Montana CPA Exam Pass Rates: 2024 NASBA Data

Montana CPA exam pass rates: state map showing a 57.4% statewide section pass rate for 2024.
Montana CPA exam pass rates: Montana map showing a 57.4% statewide section pass rate for 2024.

MONTANA CPA EXAM PASS RATES

What is the Montana CPA exam pass rate?

The Montana CPA pass rate is 57.4% in the 2024 jurisdiction dataset used in this guide. It measures exam sections passed, not candidates who completed all four sections.

Data disclaimer: This page uses 2024 NASBA data, the latest dataset currently included in this guide. Figures for 2025 and 2026 are not included here. NASBA has released its 2025 report; this site will be updated as newer Montana data is obtained and verified.

See our CPA exam pass rate by jurisdiction comparison.

This guide keeps Montana CPA exam pass rates simple: compare public, private nonprofit, and for-profit/proprietary schools as separate categories. The university results below describe specific school cohorts; they are separate from Montana’s jurisdiction rate.

Jump to: School comparison · First attempts and retakes · School appendices · How to apply · Sources and data year

Montana CPA Exam Pass Rates by School Type

The two tables show the highest listed rates in each group (up to five records) from this guide’s 2024 bachelor’s first-time dataset. The bachelor’s first-time source reports three public schools and one private nonprofit school for Montana. Every row uses the same year, degree category, and attempt type. These are individual school results, not public-versus-private sector averages. Ties are ordered by section-attempt count, from larger to smaller.

Public colleges and universities

State-supported institutions

2024 · Bachelor’s · First-time attempts
SchoolPass rateSection
attempts
University of Montana – Missoula67.7%31
Montana State University – Billings58.3%24
Montana State University46.3%54

Private nonprofit schools

Privately governed, not-for-profit institutions

2024 · Bachelor’s · First-time attempts
SchoolPass rateSection
attempts
Carroll College33.3%15

For-profit / proprietary schools

No for-profit/proprietary results were identified in Montana’s 2024 bachelor’s first-time table. This category remains separate from private nonprofit schools. Missing results do not mean a 0% pass rate or that the state has no proprietary schools.

Read the sample size: A rate based on a small number of section attempts can change sharply with just one result. NASBA excludes institutions with fewer than five candidates from these appendices. These selected results do not predict an individual candidate’s performance. School names follow the report, with minor shortening; some institutions have since changed their names.

Looking for another school? Browse our CPA Exam Pass Rates by University page for searchable historical results. Check its reporting year before comparing.

First-Time Attempts, Retakes, and Degrees—Simply Explained

  • First-time attempt: A candidate’s first try at an individual exam section.
  • Retake: Another attempt at a section after an unsuccessful attempt.
  • All attempts: First-time attempts plus retakes. This is not a retake-only pass rate.
  • Degree: Bachelor’s and advanced-degree cohorts are reported separately. Compare like with like.

One candidate can contribute several section attempts. For example, a 60% pass rate means 60 of 100 section attempts were passed. The tables do not provide a separately verified retake-only rate.

Montana CPA Exam Pass Rates: School Appendices

Each appendix below shows the first five Montana records from the source (or all records where fewer than five are reported), sorted by pass rate from highest to lowest, with three useful columns: school, pass rate, and section attempts. These are mixed school-type excerpts, not statewide top-five rankings. Open a panel for the degree and attempt type you want. All figures are for 2024.

A-2 · Advanced degree — all attempts
2024 · Appendix A-2 · Selected Montana schools · Highest to lowest
SchoolPass rateSection
attempts
Rocky Mountain College66.7%9
A-3 · Bachelor’s degree — all attempts
2024 · Appendix A-3 · Selected Montana schools · Highest to lowest
SchoolPass rateSection
attempts
Montana Technological University81.8%11
University of Montana – Missoula58.7%46
Montana State University – Billings58.1%43
Montana State University40.0%85
Carroll College35.7%28
B-3 · Bachelor’s degree — first-time attempts
2024 · Appendix B-3 · Selected Montana schools · Highest to lowest
SchoolPass rateSection
attempts
University of Montana – Missoula67.7%31
Montana State University – Billings58.3%24
Montana State University46.3%54
Carroll College33.3%15
B-2 · Advanced degree — first-time attempts
2024 · Appendix B-2 · Selected Montana schools · Highest to lowest
SchoolPass rateSection
attempts
Rocky Mountain College83.3%6

Comparison note: Small cohorts can produce unusually high or low rates. Keep degree and attempt categories separate. A school may appear in an all-attempt table but be absent from a first-time table because the candidate counts differ. A missing row does not mean a 0% pass rate.

Applying for the CPA Exam in Montana

Ready to apply? Use these official Montana resources to check current exam eligibility, required documents, and the application process. Applying for the exam and applying for a CPA license are separate steps.

Sources and the Latest Data Included

Data year: 2024. Last reviewed: September 29, 2026. Figures were checked against the supplied NASBA 2024 Candidate Performance Report scans: 2024 Overall Statistics by Jurisdiction (printed page 14); Appendix A-2 (page 191); Appendix A-3 (page 215); Appendix B-2 (page 272); and Appendix B-3 (page 294). The 57.4% jurisdiction rate covers 3,019 exam sections from 1,489 candidates; it is not an average of Montana university rates.

Data availability disclaimer: The 2024 figures are the latest NASBA Montana dataset currently included on this page; 2025 and 2026 figures are not included here. NASBA’s 2025 Edition was released in August 2026, but its Montana tables have not yet been incorporated. This site will be updated as newer Montana data is obtained and verified.

School categories distinguish public control, private nonprofit status, and for-profit/proprietary ownership. The appendices mix school types and are not sector averages.

Related Articles

Responses