Do Alaska Residents Get In-State Tuition in Montana? (Graduate, 2026)
WRGP — in-state rate
Sometimes — Alaska and Montana both belong to Western Regional Graduate Program, which can bring graduate tuition at University of Montana Graduate School down to the in-state rate of about $8,000 from $25,600, but only for approved majors. It is not automatic in-state status.
- You would pay
- $8,000/yr
- Resident pays
- $8,000/yr
- Non-resident rate
- $25,600/yr
- Saved over 2 yrs
- $35,200
Conditional: Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
Tuition and mandatory fees only, compiled from published rates and rounded. Excludes housing, books and course differentials. Eligibility is decided by the institution, not by this page.
Open this pair in the checker to switch level, compare other states, or copy a link to the result.
The route from Alaska to Montana runs through Western Regional Graduate Program. Unlike the rate-cap programs, it pays the in-state rate outright — $8,000 at University of Montana Graduate School — but only for a specific approved degree.
Alaska residents start from $11,500 a year, the in-state graduate rate at University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School. Measured against that, Montana costs $3,500 a year less than staying home. 13 other states offer Alaska residents a reduced graduate rate, the lowest being Wyoming at about $7,000.
Treat the figure below as a planning number rather than a quote. Rates are set per campus and per college within the campus, and a program in engineering or nursing frequently carries a differential the headline rate does not include.
Every route from Alaska to Montana
| Route | What it gives you | Per year | Saving | Guaranteed? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Regional Graduate Program | WRGP is the graduate half of the same agreement, and it is more generous and much narrower: students admitted to an approved master's, graduate certificate or doctoral program pay the receiving institution's full resident rate, but only a specific published list of programs takes part. | $8,000 | $17,600 | Conditional |
Where Alaska residents pay less
Staying home, an Alaska resident pays $11,500 a year for in-state graduate tuition at University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School. The cheapest Montana option for you is $8,000 at University of Montana Graduate School, which is $3,500 a year less than Alaska's own in-state rate at University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School.
Alaska belongs to Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) at graduate level, so 14 of 50 states offer Alaska graduate students a reduced rate, and Montana is one of them.
| State | Route | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska to Wyoming | Western Regional Graduate Program · University of Wyoming graduate programs | $7,000 |
| Alaska to New Mexico | Western Regional Graduate Program · UNM Graduate Studies | $8,000 |
| Alaska to Nevada | Western Regional Graduate Program · UNLV Graduate College | $9,000 |
| Alaska to Utah | Western Regional Graduate Program · University of Utah Graduate School | $9,300 |
| Alaska to Idaho | Western Regional Graduate Program · University of Idaho College of Graduate Studies | $9,700 |
Compare all 50 states from Alaska in the checker. Each figure is one reference campus per state, not a state average.
Montana residency, in brief
Montana grants in-state tuition after 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Mont. Admin. R. 20.25.501), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile. Moving to Montana to enroll does not by itself start the clock.
Montana residency requirements in full · how long every state requires
Step by step
- Check that your chosen Montana campus participates in Western Regional Graduate Program — membership is a state-level agreement, but each campus decides whether to offer it and how many awards to fund.
- Confirm your intended major is on the approved list. Applies only to approved majors at participating campuses — confirm both before you apply.
- Apply for the award at the same time as admission, and well before the campus deadline — most participating institutions award on a first-come basis and close early.
- Keep your Alaska residency documentation current; the program is only open to residents of a member state.
- Compare the result against the residency route: Montana grants in-state status after 12 months of domicile, currently $8,000 a year.
Official links
Related
Asked and answered
›Do Alaska residents get in-state tuition in Montana?
Effectively yes, through Western Regional Graduate Program, but it is not residency. You pay the in-state rate of about $8,000 while remaining an Alaska resident for every other purpose, and the benefit ends if you leave the approved program.
›How long does it take to get in-state tuition in Montana?
Montana requires 12 months of domicile before the term begins (Mont. Admin. R. 20.25.501), and a financially dependent student takes the parents' domicile.
›How much would graduate study in Montana actually cost an Alaska resident?
About $8,000 a year in tuition and mandatory fees under Western Regional Graduate Program, against $25,600 at the published non-resident rate and $8,000 for a Montana resident. Over 2 years that is roughly $35,200 saved. Figures are compiled 2025–26 published rates and exclude housing, books and course-specific differentials.
›Where can Alaska residents get reduced graduate tuition?
In 14 states at graduate level. Outside Montana, the lowest are Wyoming ($7,000), New Mexico ($8,000), Nevada ($9,000). Each figure is one reference campus, and awards are made campus by campus.
›Is studying in Montana cheaper than staying in Alaska?
On tuition, yes. The cheapest Montana option for an Alaska resident is $8,000 a year, which is $3,500 below Alaska's own in-state rate of $11,500 at University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School. Housing and travel are not included.
Sources
Every eligibility rule on this page is checked against the operating compact commission or the state's own residency authority. Last verified 2026-08-07.
Tuition figures on this page are compiled 2025–26 published rates (basis: published compiled), rounded to the nearest $100 and refreshed each June. Eligibility rules are checked against the cited compact commission or residency authority.
- Montana University System / Board of Regents — residency for tuition purposes ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of Montana Graduate School — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
- University of Alaska Fairbanks Graduate School — tuition and fees ↗Accessed 2026-08-07
How this page was made
Compiled and checked by Billy Reiner, editor of In-State Check. Last verified 2026-08-07.
- Compiled from published rate pages
- The in-state and non-resident figures are tuition and mandatory fees for one full-time year, read from University of Montana Graduate School’s own 2025–26 rate page and rounded to the nearest $100. Housing, books, travel and course-specific differentials are not included in them.
- Checked against the administering body
- Compact membership at this level was checked against the commission that runs the program (WICHE). The residency test — the durational requirement, the domicile evidence and the dependent-student rule — was checked against Montana University System / Board of Regents, Mont. Admin. R. 20.25.501. Nothing here is taken from another comparison site.
Not advice. In-State Check is independent of every college, compact and state agency named here. Residency classification and award decisions are made by the institution you apply to. Found an error? Send the page URL and the source that contradicts it to [email protected], and the page is corrected and re-dated. Full methodology.