Quick Facts: 2020-2021

Please visit Admissions for undergraduate admission information and the Graduate School for admission for graduates.

  Affiliated Campuses

On July 1, 1994, the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education restructured the state's colleges and universities into two umbrella universities, Montana State University and the University of Montana. Bozeman is the home campus for Montana State University, with the following affiliates:

• Montana State University-Billings
• Montana State University-Northern
• Montana State University-Great Falls College

Additional data for schools in the Montana University System are available through the MUS website. Please keep in mind that data may vary from that of our individual websites' reports; depending on when they were generated and what criteria were required, there can be slight differences. MSU's websites generally report data from a snapshot taken each Fall semester on the 15th class day for our reporting throughout the year.

  Academic Programs

MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields with many different options, graduate certificates in 12 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35  fields. MSU also offers a specialist degree in Education. The College of Nursing also offers a Certificate in Nursing Education option. For more information on specific programs, see:

• Undergraduate Degrees, Majors, and Options
• Graduate Degrees, Majors, and Options

MSU now offers associate degrees and other programs through Gallatin College.

Also, please visit our Academic Technology & Outreach website for online degree and certificate programs.

  Accreditation

MSU has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) since 1932. Eligible professional academic and service programs within the University are accredited by the following agencies:

• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (for Student Health Service)
• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
• Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
• American Psychological Association (for PhD level Internships in Counseling and Psychological Services) (APA)
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
• National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (for Intercollegiate Athletics) (NCAA)
• Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools
• Society for Range Management (SRM)

  Enrollment by College (College of 1st Major)

Headcount enrollment in fall of 2020 was 16,249 students.

Summer school of 2020 was attended by 4,109 students.

  Full and Part Time Enrollment

The fall semester of 2020 had a total enrollment of 16,249 students. Of these, 12,577 (77%) attended full time and 3,672 (23%) attended part time.   

Historical enrollments 1893-present are also available.

  Student Demographics

The student body attending fall semester of 2020 had the following characteristics:

Students attending MSU in fall of 2020 originally came from all 56 counties in Montana, 50 U.S. states, and 69 foreign countries.

Past distributions of the student population by race/ethnicity are also available.

  Entering Freshmen

The entering freshman class of fall 2020 had 3259 students. The average age of traditional freshmen was 18.3 years, and the average age of nontraditional freshmen was 25.7 years.

The following averages were achieved by the full-time, bachelor-degree-seeking, entering freshmen that submitted scores. 

Forty two percent (1376) of the entering freshmen were Montana residents. Of the remaining, 57 percent were from other states (1859) and one percent were from foreign countries (24). Freshmen declared majors in the following colleges:

Retention and graduation rates for recent entering freshmen classes are also available.

  Student Expenses

Financial Aid Services and the Controller's Office estimate the following expenses for a full-time undergraduate student attending school during fall and spring semesters:

*Tuition and fees listed are based on the average amount charged to full-time students (12 or more credits per semester for an academic year (two semesters). Actual fees paid may vary based on the number of credits carried each semester. All fees are subject to change without notice.

**Food and housing costs will vary depending on a student's living arrangement and lifestyle. These figures are an average of costs incurred by students living on campus in a residence hall and off campus in a shared apartment.

NOTE: All students will also be charged a supplemental health insurance fee every semester. A student who already has adequate insurance and provides proof of coverage may request a refund.

For more information, please consult the detailed fee schedules:

• Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate tuition/fees
• Undergraduate Gallatin College tuition/fees
• Western Undergraduate Exchange Programs tuition/fees
• Graduate tuition/fees
• Course Fees
• Fee Descriptions

Historical charges for tuition and fees, insurance, and room and board are also available.

  Financial Aid

Please visit Financial Aid Services online for more information about aid available through MSU.

  Degrees Awarded

In 2019-20, the University awarded 3,472 degrees and certificates:

• Certificate of Applied Science: 56
• Certificate Graduate:  101
• Certificate Undgraduate:  10
• Associate degrees: 69
• Associate of Applied Science:  51
• Bachelor's degrees: 2,683
• Master's degrees: 412
• Specialist degrees: 2
• Professional degree:  18
• Doctoral degrees: 70

MSU has granted 130,241 certificates and degrees in its 127 year history (1893-2020). MSU has awarded 527 non-degree certificates, 530  Certificates of Applied Science, 106 Professional degrees, 340 Associates of Applied Science, 300 Associate's, 107,497 Bachelor's, 18,454 Master's, 24 Specialist degrees, and 2,463 Doctorates.

Each year the Career Services Office at Montana State University conducts a survey to determine placement rates and salary survey information for new MSU graduates. Results from the 2019 Graduating Class Career Destinations survey are now available.

Historical information on degrees awarded by year is also available.

  Athletics

MSU is a member of the NCAA Division I Big Sky Conference.

• Men compete in football (I-AA), basketball, indoor and outdoor track, alpine and nordic skiing, cross country, and tennis.
• Women compete in basketball, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track, cross country, tennis, alpine and nordic skiing, and golf.
• Rodeo competition for men and women is conducted through the Big Sky Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

The school colors are blue and gold, and teams are nicknamed "The Bobcats."

For more information about Bobcat Athletics, contact

Leon Costello
Director, Department of Athletics
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

or visit Bobcat Athletics online.

  Alumni

MSU has granted 130,241 certificates and degrees in its 127 year history (1893-2020). MSU has awarded 527 non-degree certificates, 530  Certificates of Applied Science, 106 Professional degrees, 340 Associates of Applied Science, 300 Associate's, 107,497 Bachelor's, 18,454 Master's, 24 Specialist degrees, and 2,463 Doctorates.

For more information about the Alumni Association, contact

Kerry Hanson
Vice President of Alumni Relations
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

or visit the Alumni Association online.

  Research and Economic Development

As a land-grant university, MSU has a long tradition of supporting basic and applied research and creative activity. The university’s overall research enterprise did $148 million in work for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020. That includes $138.6 million in competitively won federal, state, and private  funds, as well as $2.7 million in gift and state appropriated funds for research.

MSU currently (2019-20) holds 63 patents for innovations and processes developed through faculty research, with 66 additional patents pending, and has 298 license and option agreements, 83 of which are with Montana companies. Visit Research and Economic Development online for more information about MSU's research programs.

  Montana Agricultural Experiment Station

The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station was established at MSU by acts of the Legislature of Montana in 1893 under authorization provided by the Hatch Act of 1887. The research program encompasses several academic departments, service divisions, and laboratories located at MSU and the following seven research centers located around the state:

• Northern Agricultural Research Center - Havre
• Northwestern Agricultural Research Center - Kalispell
• Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center - Conrad
• Western Agricultural Research Center - Corvallis
• Central Agricultural Research Center - Moccasin
• Eastern Agricultural Research Center - Sidney
• Southern Agricultural Research Center - Huntley

In addition, the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Station at Miles City is a cooperative program with the US Department of Agriculture.

Visit the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station online for more information.

  Montana Extension Service

The Extension Service was created by the federal Smith-Lever Act of 1914. Programs of the Extension Service are funded cooperatively through a legal partnership among federal, state, and county governments. Extension offices are located in 53 counties and seven tribal reservations, serving 56 counties. Programs address societal needs in the general areas of agriculture, family living, community and economic development, and youth development. Visit the MSU Extension Service online for more information.

  General Operations Funding

MSU's legislative appropriation for 2019-2020 was collected and spent as follows ("Unrestricted Operating Account", Reports Bud300):

  Employees

  Information Contacts

Please see our online directories for phone numbers and e-mail addresses for individual faculty, staff, and students.