Montana vs Wyoming: Scholarship Climate 2026
Which climate fits best? Montana suits applicants who want a larger overall pool of scholarship opportunities, while Wyoming may appeal to students prioritizing a slightly higher average award size. In both states, applicants should expect a relatively niche, organization-driven scholarship landscape rather than a very large statewide market.
State A
Montana
State B
Wyoming
Quick comparison
| Metric | Montana | Wyoming |
|---|---|---|
| Active scholarships in catalog | 33 | 28 |
| Avg. award (where known) | $2,639 | $2,692 |
| Max indexed award | $25,000 | $25,000 |
Financial Aid Overview for 2026
Montana and Wyoming both present smaller, targeted scholarship markets for applicants, but Montana offers the higher overall opportunity volume based on the available count of listed grants. Montana shows 38 scholarships with an average award of 2,527.27 and a maximum listed award of 25000, while Wyoming shows 28 scholarships with an average award of 2692 and a maximum listed award of 25000.
For applicants comparing reach versus value, Montana appears stronger on breadth, giving students more total scholarship options to review. Wyoming, however, has the slightly higher average award size, which may matter for applicants focused on per-award value rather than the number of opportunities.
Among the strongest scholarship providers in Montana by listed grant count are Montana Coaches Association with 3 grants, followed by Montana Federation of Garden Clubs and Society of Petroleum Engineers-Billings Section with 2 each. In Wyoming, the leading providers are General Federation of Women's Clubs of Wyoming and Wyoming Telecommunications Association with 2 grants each, while other listed providers show 1 grant each. This suggests both states have concentrated opportunity among a small number of recurring organizations.
Overall, Montana looks somewhat broader in opportunity volume, while Wyoming looks slightly stronger in average award size. For many applicants, the best strategy in either state is to search early, target mission-specific organizations, and verify institutional aid details through official federal and college data sources.
Top Scholarship Providers in Montana
Ranked by number of active scholarships
- 3 grants
- 2 grants
- 2 grants
- 1 grant
- 1 grant
Top Scholarship Providers in Wyoming
Ranked by number of active scholarships
- 2 grants
- 2 grants
- 1 grant
- 1 grant
- 1 grant
Match workspace
Find scholarships that fit your profile
Scholarship climate by state
Montana
Montana feels broader and more search-intensive for applicants, with more total scholarship opportunities but a slightly lower average award size. It may suit students willing to apply across multiple smaller or organization-based programs.
Wyoming
Wyoming feels narrower but a bit more value-focused, with fewer total opportunities yet a slightly higher average award size. It may suit applicants who prefer a shorter list of targeted scholarships with competitive individual awards.
Public reference data
Cost of living & wages
State-level affordability context to complement scholarship climate above - not ScholarshipTop grant totals.
Visual comparison
Median household income
Census ACSFair market rent (2BR)
HUD monthly estimateLiving wage
Single adult, MIT modelBLS median wage
State occupational estimateMontana
Median household income
$69,565
Census ACS
Fair market rent (2BR)
$1,129
HUD monthly estimate
Living wage
23.91/hr
Single adult, MIT model
BLS median wage
$48,740
State occupational estimate
Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 36.77 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.
Public planning context
Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.
CDC SVI band
lower indicator band
ADI band
middle indicator band
SVI counties
56
ADI counties
56
- CDC SVI county data is available for 56 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
- ADI block-group data is available across 56 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.
Wyoming
Median household income
$75,709
Census ACS
Fair market rent (2BR)
$1,044
HUD monthly estimate
Living wage
21.66/hr
Single adult, MIT model
BLS median wage
$50,270
State occupational estimate
Reported violent crime rate (state aggregate): 18.43 per 100k population. Public safety context is based on aggregate state-level public data - not a safety rating.
Public planning context
Community indicators vary by county and are included only as public planning context. Use this alongside scholarship amount, school cost, and living expenses - not as an eligibility rule.
CDC SVI band
lower indicator band
ADI band
middle indicator band
SVI counties
23
ADI counties
23
- CDC SVI county data is available for 23 counties; county indicators vary and are best used as public planning context.
- ADI block-group data is available across 23 counties; local conditions can vary within the same state.
Sources: Census ACS, HUD FMR, MIT Living Wage, BLS OEWS, and public reference datasets where available. Rent figures may reflect metro or state averages.
Public safety context uses aggregate public data and is included only as planning context.
Reference only - not ScholarshipTop eligibility rules or guarantees.
Data availability varies by school, city, state, and source year.
FAQ
Which state has more scholarship opportunities in 2026?
Which state has the higher average scholarship award?
Do Montana and Wyoming share the same top listed maximum award?
Who are the strongest scholarship providers in each state?
Sources and official pages
Official and high-authority pages used to support this State vs State comparison.
- Federal Student Aid (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education) - government reference
- NCES College Navigator - government reference
- Montana and Wyoming scholarship search reference - high-authority reference
More guides around this State vs State comparison
Internal reading paths around scholarship search, application strategy, and essay preparation for students comparing Montana and Wyoming.
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