The student population at Montana State University is 17,135 (15,046 undergraduate and 2,089 graduate students) . The number of students has increased by 1,899 (12.46%) over the past decade.
- Class Level: The percentage of undergraduate students at MSU is 87.81% which is increased by 1,413 over last 10 years. The graduate student population increased by 486 and it has been increasing.
- Gender Breakdown: In 2025, there were 108 male students for every 100 female students, down from 118 in 2015.
- 909 students enrolled in online degree program exclusively and the number of online students has increased by 195.13% since 2015.
Student Population Changes
The average student population over the last 11 years is 16,550 where 17,135 students are attending the school for the academic year 2024-2025.
Total enrollment fluctuated between 2016 and 2025, with 6 year-over-year increases and 3 decreases. It peaked at 17,135 students in 2025 and was lowest at 15,236 in 2016. Overall, enrollment rose from 15,236 to 17,135 students, a net gain of 1,899 (12.5%).
The following table and chart illustrate the changes in student population by gender at Montana State University since 2015.
Undergraduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Undergraduate students over the last 11 years is 14,566 where 15,046 students are attending the Undergraduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Undergraduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Montana State University since 2015.
Graduate Enrollment Changes
The average number of Graduate students over the last 11 years is 1,984 where 2,089 students are attending the Graduate school for the academic year 2024-2025. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in Graduate enrollment by attending status and gender at Montana State University since 2015.
Enrollment by Race/Ethnicity Changes
The percentage of white students is 81.76%. The percentage was 84.39% 10 years ago and MSU still has a high percentage of white students. 1.04% of enrolled students is Asian and 0.58% is black students. Hispanic students comprise 6.37% of the student body.
Over the past 10 years, the racial composition has shifted. The percentage of white students decreased from 84.39% to 81.76%. Asian enrollment grew from 0.82% to 1.04%. Black student enrollment decreased from 0.62% to 0.58%. Hispanic student representation expanded from 3.50% to 6.37%.
The overall racial diversity, measured by the Census Bureau Diversity Index, is 0.3243 which indicates that somewhat diverse. This increased from 0.2854 a decade ago, suggesting that racial diversity has improved.
The following table and chart illustrate the student population trends by race/ethnicity at Montana State University over the past 11 years (2015-2025).
Distance Learning (Online Courses) Enrollment Changes
909 students are enrolled in online degree programs exclusively for the academic year 2024-2025, which is 5% of total students. The number of online students has increased 195.13% since 2015. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in the online student population by enrolled type at Montana State University from 2015 to 2025.