Colleges in Montana
Why go to College in Montana?
The Montana University System (MUS) features 16 public colleges and universities , where all the major schools offer online programs. With a reputation as a renowned research institution, the University of Montana (UM) offers fully-online associate, bachelor's and master's degrees. As the largest school in the state, Montana State University (MSU) is known for its high-quality education, and offers students who have completed at least two years of college the opportunity to earn an online bachelor's degree in liberal arts .
What Options are Available for Colleges in Montana?
On-Campus
Attending an on-campus college in Montana allows students to take advantage of the state's vast natural resources in degrees like forestry and geosciences. UM boasts numerous, world-class research facilities including the O'Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West , known for journalism and media programs that focus on producing stories and trends about the region. On-campus learning allows students to take advantage of resources like MSU's Burns Technology Center , a state-of-the-art building home to the school's Department of Continuing Education. On-campus students benefit from technological resources they may not have access to at home, and also from face-to-face instruction within the center. To make on-campus classes a priority, students require a flexible schedule.
Online Programs
Students enrolled in online schools in Montana either complete courses solely or mostly online. In comparison to an on-campus program, these courses offer more flexibility in completing a program. The school does not require students to come to campus unless it is for an orientation or a brief classroom meeting that occurs once or twice a year.
Students who benefit most from online learning are those who have other major responsibilities, such as childcare or a full-time job. Online colleges in Montana allow students to set their own schedule and pace when going through a particular program. This type of education allows students learn from the comfort of their own home, and not have to worry about commuting to campus. Online students earn the same degree as their on-campus counterparts.
Hybrid Programs
While schools conduct fully online degree programs entirely on the internet, hybrid programs include a mixture of both online programs and classroom learning. Students who tend to benefit most from hybrid learning are those who have been away from school for a while and would like to ease back into a classroom learning environment. A major benefit to hybrid programs that fully online programs cannot offer is the networking opportunities that come with face-to-face learning.
Popular Degree Programs in Montana
Montana is known for its vast, rugged landscapes. In turn, it's not a huge surprise that the most popular college degree reflects one of the state's biggest industries, such as forestry .
Forestry This degree focuses on conservation and management of forests and their resources. The school provides a solid foundation of the biological, physical, management, and social sciences of forests. This degree allows students to pursue employment as forest rangers, fire supervisors, timber managers, and conservation managers.
Fish and Wildlife Biology Focused on wild animals, their habitats, and their conservation, this program provides students with an extensive background in general ecology, and prepares them for a career in wildlife biology and/or management. Upon completion, students often pursue careers as fish biologists, wildlife biologists, hatchery technicians, and habitat restoration biologists.
What are the Best Online Colleges in Montana?
Quickly becoming a popular option for students, online colleges in Montana offer facilities such as MSU's Burns Technology Center and schools like Montana Tech continue to embrace distant learning . Another benefit of online colleges in Montana is that they allow students who do not live near a college to take advantage of higher learning opportunities from programs around the state. Below you'll find a list of the best online colleges in Montana worth checking out if you are considering your distance learning options in the state.
Top 6 Online Colleges in Montana for 2019
Admissions Rate
60%
Graduation Rate
38%
Online Enrollment
41%
Retention Rate
65%
Default Rate
11%
Established during the Great Depression, the University of Providence is a Catholic institution that emphasizes the liberal arts and is one of many online colleges in Montana. The school's catalog of online programs includes bachelor's degrees in fields such as addiction counseling, sociology, psychology, theology, and education. The university also offers master's programs in organizational leadership with concentration options in criminal justice or management. Aside from its core program options, the School of Health Professions offers an RN to BSN degree along with master's degrees in healthcare administration and epidemiology. The RN-BSN degree is a part-time program that can be completed in four semesters. Programs are delivered live through Blackboard or asynchronously through Moodle. Faculty can also adapt course formats to suit the needs of individual students. UP boasts a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio, and up to 30 credits can be transferred to the university.
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What are the Best Online Community Colleges in Montana?
When researching online schools in Montana, prospective students need to decide whether a community college or a university fits their educational needs best. A university is a four year program that offers bachelor's degrees, whereas a community college administers two year programs through which students earn associate degrees. Community colleges offer significantly lower tuition than four year colleges. Students always have the option of starting out in a two year college and then transferring to a four year educational institution. Listed below are the best online community colleges in Montana that are worth checking out if you are in the market.
Top 5 Online Community Colleges in Montana for 2019
Graduation Rate
44%
Online Enrollment
30%
Retention Rate
48%
Default Rate
15%
DCC is located in Glendive on the banks of the Yellowstone River. Established in 1940, DCC is one of the oldest online community colleges in Montana. The school serves around 450 students and has an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio.
DCC offers five fully online associate degree programs , including business management, early childhood education, and criminal justice. Associate of arts and associate of science degrees in general studies are also offered fully online; these programs are provided without majors and prepare students to transfer to four-year universities. The school's ed2go continuing education program allows students to take six-week, self-paced online classes. Online students pay less in tuition than on-campus, out-of-state students and only slightly more than in-state students. DCC also maintains articulation agreements with the Montana university system.
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How We Ranked the Schools
To determine the best programs, we looked at the most important factors prospective students, mainly common predictors of future success and a school's commitment to online programs. This boils down to admissions rate, student loan default rate, retention rate, graduation rate, and the percent of students enrolled in online classes. All data points are taken from information provided by colleges and universities to the National Center for Education Statistics.
Each factor is weighted evenly in order to give an objective view and determine the best online master's in management information systems programs. To calculate our rankings, we looked at a school's ranking when organized by a single factor, and then averaged each category's ranking to find an overall score: Admissions Rate (20%) + Default Rate (20%) + Retention Rate (20%) + Graduation Rate (20%) + Percent of Students Enrolled in Online Classes (20%) = Final score.
Education Trends in Montana
For the most part, educational trends in Montana line up with national trends, with two notable two exceptions: postsecondary education spending per full-time student (which is lower than the national spending average) and the percentage of adults over 25 who hold a graduate degree (which is lower than the national percentage). The below table shows where Montana stands when it comes to state spending on higher education, and the percentage of adults over 25 who hold an associate degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree.
| Montana | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Postsecondary Education Spending per Full-Time Student | $5,248 | $6,954 |
| Percent of Tax Revenue Allocated to Higher Education | 5.6% | 5.8% |
| Percentage of adults over 25 with associate degree | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Percentage of adults over 25 with bachelor's degree | 20.0% | 18.5% |
| Percentage of adults over 25 with graduate degree or higher | 9.5% | 11.2% |
| Source: SHEEO and U.S. Census | ||
Paying for College in Montana
When researching online colleges in Montana, learners are wise to research costs differences between two year and four year schools. While doing so, they should also keep in mind degree affordability. For example, the fact that Montana's in-state tuition for a public four year college is significantly lower than the U.S. average can yield some surprisingly low totals.
Tuition Prices
The following table show Montana's in-state tuition for public two year and four year colleges in comparison to the U.S. average. Keep in mind additional cost that are not included in these figures, such as transportation costs, textbooks, room, and board on campus (which can be an extra $9,000 per academic year for a four year college for both in-state and out-of-state students).
Financial Aid
Financial aid provides students in every state a crucial means to fund their education. To begin this process, fill out the Department of Education's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA is the largest provider of financial aid in the nation and provides federal grants/scholarships, loans, and work-study to U.S. college students. You may be eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government, state government where you reside, your college, or a private or a non-profit organization.
Because they do not need to be paid back, the best type of financial aid grants and scholarships are based on merit. Federal student loans must be paid back with interest after graduation. When and where available, work-study programs are another great option: you may be able to make money by working part-time in a field related to your degree.
Cost of Living by Region
Cost of living is an important financial factor for you to consider when considering where to attend college. If you move to a city with a high cost of living, your education is suddenly a lot more expensive. You should also consider how cost of living will influence your life after you've graduated. For example, consider how cost of living will influence your day-to-day life while you pursue a career. The following table compares housing costs in two major university cities in Montana to three major university cities in Idaho, Washington state, and California.
Cost for Online Programs in Montana
Students who attend online schools in Montana can apply for the FAFSA the same way an on-campus student applies for federal financial aid. Be sure to check in with the specific online program in which you're interested to see if it qualifies for federal financial aid or any private financial aid.
Online colleges in Montana often cost the same as their on-campus counterparts, but students who pursue their degrees entirely online frequently save on other expenses including child care, transportation, and traditional textbooks. Similar to on-campus students, financial aid amounts are influenced by factors such as whether online students enroll for a full-time or part-time course load.
Scholarships for Montana College Students
Can all Scholarships be Used for Online Programs?
Before firing off any applications, you should always double-check your potential picks to make sure that their online program qualifies for specific scholarships. It's also important to check what type of academic requirements you'll need to meet for a specific scholarship, whether you intend to be a full-time student or take a certain amount of credits per semester or year.
Employment Outlook in Montana
Montana's employment outlook is optimistic with an unemployment rate below national average, and it has been falling steadily . Major cities like Billings boasts a 3.3% unemployment rate and Missoula a 3.2% unemployment rate , making Montana a highly desirable state to start a career. Montana's mean annual salary is a little under the annual average, but the state's low cost of living provides a significant financial cushion. An average one-bedroom studio in metro Billings rents for $579 a month compared to the national average monthly rent of $825. Montana's affordable cost of living and low unemployment make the state an appealing option for employment opportunities.
| Montana | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate, May 2017 | 3.9% | 4.3% |
| Annual Mean Wage, May 2016 | $41,440 | $49,630 |
| Source: BLS and BLS | ||
Top Employers and Industries in Montana
Top Industries in Montana
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities: Includes 96,300 positions that fall under wholesale trade, retail trade, transportation and warehousing; and any utilities services including electric power, natural gas, water supply, steam supply and sewage removal.
Government: Includes 92,600 positions that fall under state government positions, government run organizations from Labor and Industry to Fish, Wildlife & Parks; and independent state agencies such as the Montana Historical Society .
Education & Health Services: Includes 76,500 positions that fall under teaching (including eLearning instructors) in any form, health care providers in any position, and social workers in any capacity.
Source: BLS
Top Employers in Montana
Northwestern Energy: 1,000+ employees
Albertsons: 1,000+ employees
Billings Clinic: 1,000+ employees
Source: Montana Department of Labor
State Exchange Programs for Montana College Students
For states like Montana that have fewer higher education options, a state-to-state exchange program can be highly beneficial. Not to be confused with an international student exchange, this program allows non-residential students to qualify for in-state tuition for colleges located outside their home state that are part of an exchange program. These programs are usually divided by regions, for example focusing on the Western U.S.
Accreditation for Colleges in Montana
Accredited schools meet a strict set of guidelines set out by the Department of Education and the Counsel for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Regionally accredited schools are generally held in higher regard and are also more common than their nationally accredited counterparts — around 85% of U.S. colleges fall under this category. When looking for an online program in Montana, consider starting with regionally accredited schools that provide online programs. Schools focused solely on online learning are often nationally accredited and do not hold as much weight as their regionally accredited counterparts. For schools in Montana, look for accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges .
Resources for Students in Montana
Montana University System (MUS) : The MUS's website makes it easy to explore Montana's sixteen public universities and colleges. This includes UM schools, MSU schools, community colleges, and tribal colleges. MUS's website offers information on specific academic programs, campus locations, and tuition comparisons between MUS schools.
University of Montana (UM) : The official website for the network of UM schools including the school's main campus in Missoula, Missoula College UM, Bitterroot College, Montana Tech, Highlands College of MT Tech, Western, and Helena College UM. UM's website allows you to search by certain schools within the UM system and compare degree programs.
Montana State University (MSU) : The official resource for all MSU schools, including school's the main campus in Bozeman, Gallatin College MSU, Billings, City College at MSU Billings, Northern, and Great Falls College MSU. MSU's website provides information on topics such as online student admission, veteran services, and financial aid.
Flathead Valley Community College (FVCC) : The official website for both FVCC campuses in Kalispell and Libby, this website provides information on the school's academic programs, transfer students requirements, online education programs, veteran resources, and financial aid options.
Miles Community College (MCC) : A small junior college in Miles City, MCC's website offers information on degree programs, general transfer degrees, and assistance for learners who have been away from college for three or more years.