled in graduate or professional school, which is common at selective schools and pushes their rate down. Unlike the cohort default rate, it is not distorted by the 2020-23 federal payment pause. Reported only where enough borrowers exist.
Top fields of study (bachelor's)

The University of Montana-Western’s largest fields by completions, with graduate earnings (4 years out) and debt benchmarked against the same field at its peer group. Sparklines show the 8-year completions trend.

FieldCompletions / yrMedian earnings, 4 yrs outMedian debtEarnings premiumRisk score
Education128$42,931
41th pct · 32 peers
—Above benchmark +24%Low · 11
Business, Management & Marketing33$47,344
17th pct · 52 peers
—Above benchmark +37%Moderate · 43
Biological & Biomedical Sciences20———Moderate · 57
Natural Resources & Conservation17———Moderate · 61
Parks, Recreation & Fitness16———Moderate · 45
Agriculture & Animal Sciences13———High · 69
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies7———Low · 0
Visual & Performing Arts7———Low · 0
Psychology6———Moderate · 61
English Language & Literature5———High · 73

All 2 top fields shown clear the MT state earnings-premium benchmark (indicative).

Earnings-premium status is an indicative estimate: median graduate earnings four years out vs the MT state median earnings of a high-school graduate (undergraduate credentials) or a bachelor’s-degree holder (graduate credentials) from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2022 ACS 5-year). The official U.S. Department of Education determination uses its own cohort definition and may differ.

The risk score (0–100) is an indicative blend of earnings-premium margin and the five-year completions trend—higher means a field pays closer to (or below) the benchmark and is shrinking. A directional screen, not an official determination.

See the interactive dashboard for all fields and credential levels (associate through doctoral). Source: College Scorecard Field of Study.

Frequently asked
How financially healthy is The University of Montana-Western?
On the NACUBO Composite Financial Index — the −4 to 10 balance-sheet score accreditors and institutional boards use — The University of Montana-Western scores -1.1 (Stress), computed from its IPEDS FY2022-23 finances. This is informational benchmarking, not a credit rating.
How selective is The University of Montana-Western?
The University of Montana-Western admits about 100% of applicants, and roughly 79% of first-year students return for a second year.
What is The University of Montana-Western's student-faculty ratio?
The University of Montana-Western reports a student-faculty ratio of 15:1 (IPEDS, fall 2023) — that is, about 15 students for every instructional faculty member.
How much does The University of Montana-Western cost?
The average published cost of attendance is $21,403 and the average net price after aid is $16,558 (College Scorecard).
How much do The University of Montana-Western graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entry are $43,229 (College Scorecard), measured across students who received federal aid.
Are The University of Montana-Western's programs at risk under the federal earnings-premium test?
Indicatively, at The University of Montana-Western, all 2 of the largest fields with available earnings data clear the MT state earnings-premium benchmark used by the 2025 federal test (effective July 1, 2026) — median graduate earnings (four years out) exceed those of a typical worker without the credential. This is an estimate using College Scorecard earnings vs ACS medians; the official Department of Education determination may differ.
Compare with peers
University of Maine at FarmingtonUnited States Coast Guard AcademyDickinson State UniversityKentucky State UniversityLake Superior State UniversityBluefield State University

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Source: U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard & IPEDS (most recent releases), with the U.S. Census Bureau (ACS), the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Employment Projections, field-demand outlook) and WICHE (enrollment-cliff projections). Figures lag the current academic year by roughly two to three years. Percentiles and medians are computed within the institution's peer group. Financial Resilience is a transparent composite — see each component above. Compiled by Ibex Insights.