Diverse Affordable, Accredited Degrees Available at UM
The University of Montana appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Great College Deals: Master of Public Administration Online.
The University of Montana is ranked 254th nationally by the U.S. News & World Report. It’s a flagship public, coed APLU member in Missoula. It offers:
- 64 bachelor’s majors
- 66 master’s majors
- 41 doctoral majors
It also has the Early to College Dual Enrollment Program. It has a 16:1 student-teacher ratio.
For example, the Media Arts B.A. delivers a 120-credit, four-year curriculum on-campus or online with opportunities to:
- publish the Montana Kaimin
- exhibit at the Roxy Theater
- enter the Tassie Eco Film Fest
- study abroad in Helsinki
The 120-credit Astronomy B.A. helps undergrads:
- study the stars at Blue Mountain Observatory
- intern with NASA
- launch Oak Ridge Institute research
- attend Planetarium events
- join the Society of Physics Students
Online on Moodle since 2011, the Educational Leadership M.Ed. has a 37-credit, CAEP-accredited path toward the Montana Class 3 Administrative License. It has 500-level Web courses like Strategic Technology Planning and at least 216 field practicum hours. The Forest & Conservation Sciences Ph.D. builds a 60-credit, SAF-aligned dissertation sequence. Post-grads can:
- work with the Grizzly Bear Recovery Program
- conduct Montana Climate Office research
- maintain the 3,436-acre Bandy Experimental Ranch
Other degrees include:
- the Classics B.A.
- Medical Lab Science B.S.
- Russian B.A.
- Cartography M.S.
- Economics M.A.
- Public Administration M.P.A.
- Toxicology Ph.D.
- Math Ph.D.
- Materials Science Ph.D.
About the University of Montana
The University of Montana in 1881. The Montana Territory passed a Congressional act to allocate 46,000 acres along the Clark Fork River for its first college. In September 1895, President Oscar J. Craig welcomed the 50 inaugural students to classes held temporarily at the Willard School. In 1898, the University Hall designed by architect A.J. Gibson was finally opened.
The next year, Dr. Morton Elrod created its Flathead Lake Biological Research Station. In 1908, the UM Forestry Club famously formed the zigzagged “M” shape on Mount Sentinel. In 1914, the University of Montana joined the Association of American Law Schools. In 1934, UM alumnus Harold Urey won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering deuterium. In 1956, the University of Montana launched Missoula College for two-year technical programs. In 1978, the U.S. Department of Commerce funded the building of its five-story Mansfield Library.
Endowed for $192.8 million, the University of Montana now employs 559 full-time faculty. There are nearly 7,000 undergrad and Over 4,000 post-grad students from 81 countries, It has 250+ clubs like the Lambda Alliance.
In 2019, UM earned the International Collegiate Licensing Association Synergy Award. In 2015, Montana won a CASE District VIII Silver Excellence Award. The University of Montana also accepted the 2014 NACUFS Gold Sustainability Award. Forbes named UM the 227th top public college and 240th best research institution. On Niche, UM is ranked America’s:
- 92nd best athletics
- 278th best campus dining
- 352nd most liberal students
The Center for World University Rankings picked Montana 160th with the 327th most influence. The American Institute for Economic Research named Missoula the ninth best college town.
University of Montana Accreditation Details
The University of Montana is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The 2019-20 Catalog also lists the following degree accreditations:
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
- Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
- Society of American Foresters
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
- American Psychological Association
- Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation
- American Culinary Federation Educational Institute
- National Association of Schools of Music
- Council on Education for Public Health
- American Bar Association
- Council on Social Work Education
- National Association of Schools of Theatre
- Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
- Commission for Accreditation of Respiratory Care
- Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design
- American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
University of Montana Application Requirements
Entering the University of Montana is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s. 5,727 of the 6,182 applicants were accepted. This is a 93 percent acceptance rate. First-year students must be completing a high school diploma or the GED equivalent. The Early to College Dual Enrollment Program only admits current Montana secondary students between ages 16-19. The Class of 2022 presented an average GPA of 3.33. The middle 50th percentile had SAT scores of 1060-1270. Mid-range admitted ACT composite scores were 20-26. Mid-range admitted SAT scores were 870-1050. Transfers should culminate 12+ non-remedial credits with college GPAs above 2.0. Foreign entrants need at least 52 TOEFL iBT or 5.0 IELTS scores.
The Graduate School requires a 2.5 GPA or greater during four years of bachelor’s education. Several programs, such as the Master of Athletic Training, mandate 3.0 GPAs. Current median GRE scores are 152 verbal and 147 quantitative. The College of Business reports an average GMAT score of 580. Alexander Blewett II School of Law cohorts achieve a mean 153 LSAT score.
The University of Montana has a rolling admission process. Prospective students can apply until August 1st for Fall or December 1st for Spring starts on a first-come basis. Note the financial aid consideration priority deadline is March 1st. The Computer Science M.S. has a February 15th deadline for teaching assistantships. Forestry M.S. cohorts can apply through January 31st and August 31st. The Poetry M.F.A. only considers candidates from October 1st to January 6th. Check program specifics for submitting the UM Application online for $30 ($60 if graduate). Send official transcripts to 32 Campus Drive in Missoula, MT 59812. Directly forward test scores via SAT/GRE code 4489 or ACT code 2422. Learn additional requirements by contacting (800) 462-8636 or admiss@umontana.edu.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, the University of Montana is charging in-state undergrads $7,242 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition is $24,958 each year full-time. These figures include:
- the $99 technology fee
- $123 recreation fee
- $276 health service fee
Room and board for the Missoula campus’ dorms adds $9,966 yearly. UM budgets:
- $1,100 for books
- $1,500 for transport
- $1,694 for miscellaneous
Annual undergrad attendance equals about $21,668 in-state and $41,232 out-of-state. Online baccalaureate courses cost $223 per credit. Graduate Web-based programs are $262 per credit. The Graduate School otherwise bills Montanans $4,145 and non-residents $14,111 each full-time term. School of Law cohorts are one exception, paying $4,170 to $14,436 by semester.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid connects 89 percent of new full-time UM Grizzlies to median tuition assistance of $6,057 each for $6.82 million combined. University funds include:
- the Stanley Reinhaus Scholarship
- Flightner Scholarship
- Fell-Oskins Scholarship
- Ashley Elizabeth Pierce Scholarship
- Walter Hook Memorial Scholarship
- Edwin Boone Craighead Scholarship
- Janet Fowler Dargitz Scholarship
- Morris Myerotwitz Memorial Scholarship
- Richard Brown Stripp Scholarship
- Catherine Goodman Scholarship
- Wiegenstein Family Scholarship
The Presidential Leadership Scholarship gifts $7,500 annually to 25 Davidson Honors College students meeting the 1260 SAT or 27 ACT minimum. The Western Undergraduate Exchange Scholarship deducts up to $14,969 for eligible non-residents with GPAs above 3.5. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Teach Grant, require FAFSA applications coded 002536. Montanans could also pursue:
- the Governor’s Postsecondary Scholarship
- Horatio Alger Scholarship
- American Indian Tuition Waiver
- MUS Honor Scholarship
- Tesoro Youth Leadership Award, and more.
Search through 12 top-tier colleges with 170+ innovative, in-demand programs placed 91st overall by Washington Monthly at the University of Montana website.