MT
Montana State University
2.98 incidents / 1,000 students
Bozeman, MT · Clery Act 2024 · Public
Montana State University
Across 2022–2024, Montana State University reported 84 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count fell over that span (largest filed category: Rape). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: The University of Montana.
- 2.98
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,275
- Rank of 2,072
- #9
- MT rank
- 17,135
- Enrolled students
2.98 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
Montana State University reports 2.98 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 68% above West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Similar-enrollment scored peers: West Chester University of Pennsylvania (2.50/1k); Rochester Institute of Technology (3.10/1k); Orange Coast College (1.58/1k); Mesa Community College (0.47/1k); University of Rhode Island (1.22/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes The University of Montana (4.53/1k); Montana State University Billings (3.15/1k); Montana Technological University (1.18/1k); The University of Montana-Western (3.68/1k); Carroll College (3.46/1k); Rocky Mountain College (5.81/1k); Montana State University-Northern (0.00/1k); University of Providence (0.00/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 2.98
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,275
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 62%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 21
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 180461 · Montana State University 2.98/1k score rate · #1,275/2,072
RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-UPPER · PEER-FINISH · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT
- RATE-MID 2.98/1k
- RANK-LOWER #1,275/2,072
- ST-UPPER #9 in state
- PEER-FINISH Rochester Institute of Technology · ±0.12
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-DOWN ↓ 12%
- CAT-LEAD Rape
- ENR-MID 17,135
- FIRE-REPORT 1 fire
Nearest enrollment peer: Rochester Institute of Technology (+0.12/1k)
Montana State University sheet RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-UPPER · PEER-FINISH · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT · peer Rochester Institute of Technology. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-MID · RANK-LOWER · ST-UPPER · PEER-FINISH · ZERO-NONE · TREND-DOWN · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-REPORT. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Rochester Institute of Technology (+0.12/1k). National rank #1,275 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
Montana State University reports 2.98 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 68% above West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Similar-enrollment scored peers: West Chester University of Pennsylvania (2.50/1k); Rochester Institute of Technology (3.10/1k); Orange Coast College (1.58/1k); Mesa Community College (0.47/1k); University of Rhode Island (1.22/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes The University of Montana (4.53/1k); Montana State University Billings (3.15/1k); Montana Technological University (1.18/1k); The University of Montana-Western (3.68/1k); Carroll College (3.46/1k); Rocky Mountain College (5.81/1k); Montana State University-Northern (0.00/1k); University of Providence (0.00/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Rape.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around Montana State University
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest Montana on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Mesa Community College · lowest peer 0.47
Mesa Community College — lowest peer
0.47 per 1,000 students
- Orange Coast College · near
Orange Coast College — near
1.58 per 1,000 students
- West Chester University of · near
West Chester University of Pennsylvania — near
2.5 per 1,000 students
- Montana State University · this campus
Montana State University — this campus
2.98 per 1,000 students
- Rochester Institute of Technology · highest peer
Rochester Institute of Technology — highest peer
3.1 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around Montana State University's 2.98/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
Montana State University decreased from 39 to 21 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 13 MT 4-year peers in this comparison, Montana State University is larger than 100% and safer-reporting than 58% - the larger, safer-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Montana State University: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaniiih Nakoda College | 120 | 0.00 | 0 | 75 |
| Stone Child College | 292 | 3.42 | 8 | 42 |
| Blackfeet Community College | 318 | 0.00 | 17 | 75 |
| Salish Kootenai College | 671 | 5.96 | 25 | 0 |
| University of Providence | 763 | 0.00 | 33 | 75 |
| Montana State University-Northern | 966 | 0.00 | 42 | 75 |
| Rocky Mountain College | 1,032 | 5.81 | 50 | 8 |
| Carroll College | 1,156 | 3.46 | 58 | 33 |
| The University of Montana-Western | 1,358 | 3.68 | 67 | 25 |
| Montana Technological University | 1,702 | 1.18 | 75 | 67 |
| Montana State University Billings | 4,129 | 3.15 | 83 | 50 |
| Montana State University (this campus) | 17,135 | 2.98 | 100 | 58 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
Enrollment scale
How campus size shapes the safety figures
With 17,135 enrolled students, Montana State University is the 260th largest of the 5,585 institutions in this dataset with a reported enrollment, ahead of 5,325 of them. Closest same-state same-level scored peers by enrollment: The University of Montana (4.53/1k); Montana State University Billings (3.15/1k); Montana Technological University (1.18/1k); The University of Montana-Western (3.68/1k); Carroll College (3.46/1k); Rocky Mountain College (5.81/1k); Montana State University-Northern (0.00/1k); University of Providence (0.00/1k). The score above normalizes 2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students, so compare it with similarly sized campuses instead of treating a higher raw count as evidence that a campus is less safe (West Chester University of Pennsylvania is the nearest similar-enrollment comparison on this profile).
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at Montana State University fell from 39 to 21 (-46%). The increase shows up in Burglary (0 to 1). Falling over the same period: Rape (16 to 5), Arson (3 to 0) and Aggravated Assault (8 to 6).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at Montana State University
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 8 Clery Act categories here: Rape, Fondling, Aggravated Assault, Motor Vehicle Theft, Arson, Burglary, Incest and Statutory Rape.
The remaining 3 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Robbery. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyMontana State University: Criminal Offenses by year
Declining 12% (24 → 21 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 24 |
| 2023 | 39 |
| 2024 | 21 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rape | 5 | 16 | 12 |
| Fondling | 6 | 8 | 6 |
| Aggravated Assault | 6 | 8 | 1 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Arson | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Burglary | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Incest | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
45 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 22 | 41 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 96 | 331 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 11 | 98 |
Montana State University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
PA
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
2.50 incidents / 1,000 students
NY
Rochester Institute of Technology
3.10 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where Montana State University sits on price and outcomes
At $22,499, Montana State University's reported average net price is cheaper than 92% among 26 Montana colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $14,010.
- $22,499
- average net price
- $14,010
- Montana median
- 2.0×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $8,108
- reported income-bracket spread
Net price moves with income here, but not sharply: $17,797 for families reporting under $30,000 against $25,905 above $110,000, a difference of $8,108. Aid narrows the gap without closing it, so the $22,499 average sits reasonably close to what most brackets report.
Six-year median earnings of $44,757 run about 2.0 times the annual net price. The margin is real but narrow, so how many years of price a student actually pays matters a great deal here.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $8,460
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $33,287
- Avg Net Price
- $22,499
- Median Debt
- $22,500
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 16%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 82%
- SAT Average
- 1183
- SAT Math Range
- 525-640
- ACT Average
- 24
- ACT Range
- 21-27
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 57%
- Retention Rate
- 79%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $44,757
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $53,263
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 85%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 552 similar institutions by enrollment size.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA · 17,171 enrolled
Safety Score 2.50
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY · 17,098 enrolled
Safety Score 3.10
Orange Coast College
Costa Mesa, CA · 17,096 enrolled
Safety Score 1.58
Mesa Community College
Mesa, AZ · 17,077 enrolled
Safety Score 0.47
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI · 17,210 enrolled
Safety Score 1.22
Closest by National Rank
Montana State University (national rank #1275) sits near Transylvania University (#1276) and Gwynedd Mercy University (#1274) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
Transylvania University
Lexington, KY
National Rank #1276
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA
National Rank #1274
Chapman University
Orange, CA
National Rank #1273
Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA
National Rank #1277
Minneapolis Community and Technical College
Minneapolis, MN
National Rank #1272
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for Montana State University, both outside MT so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA · 17,171 enrolled
Safety score 2.50
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester, NY · 17,098 enrolled
Safety score 3.10
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, RI · 17,210 enrolled
Safety score 1.22
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO · 17,059 enrolled
Safety score 5.22
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL · 17,384 enrolled
Safety score 2.36
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, TX · 17,433 enrolled
Safety score 1.15
Rio Hondo College
Whittier, CA · 17,441 enrolled
Safety score 0.17
Duke University
Durham, NC · 17,499 enrolled
Safety score 7.83
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA · 2,017 enrolled
Safety score 2.97
Chapman University
Orange, CA · 9,760 enrolled
Safety score 2.97
Transylvania University
Lexington, KY · 1,006 enrolled
Safety score 2.98
Middle Georgia State University
Macon, GA · 8,363 enrolled
Safety score 2.99
Alfred University
Alfred, NY · 2,007 enrolled
Safety score 2.99
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
Raleigh, NC · 38,464 enrolled
Safety score 2.99
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, OH · 1,671 enrolled
Safety score 2.99
North Central College
Naperville, IL · 3,003 enrolled
Safety score 3.00
DOE Enforcement Actions
2014 Clery Act Violation $967,500
DOE and DOJ found systemic failures in handling sexual assault cases, inadequate Title IX compliance, and underreporting of crimes.
Fine paid. University entered compliance agreement with DOJ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Montana State University safe?
Montana State University has a safety score of 2.98 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,275 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: West Chester University of Pennsylvania (2.50/1k). Same-state same-level set: The University of Montana (4.53/1k); Montana State University Billings (3.15/1k); Montana Technological University (1.18/1k); The University of Montana-Western (3.68/1k); Carroll College (3.46/1k); Rocky Mountain College (5.81/1k); Montana State University-Northern (0.00/1k); University of Providence (0.00/1k).
What crimes are reported at Montana State University?
For calendar year 2024, Montana State University reported Aggravated Assault (6), Fondling (6), Rape (5), Motor Vehicle Theft (3) and Burglary (1) in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does Montana State University compare to similar schools?
Montana State University reports 68% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than West Chester University of Pennsylvania. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: West Chester University of Pennsylvania (2.50/1k); Rochester Institute of Technology (3.10/1k); Orange Coast College (1.58/1k); Mesa Community College (0.47/1k); University of Rhode Island (1.22/1k). Same-state same-level set: The University of Montana (4.53/1k); Montana State University Billings (3.15/1k); Montana Technological University (1.18/1k); The University of Montana-Western (3.68/1k); Carroll College (3.46/1k); Rocky Mountain College (5.81/1k); Montana State University-Northern (0.00/1k); University of Providence (0.00/1k).
Does Montana State University have fire safety data?
Yes. Montana State University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. 1 fire was reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.