2026 Best Value Economics Schools in Montana
[Economics](/majors/social-sciences/economics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for economics students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Economics Schools in Montana
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the economics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Economics Schools
For return on investment in economics, no school beat The University Of Montana this year. Set in the city of Missoula, The University Of Montana is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $8,552 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,671. Students borrow a median of $24,342 to complete the economics program here. Soon after graduation, economics degree recipients from The University Of Montana generally make around $42,654. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The University Of Montana admits about 96% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Montana State University one of the best values for economics. Set in the city of Bozeman, Montana State University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $8,460, while out-of-state students pay about $33,287. Typical student debt for economics graduates is $25,500. Economics graduates of Montana State University earn a median of $47,098 early in their careers. Set against $25,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
