Graduates of Montana State University-Northern earn median 4-year earnings of $60,505, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 45.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs below the $52,536 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $8,969 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 84.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to MT's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $30,928 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). Business is the dominant program family at Montana State University-Northern, reflecting the institution's regional focus on workforce preparation in accounting, management, and applied professional fields. Business Administration is the largest program with 34 graduates, followed by Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians with 26 graduates and Nursing with 19 graduates. These programs anchor the institution's degree output and connect students to stable regional employment pathways in rural Montana and the Northern Plains labor market.
Graduates of Montana State University-Northern earn median 4-year earnings of $60,505, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 45.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs below the $52,536 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $8,969 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 84.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to MT's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $30,928 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). Business is the dominant program family at Montana State University-Northern, reflecting the institution's regional focus on workforce preparation in accounting, management, and applied professional fields. Business Administration is the largest program with 34 graduates, followed by Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians with 26 graduates and Nursing with 19 graduates. These programs anchor the institution's degree output and connect students to stable regional employment pathways in rural Montana and the Northern Plains labor market.
Latest FE earnings field: 10-year
Lower quartile, 10-year field
How graduate earnings grow across the currently available FE horizons.
Financial justification for the investment.
Graduates of Montana State University-Northern earn median 4-year earnings of $60,505, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 45.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs below the $52,536 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $8,969 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 84.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to MT's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $30,928 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). Business is the dominant program family at Montana State University-Northern, reflecting the institution's regional focus on workforce preparation in accounting, management, and applied professional fields. Business Administration is the largest program with 34 graduates, followed by Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians with 26 graduates and Nursing with 19 graduates. These programs anchor the institution's degree output and connect students to stable regional employment pathways in rural Montana and the Northern Plains labor market.
Program mix and student pathways explain much of the earnings story.
Montana State University-Northern anchors its program portfolio in applied business and workforce-aligned fields. Business Administration is the largest program with 34 graduates annually, followed by Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Nursing, Teacher Education, and Criminal Justice. The institution's program mix reflects a regional comprehensive mission: Business accounts for 25% of degrees, Education represents 16%, and Arts comprises 3%. The strongest earnings outcomes cluster in applied fields aligned with regional labor demand. Criminal Justice graduates earn median earnings of $61,748 four years after enrollment, with 12 graduates annually. Criminal Justice graduates earn median earnings of $61,748 four years after enrollment, reflecting solid outcomes in a field that anchors the institution's largest cohorts. These programs represent the direct-to-workforce pathway where four-year earnings reflect immediate labor-market entry and early-career wage progression. Montana State University-Northern serves a rural Montana region where program mix emphasizes practical credentials and employer-aligned training. The supply and demand for college graduates provides context for how the institution's dominant program families align with regional and national labor-market conditions. As a comprehensive regional institution, Montana State University-Northern prioritizes workforce readiness and local employer partnerships over research-intensive or graduate-dependent pathways.
Upper quartile, 10-year field
Graduates of Montana State University-Northern earn median 4-year earnings of $60,505, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 45.8 percentile for median earnings four years after enrollment among nonprofit four-year institutions. That figure runs below the $52,536 median at comparable institutions. Graduates earn about $8,969 more than similar students at comparable institutions, placing Montana State University-Northern in the 84.3 percentile for earnings beyond expectations among nonprofit four-year institutions. Those figures represent lifetime returns relative to MT's no-degree-equivalent earnings baseline of $30,928 (the state median earnings of working adults with only a high school credential). Business is the dominant program family at Montana State University-Northern, reflecting the institution's regional focus on workforce preparation in accounting, management, and applied professional fields. Business Administration is the largest program with 34 graduates, followed by Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians with 26 graduates and Nursing with 19 graduates. These programs anchor the institution's degree output and connect students to stable regional employment pathways in rural Montana and the Northern Plains labor market.
See which programs drive the strongest earnings and career trajectories
