Best Colleges in Montana (2023 Rankings)

Montana is home to some of the most incredible natural beauty you'll find anywhere in the country. You can't fully appreciate the breathtaking grandeur of the Continental Divide until you see it for yourself. (Just watch out for bison and grizzly bears when you're out exploring!) 

If you haven't been to Montana before, you may not be aware that Montana also has some of the top colleges and universities in the entire country. If you're thinking about where you'll spend the next four years after high school, we hope you'll keep Montana (and some of the schools we're about to introduce you to) in mind. 

And now, in no particular order, here is our list of the top colleges in Montana! 

University of Montana

Location: Missoula, MT

Acceptance rate: 96%

Undergraduate enrollment: 6,975

In-state tuition: $7,430 

Out-of-state tuition: $27,256 

Six-year graduation rate: 44% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1 

The University of Montana has the second-largest student body of any school in Montana. The staff takes pride in affecting future change and making the world a better place. In fact, this school is known as one of the top colleges for public service over the last two years based on research, volunteerism, and social mobility. 

The school offers around 80 majors with top choices including options such as psychology, management information systems, and biology. The school competes in the Big Sky Conference in sports along with Montana State University and nearby Eastern Washington University.

Montana State University

Location: Bozeman, MT

Acceptance rate: 81%

Undergraduate enrollment: 14,230

In-state tuition: $7,371 

Out-of-state tuition: $27,101 

Six-year graduation rate: 60% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1

As the largest public university in the state, Montana State University offers students over 250 undergraduate programs along with 115 graduate programs. The top-tier research university takes advantage of the gorgeous surrounding wilderness to encourage students to expand the horizons of their learning. 

Imagine if your homework for your photography class involved taking pictures in Yellowstone National Park, or picture yourself learning about earth science as you summit a 10,000-foot-high peak. These are just a few examples of the experiences you can have at MSU.  

Montana State University-Billings

Location: Billings, MT 

Undergraduate enrollment: 3,602

In-state tuition: $5,980 

Out-of-state tuition: $19,310 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1 

Through five unique colleges, Montana State University - Billings provides students more than 115 academic programs to choose from. They take pride in their smaller-than-average class sizes and recent Department of Labor statistics that suggest their graduates make an average of $4,500 more annually than graduates of other four-year institutions in Montana. 

Being in a large city like Billings can be overwhelming for some students, but MSU Billings' on-campus Center for Engagement can help you network and build meaningful relationships through various events and communities of interest. 

Carroll College

Location: Helena, MT

Acceptance rate: 73%

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,100

Average tuition: $37,262 

Six-year graduation rate: 67% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1

Carroll College is historically associated with the Catholic church, but their goal is to invite students from all backgrounds and beliefs to pursue lives of purpose and meaning. Their academic programs will help you develop skills to discover your future path and change the world around you. 

The school boasts numerous awards and accolades, especially in computer science and mathematics. Students from Carroll have placed in the top 1% in the international Mathematical/Interdisciplinary Contest in Modeling three times in the past twenty years while going up against students from prominent institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and Duke. 

Montana Technological University

Location: Butte, MT

Acceptance rate: 97%

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,431

In-state tuition: $7,390

Out-of-state tuition: $22,540 

Six-year graduation rate: 57% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1 

Montana Technological University is Montana's premier STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) university. Their Software Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering degrees have all received accolades in recent years along with their BSN program. 

Students tend to graduate from Montana Tech with a low amount of student loan debt, and recent studies show a 94.47% overall career outcomes rate for Montana Tech alumni. 

University of Montana Western

Location: Dillon, MT

Acceptance rate: 52%

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,334

In-state tuition: $5,747 

Out-of-state tuition: $17,209 

Six-year graduation rate: 47% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1 

University of Montana - Western is the only public four-year university in the country where students take one course at a time. By approaching their coursework in this way, they hope that students can engage in their education in a manner that's more authentic and experiential. 

This also allows the school's faculty to focus on one small group of students at a time. This unique approach to education, along with the school's low in-state and out-of-state tuition rates, makes it a great option for students from various backgrounds and contexts to consider.

Rocky Mountain College

Location: Billings, MT

Acceptance rate: 71%

Undergraduate enrollment: 839

Average tuition: $30,586 

Six-year graduation rate: 53% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1 

Rocky Mountain College traces its roots back to Montana Collegiate Institute, which enrolled its first students in 1878. Down the road in Helena, Wesleyan College was also getting ready to welcome students for the first time. These two schools came together along with Billings Polytechnic Institute in 1947 to form what is now Rocky Mountain College. 

What hasn't changed is the school's commitment to raising up the next generation of leaders who will make a difference during and after their time in school. They provide more than 40 different undergraduate programs in 20 specific disciplines for students to study while in school, and many of their classes include opportunities to explore the natural beauty of the state of Montana.

Montana State University-Northern

Location: Havre, MT

Undergraduate enrollment: 988

In-state tuition: $5,955

Acceptance rate: 100%

Out-of-state tuition: $18,665 

Six-year graduation rate: 35% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1 

Montana State University - Northern has been open for almost 100 years. They specialize in training future teachers, nurses, and business professionals. 

In total, the school offers over 35 different degree programs alongside 15 unique minors. Many of these students receive financial aid, with the school supporting 80% of students and offering more than $11 million in total aid each year.

Salish Kootenai College

Location: Pablo, MT

Undergraduate enrollment: 716

In-state tuition: $4,311 

Out-of-state tuition: $11,583 

Six-year graduation rate: 59% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1

Salish Kootenai College's student body includes representatives of 16 U.S. states and Canadian provinces along with members of 53 different Native American tribes. While these numbers could lead you to believe that the student body might be large and overwhelming, the school's low student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of eight students reflect the unique opportunity each student has to engage with their teachers and fellow students. 

In addition to their associate's and bachelor's degree programs, Salish Kootenai also offers several one-year certificate programs for students looking to level up their skills and quickly enter the workforce. 

University of Providence

Location: Great Falls, MT

Acceptance rate: 99%

Undergraduate enrollment: 790

Average tuition: $26,662 

Six-year graduation rate: 38% 

Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1 

University of Providence is a private Roman Catholic institution that values academic excellence and personal development. They hope to help students find success and fulfillment both inside and outside the classroom, and they welcome students from all faith traditions while still maintaining their Catholic heritage and adherence. 

Most students receive some form of financial aid when they enroll in one of the school's 30 different programs and concentrations. 

Honorable mentions

We couldn't make a list of the top Montana colleges and leave the following schools out. We can't offer extra credit, but we think your time will be well spent researching and learning more about these schools in addition to the ones above.

• Flathead Valley Community College (Kalispell, MT)
• City College at Montana State University - Billings (Billings, MT)
• Stone Child College (Box Elder, MT)

Compare top Montana schools with College Rover

Now that you know a little more about the Montana University system, you can continue your search for colleges. If any of these options pique your interest, consider planning to visit campus in person. You'll have the opportunity to see the campus while also connecting with current students, faculty, staff, and admissions counselors. This can help you determine whether or not the school is the right choice for you.

In addition, we'd be honored if you used College Rover to help with your search for higher education. You'll find tons of information on thousands of schools across the country in our massive online database. We think you'll quickly see why we have a reputation for making college searches a little more awesome no matter if you're looking to major in English, healthcare, business administration, or something entirely different. Head over to our site today!

College Rover gets the majority of its data directly from the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). The DOE publishing schedule "lags" the most current data which some colleges post on their official websites. This may cause there to be a difference in the data you see on College Rover and an individual college website. College Rover's website is updated as the DOE data becomes available and is configured for the College Rover website.