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Montana Colleges

Move on up in Montana! Find the best Montana colleges for your lifestyle and goals. Our free database helps you compare Montana community colleges, four-year colleges and universities.

Find the Best Colleges in Montana

For a state with just over a million people, Montana is rich with resources for higher education — and new online degree programs are making Montana colleges more accessible than ever.

Only three non-profit private colleges operate in Big Sky Country. Most Montana colleges are public. The public Montana colleges include: three general community colleges; five campuses for Montana State University (main campus in Bozeman); six campuses for the University of Montana (main campus in Missoula); and seven tribal colleges that grant two-year degrees and professional certificates. Tribal colleges are especially designed for Native Americans but also enroll non-Native students.

Montana Colleges & Universities

  • Most Montana college students receive financial aid. The majority of Montana college students don’t pay the full advertised price. Financial aid sources include the federal government, the state government, the school’s own funds and money from private organizations. Students may also be eligible for work-study programs and low-interest loans. If you are unable to pay a bill for school, a Montana public college can ease your stress with an installment plan.
  • Online tuition is especially low. Montana colleges offer discounted prices for many of their online degree programs. One example is Montana State University – Bozeman. Including tuition and fees they charge Montana residents less than $3500/semester for full-time online study.
  • Waiting for you: $1500. Plan ahead to save the most on Montana college education. The Montana State University Matched Education Savings Account (MESA) program helps eligible students save for school. For every $1 you save, MESA will contribute $3 to your account! However, the maximum MESA contribution per person is $1500.
  • Montana makes cross-border deals. Maybe your dream school is outside state lines. Montana is a member of a “tuition discount club” called the Western Undergraduate Exchange. Montana residents can get discounts on tuition at certain public schools in these states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.

Find the perfect Montana college for you using our search tool.

Rank School Name City State Net Cost School Level Retention Rate Distance Learning
1

Aaniiih Nakoda College

Harlem

MT

$8,982

2 year

41.67%

No

2

Academy of Cosmetology

Bozeman

MT

N/A

2 year

100%

No

3

Bitterroot School of Cosmetology

Hamilton

MT

N/A

2 year

100%

No

4

Blackfeet Community College

Browning

MT

N/A

2 year

46.15%

Yes

5

Bold Beauty Academy

Billings

MT

N/A

2 year

84.46%

No

6

Butte Academy of Beauty Culture

Butte

MT

N/A

2 year

50%

No

7

Carroll College

Helena

MT

N/A

4 year

80.32%

No

8

Chief Dull Knife College

Lame Deer

MT

$3,846

2 year

45.95%

No

9

Crevier's Academy of Cosmetology Arts

Kalispell

MT

N/A

2 year

93.22%

No

10

Dawson Community College

Glendive

MT

$7,103

2 year

57.66%

Yes

11

Flathead Valley Community College

Kalispell

MT

$7,857

2 year

56.14%

Yes

12

Fort Peck Community College

Poplar

MT

$5,600

2 year

55%

No

13

Great Falls College Montana State University

Great Falls

MT

$8,654

2 year

58.16%

Yes

14

Health Works Institute

Bozeman

MT

N/A

Vocational

83.33%

No

15

Helena College University of Montana

Helena

MT

$10,318

2 year

59.47%

Yes

16

Highlands College of Montana Tech

Butte

MT

$8,728

2 year

51.16%

Yes

17

Little Big Horn College

Crow Agency

MT

$7,323

2 year

56.16%

No

18

Miles Community College

Miles City

MT

$6,122

2 year

66.67%

Yes

19

Modern Beauty School Inc

Missoula

MT

N/A

2 year

92.86%

No

20

Montana Academy of Salons

Great Falls

MT

N/A

2 year

82.35%

No

21

Montana Bible College

Bozeman

MT

N/A

4 year

100%

No

22

Montana State University

Bozeman

MT

$14,326

4 year

76.08%

Yes

23

Montana State University-Billings

Billings

MT

$10,881

4 year

55.71%

Yes

24

Montana State University-Northern

Havre

MT

$11,513

4 year

58.66%

Yes

25

Montana Tech of the University of Montana

Butte

MT

$11,037

4 year

71.37%

Yes

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About Montana: Fun Facts & Statistics

Are you made for Montana? Learn more about the Montana lifestyle with these college statistics and general Montana facts.

  • Montana scenery is world famous. On long weekends, Montana college students can take exciting road trip adventures. Some popular destinations are Yellowstone National Park, Glacier National Park, and the Lewis and Clark Trail.
  • Skiing is popular. Montana has developed 15 downhill ski areas. The state also makes millions of acres available to cross-country skiers.
  • Montana is lightly populated. Montana has seven big cities, but the total state population is just over 1 million people. This works out to about 7 people per square mile. The universities aren’t very large either; when all the Montana college populations are combined, the total is about 50,000 students.
  • Sports teams are on campus. All four-year Montana colleges and universities have intercollegiate sports teams. The University of Montana and Montana State University are longtime athletic rivals in the Big Sky Conference. Other Montana college teams are members of the Frontier Conference and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
  • Montana doesn’t charge sales tax. Montana is one of just five states that doesn’t add tax at checkout.
  • Montana is a swing state. If you’re a Democrat or a Republican, in Montana colleges you will easily find like-minded people and people who challenge your views.
  • The economy is healthy. Montana tends to have low unemployment. Some of its top industries are beer brewing, lumber, mining and tourism.
  • College graduation rates are up. Montana recently gained national attention for having a big increase in college graduations. The gain has been credited partly to the availability of new online degree programs.

It’s Big Sky Country, but narrowing your options can be easy. Use our free college search tool to find the best Montana colleges for your goals.