MSU Billings vs. CSU Channel Islands

Should I go to Montana State University Billings or California State University Channel Islands? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if MSU Billings or CSU Channel Islands is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Montana State University Billings vs. California State University Channel Islands comparison
Montana State University Billings California State University Channel Islands College 3 College 4
California State University Channel Islands
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Overview

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
Location Billings, MT Camarillo, CA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,092 5,688
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website msubillings.edu csuci.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
Tuition (In State) $4,805 $5,742
Tuition (Out of State) $19,305 $17,622
Room & Board $9,800 $14,200
Avg Net Price $13,252 $10,931
Avg Grant Aid $5,340 $12,804
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 80%

Admission

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 10,082
Admitted - 9,382
Acceptance Rate 93.1%
Enrolled % 6.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.05 3.22
Typical High School Grades B B
Admissions Standards Unavailable Unavailable
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind)
Application Deadline Jul 30, 2025

Academics

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (19%)
  • Education (17%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Psychology (5%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (16%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (9%)

Outcomes

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
Graduation Rate 33% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,800 $46,100
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 66%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,500 $15,183
Median Loan Payment $180 $156

Diversity

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
% Men 2% 3%
% Women 6% 4%
Racial Diversity Very Low Very High
HBCU No No
% White 82% 32%
% Black 1% 2%
% Hispanic 5% 49%
% Native American 4% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 6%

Students

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
% In-State 85% 97%
% Out-of-State 10% 1%

Campus

 MSU Billings CSU Channel Islands
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • California State University Channel Islands is larger than than MSU Billings based on total student enrollment (5,688 students vs. 4,092 students)

MSU Billings vs. CSU Channel Islands Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, MSU Billings or CSU Channel Islands?

  • California State University Channel Islands is 19.5% more expensive to attend than MSU Billings for in-state tuition ($5,742.00 vs. $4,805.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 9.6% higher at MSU Billings than California State University Channel Islands ($19,305.00 vs. $17,622.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at California State University Channel Islands than MSU Billings ($10,931 vs. $13,252)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Montana State University Billings are 44.9% lower than costs at California State University Channel Islands ($9,800 vs. $14,200)
  • The same percent of students receive financial grant aid at Montana State University Billings as California State University Channel Islands (80% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by California State University Channel Islands students is 139.8% larger than aid received Montana State University Billings ($12,804 vs. $5,340)

Which college is harder to get into, MSU Billings or CSU Channel Islands? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between CSU Channel Islands or MSU Billings .

  • Accepted freshman CSU Channel Islands students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.22) than students at MSU Billings (3.05)

MSU Billings vs. CSU Channel Islands Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, MSU Billings or CSU Channel Islands? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between CSU Channel Islands and MSU Billings.

  • The graduation rate at CSU Channel Islands is higher than Montana State University Billings (54% vs. 33%)
  • Graduates from California State University Channel Islands earn on average $8,300 more per year than MSU Billings graduates after ten years. ($46,100 vs. $37,800)
  • California State University Channel Islands students graduate with a $2,317 lower median federal student loan debt than MSU Billings graduates. ($15,183 vs. $17,500)
  • CSU Channel Islands graduates are paying $24 less per month on federal student loans than MSU Billings graduates. ($156 vs. $180)
  • More CSU Channel Islands graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former MSU Billings students, three years after graduation. (66% vs. 58%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/