Best Colleges in Montana

Why Should I Consider Studying in Montana?

Prospective students considering Montana for college have much to appreciate about the state. First, the state is home to top-tier universities that offer programs across the arts, humanities, engineering, sciences, business, and health—notably Bozeman’s Montana State University and the University of Montana in Missoula.

Montana boasts far-stretching wildernesses across the state and one of America’s most rugged terrains and breathtaking landscapes. So if you genuinely appreciate adventurous experiences, Montana offers you more than enough of it—camping, hiking, climbing, skiing, fishing, and more. In addition, Montana is famous for being the ‘’Big Sky’’country and offers you an abundance of beautiful skies.

One of the state’s key advantages is its cost of living which is significantly lower than you’ll get in other states. So college students seeking to save money will appreciate this state more. Also, Montana offers lots of financial aid for prospective students, so this is a perfect place to consider for your college pursuits without inviting high costs.

The state features year-round festivals, including the Western Montana Fair and the Montana Rockies Tryouts.

Montana Higher Education By The Numbers

Colleges in Montana

Montana has the 10th fewest colleges in America with 30 colleges based there. For a little perspective, that's 577 fewer colleges than the leading state. 40% of colleges in Montana are private and 60% of its colleges are public. (12 private colleges & 18 public colleges). It has the 4th highest public to private college ratio of any state.

Our favorite public colleges in Montana are Montana State University, The University of Montana-Western, and Highlands College of Montana Tech. Our favorite private colleges are Carroll College, Rocky Mountain College, and University of Providence. Montana State University has the most students in Montana's top 25 colleges with 18,756 students.

Students in Montana

The median state has 314,827 college students. Montana has 81% fewer. There are 56,331 public college students and 4,731 private college students in Montana. It has fewer public college students than 84% of states and fewer pivate college students than 96% of states. Its 61,062 total students make it the 4th least popular choice in the USA. 8% of Montana's students attend private colleges which is the 4th lowest percentage nationwide.