Quick Facts provides an overview of MSU's enrollment, employment, and programs for the current year. Quick Facts for 1998-99, 1997-98, 1996-97, and 1995-96 are also available. Historical figures for many topics are available through Trend Data, and MSU posts the Common Data Set online. If you have questions or suggestions for facts you would like to see included, please send e-mail to MSUinfo@montana.edu, or call Institutional Research at 406-994-4390.

MSU At A Glance is a pdf file containing much of the information presented here. The file can be printed, duplexed, and folded to make a brochure. Access requires the Adobe Acrobat Reader.

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. MSU 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 of Technology

Some data for schools in the Montana University System are available through the Web site of the Commissioner for Higher Education.

MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 50 fields with many different options, master's degrees in 39 fields, and doctoral degrees in 13 fields. For more information on specific programs, see:

• Alphabetic List of Programs
• Undergraduate Degrees, Majors, and Options
• Graduate Degrees, Majors, and Options

MSU has been accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges since 1932. Eligible professional programs within the University are accredited by the following agencies:

• AACSB: The International Association for Management Education
• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
• American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences
• American Dietetics Association
• Computing Sciences Accreditation Board
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• National Architectural Accrediting Board
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design
• National Association of Schools of Music
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
• National League for Nursing
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

Headcount enrollment in fall of 1999 was 11,753 students.

	Undergrad	Graduate	Total
Agriculture	760	116	876
Arts & Architecture	1,323	51	1,374
Business	1,071	34	1,105
Education & HHD	1,290	242	1,532
Engineering	2,051	165	2,216
Letters & Science	2,206	346	2,552
Nursing	500	28	528
General Studies/Other	1,341	229	1,570
Total	10,542	1,211	11,753

Summer school of 1999 was attended by 2620 students.

The fall semester of 1999 had a total enrollment of 11,753 students. Of these, 9709 (83%) attended full time and 2044 (17%) attended part time.

Undergraduates		Full Time			Part Time			Total			TOTAL
		Male	Female		Male	Female		Male	Female
Non-degree		49	41		21	23		70	64		134
First-Time Freshmen		1003	891		77	54		1080	945		2025
Continuing Freshmen		774	575		113	109		887	684		1571
Sophomores		992	791		124	102		1116	893		2009
Juniors		936	743		106	120		1042	863		1905
Seniors		1207	1011		261	184		1468	1195		2663
Second Degree		72	83		35	45		107	127		235
Subtotal		5033	4135		737	637		5770	4772		10542
Graduates		Male	Female		Male	Female		Male	Female		TOTAL
Non-Degree Graduates		42	35		85	126		127	161		288
Master's Candidates		171	162		162	147		333	309		642
Doctoral Candidates		90	41		93	57		183	98		281
Subtotal		303	238		340	330		643	568		1211
Total		5336	4373		1077	967		6413	5340		11753

Historical enrollments by class are also available.

The student body attending fall semester of 1999 had the following characteristics:

Sex	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Male	5770	643	6413	55%
Female	4772	568	5340	45%
Ethnicity	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
African American	37	1	38	<1%
Asian American	86	6	92	1%
Hispanic American	107	8	115	1%
Native American	194	22	216	2%
White	8903	803	9706	83%
Other	31	10	41	<1%
Unknown	907	239	1146	10%
International	277	122	399	3%
Age	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Average	22.2	32.7	23.3
Fee Status	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Resident	7697	894	8591	73%
WUE	342	0	342	3%
Nonresident	2503	317	2820	24%
Geographic Region	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Montana	7659	946	8608	73%
Other US	2629	173	2764	24%
Foreign	240	91	381	3%

Geographic origin is not the same as fee status. Students may come from other states and establish residency in Montana, and students from Montana whose parents are residents of other states may not have resident fee status.

Students attending MSU in fall of 1999 originally came from all 56 counties in Montana, 49 U.S. states, and 56 foreign countries. For further information on the distribution of students by geographic origin, see:

• Montana Students by County
• US Students by State
• Foreign Students by Country

Past distributions of the student population by ethnicity are also available under Trend Data.

The entering freshman class of fall 1999 had 2025 students--1873 traditional-age freshmen who had graduated from high school in the last three classes, and 152 nontraditional freshmen who had graduated earlier. The average age of traditional freshmen was 18.3 years, and the average age of nontraditional freshmen was 24.9 years.

The following averages were achieved by the traditional freshmen. Historical averages are also available.

	Actual	Required
High School GPA	3.29	2.50
Graduating Class Percentile	66.7	50.0
Comprehensive ACT	23.1	22.0
Total SAT	1101	1030

Sixty-nine percent (1394) of the entering freshmen were Montana residents. The remaining 31 percent were from other states (614) or foreign countries (17). Freshmen declared majors in the following colleges:

	Count	Percentage
Agriculture	111	5%
Arts & Architecture	256	13%
Business	177	9%
Education & HHD	128	6%
Engineering	409	20%
General Studies	593	29%
Letters & Science	298	15%
Nursing	53	3%

Almost 30 percent of the freshmen entered as General Studies majors, a program which gives them up to two years to take core curriculum courses and explore career alternatives before declaring a major.

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

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:

	1999-00			2000-01
	Resident	Nonresident		Resident	Nonresident
Tuition/Fees*	$2,965	$8,715		$3,079	$9,075
Room/Board**	4,650	4,650		4,650	4,650
Books/Supplies	750	750		750	750
Personal/Miscellaneous	2,250	2,250		2,300	2,300
Total	$10,615	$16,365		$10,779	$16,775

*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 ($424/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 for Fall 1999 and Spring 2000:

• Undergraduate Fees
• Graduate and Postbaccalaureate Fees
• Course Fees
• Fee Descriptions

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

MSU distributed over $40 million in financial aid during 1998-99:

• 80% as loans
• 17% as grants and scholarships
• 3% as work study

Approximately 72% of undergraduates received aid, with an average total award of over $3,000 from all aid sources. Approximately 450 graduate students received teaching and research assistantships. Visit Financial Aid Services online for more information about aid available through MSU.

A historical breakdown of awards by source is also available.

In 1998-99, the University awarded 1845 degrees:

• 1555 bachelor's degrees
• 247 master's degrees
• 43 doctoral degrees

A survey of 1997-98 graduates conducted by Career Services showed that 86% had found employment and 7% were continuing their education in graduate or professional schools. The average salary reported was $28,681 for bachelor's graduates, $35,865 for master's graduates, and $43,728 for doctoral graduates. Of those employed, 53 percent reporting working within Montana.

Historical information on degrees awarded by major is also available.

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

• Men compete in football (I-AA), basketball, indoor and outdoor track, 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

Chuck Lindemenn
Director, Department of Athletics
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

MSU has granted 75,183 degrees in its 106 year history--64,857 bachelor's, 8977 master's, 1308 doctorates, and 41 professional degrees. The Alumni Association maintains a database of all individuals who have attended the University. The database contains current, active addresses for 52,414 individual alumni, 50% of whom reside in Montana.

For more information about the Alumni Association, contact

Jaynee Groseth
Director, Alumni Affairs
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

or visit the Alumni Association online.

As a land-grant university, MSU has a long tradition of supporting basic and applied research and creative activity. During 1998-99, the University attracted $49,741,404 in grants and contracts--66% from federal agencies, 22% from private corporations and foundations, and 11% from state sources. MSU currently holds 28 patents for innovations and processes developed through faculty research, with 66 additional patents pending, and has 31 license and option agreements with private firms. Visit Research, Creativity & Technology Transfer online for more information about MSU's research programs.

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 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.

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 49 counties and four tribal reservations serving 53 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.

In January of 1989 the University Funding Study Committee of the Montana State Legislature identified a set of peer campuses for each unit of the Montana University System. Criteria used in selecting peers were public funding, geographic region, role and scope, enrollment profile, and research mission. MSU and UM share the following group of peer campuses:

• New Mexico State University
• North Dakota State University
• Northern Arizona University
• University of Idaho
• University of North Dakota
• University of Wyoming
• University of Nevada-Reno
• Utah State University

MSU's legislative appropriation for 1998-99 was collected and spent as follows:

Revenue	Amount	%
Tuition & Fees	$33,699,860	46%
Scholarships & Fellowships	2,998,435	4%
Miscellaneous	1,050,885	1%
General Fund	30,392,814	42%
Millage	4,983,446	7%
Total	$73,125,439	100%

Expenditures	Amount	%
Instruction	$40,244,811	55%
Research	514,353	1%
Public Service	680,821	1%
Academic Support	8,716,823	12%
Student Services	6,044,558	8%
Institutional Support	4,562,230	6%
Physical Plant	8,939,278	12%
Scholarships	3,005,735	4%
Total	$72,708,609	99%

A fund balance of $720,158 was carried forward to 1999-00.

Past data for FTE, revenue, and expenditures are available under Trend Data.

Based on a fall 1999 snapshot of the personnel file, MSU employs 2,541 permanent faculty and staff, 456 graduate teaching and research assistants, and over 2000 students in part-time jobs. Of the 2,541 permanent employees, 2,118 are full time and 423 are part time; 1254 are men and 1287 are women. Total faculty number 886, which includes 522 full-time and 163 part-time instructional faculty and department heads, and an additional 201 faculty in research and service positions. Classified, professional, and administrative staff number 1,588.

Because of a change in the required sampling date for federal reports, the totals in this report are higher overall than those reported last year.

		Number of Employees						Gender
Admin/Managerial		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Pres/VP/Deans/Directors		67	65	2		65.98		43	24
Faculty		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Heads/Directors		44	43	1		43.69		36	8
Tenurable Instructional		392	380	12		386.94		290	102
Adjunct Instructional		249	98	151		157.52		114	135
Research		35	24	11		29.91		28	7
Ag Exp Station/Ext Service		150	141	9		145.80		101	49
Library		16	14	2		14.45		5	11
Subtotal		886	700	186		778.30		574	312
Staff		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Contract Professional		475	370	105		428.92		258	217
Classified Professional		239	208	31		225.01		100	139
Secretarial/Clerical		402	328	74		375.20		20	382
Technical/Paraprofessional		190	169	21		181.08		73	117
Skilled Crafts		52	52	0		52.0		49	3
Service/Maintenance		230	226	4		227.77		137	93
Subtotal		1588	1353	235		1489.98		637	951
Graduate Assistants		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Teaching		233	0	233		n/a		148	85
Research		223	0	223		n/a		143	80
Subtotal		456	0	456		n/a		291	165
Total		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
With Grad Assistants		2997	2118	879		n/a		1545	1452
Without Grad Assistants		2541	2118	423		2334.27		1254	1287

Campus Operator.......................	406-994-0211
Admissions, Undergraduate.........	406-994-6617
Admissions, Graduate.................	406-994-4145
Alumni Affairs.............................	406-994-2401
Ask-Us Information Desk...........	406-994-4636
Bobcat Athletics.........................	406-994-4221
Bobcat Booster Club..................	406-994-3741
Career Services..........................	406-994-4353
Conference Services...................	406-994-3333
Financial Aid Services.................	406-994-2845
Institutional Research...................	406-994-4390
MSU Foundation........................	406-994-2053
New Student Services.................	406-994-2452
Orientation..................................	406-994-2827
President's Office........................	406-994-2341
Provost's Office..........................	406-994-4371
Registrar.....................................	406-994-2601
Residence Life............................	406-994-2661
Information Technology Center....	406-994-3042
University Relations.....................	406-994-4571

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

Return to regular view	Text-only	Updated: 7/19/2006