Quick Facts provides an overview of MSU's enrollment, employment, and programs for the current year. Quick Facts for 2001-02, 2000-01, 1999-00, 1998-99, 1997-98, 1996-97, and 1995-96 are also available. Historical figures for many topics are available through the Office of Planning and Analysis, 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 facts@montana.edu.

Please visit Admissions and New Student Service's Quick Facts, a site containing much of the information here.

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 51 fields with many different options, master's degrees in 40 fields, and doctoral degrees in 14 fields. MSU also offers a specialist degree in Education. For more information on specific programs, see:

• 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:

• Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
• American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business and Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs
• American Association for Family and Consumer Sciences
• American Dietetics Association
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
• Computing Sciences Accreditation Board
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• International Association for Management Education (AACSB)
• 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

Headcount enrollment in fall of 2002 was 11,934 students.

	Undergrad	Graduate	Total
Agriculture	718	143	861
Arts & Architecture	1,474	109	1,583
Business	1,101	34	1,135
Education & HHD	1,251	208	1,459
Engineering	1,991	154	2,145
Letters & Science	2,160	374	2,534
Nursing	639	21	660
General Studies/Other	1,355	202	1,557
Total	10,689	1,245	11,934

Summer school of 2002 was attended by 3081 students.

The fall semester of 2002 had a total enrollment of 11,934 students. Of these, 9751 (82%) attended full time and 2183 (18%) attended part time.

Undergraduates		Full Time			Part Time			Total			TOTAL
		Male	Female		Male	Female		Male	Female
Non-degree		30	37		22	22		52	59		111
First-Time Freshmen		1119	846		129	96		1248	942		2190
Continuing Freshmen		636	468		129	107		765	575		1340
Sophomores		969	822		110	114		1079	936		2015
Juniors		916	849		102	122		1018	971		1989
Seniors		1245	1098		229	179		1474	1277		2751
Second Degree		79	96		46	72		125	168		293
Subtotal		4994	4216		767	712		5761	4928		10689
Graduates		Male	Female		Male	Female		Male	Female		TOTAL
Non-Degree Graduates		16	19		89	103		105	122		227
Master's Candidates		204	189		186	170		390	359		749
Doctoral Candidates		87	26		83	71		170	97		267
Specialist Candidates		0	0		1	1		1	1		2
Subtotal		307	234		359	345		666	579		1245
Total		5301	4450		1126	1057		6427	5507		11934

Historical enrollments by class are also available.

The student body attending fall semester of 2002 had the following characteristics:

Sex	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Male	5761	666	6427	54%
Female	4928	579	5507	46%
Ethnicity	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
African American	46	3	49	<1%
Asian American	97	5	102	1%
Hispanic American	124	11	135	1%
Native American	210	19	229	2%
White	9393	937	10330	87%
Other	50	5	55	<1%
Unknown	593	143	736	6%
International	176	122	298	3%
Age	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Average	22.2	31.6	23.2
Fee Status	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Resident	8036	925	8961	75%
WUE	457	0	457	4%
Nonresident	2196	320	2516	21%
Geographic Region	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Montana	7462	787	8249	69%
Other US	3051	336	3387	28%
Foreign	176	122	298	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 2002 originally came from all 56 counties in Montana, 50 U.S. states, and 60 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 2002 had 2120 students--2031 traditional-age freshmen who had graduated from high school in the last three classes, and 89 nontraditional freshmen who had graduated earlier. The average age of traditional freshmen was 18.4 years, and the average age of nontraditional freshmen was 25.4 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	64.51	50.0
Comprehensive ACT	23.1	22.0
Total SAT	1107*	1030

* The total SAT score was corrected 8/7/03.

Sixty-nine percent (1426) of the entering freshmen were Montana residents. The remaining 33 percent were from other states (679) or foreign countries (15). Freshmen declared majors in the following colleges:

	Count	Percentage
Agriculture	90	4%
Arts & Architecture	309	15%
Business	162	8%
Education & HHD	119	6%
Engineering	414	19%
General Studies	641	30%
Letters & Science	295	14%
Nursing	90	4%

Thirty 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:

	2002-03		2003-04
	Resident	Nonresident	Resident	Nonresident
Tuition/Fees*	$3,807	$11,444	$4,145	$12,707
Room/Board**	5,120	5,120	5,370	5,370
Books/Supplies	850	850	890	890
Personal/Miscellaneous	2,350	2,350	2,420	2,420
Total	$12,127	$19,764	$12,825	$21,387

*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 ($582 for 2002-2003; $572 for 2003-04). 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 2001 and Spring 2002:

• 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 $46 million in financial aid during 2001-02:

• 62% as loans
• 36% as grants and scholarships
• 2% as work study

Approximately 56% of undergraduates received aid, with an average total award of over $3,300 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 2001-02, the University awarded 2184 degrees:

• 1828 bachelor's degrees
• 320 master's degrees
• 36 doctoral degrees

A survey of 1998-99 graduates conducted by Career Services showed that 77% had found employment and 14% were continuing their education in graduate or professional schools. The average salary reported was $31,964 for bachelor's graduates, $35,269 for master's graduates, and $49,965 for doctoral graduates. Of those employed, 51 percent reporting working within Montana. Results from the 2000-2001 graduate survey are now available.

Historical information on degrees awarded by major is also available.

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 Athletics

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

Peter Fields
Director, Department of Athletics
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

MSU has granted 82,305 degrees in its 109 year history--70,578 bachelor's, 10,236 master's, 1449 doctorates, 41 professional degrees and one specialist degree. The Alumni Association maintains a database of all individuals who have attended the University. The database contains current, active addresses for 55,820 individual alumni, 49% 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 2001-02, the University attracted $66,299,425 in grants and contracts--66% from federal agencies, 22% from private corporations and foundations, and 11% from state sources. MSU currently holds 29 patents for innovations and processes developed through faculty research, with 99 additional patents pending, and has 42 license and option agreements with private firms, 24 of which are with Montana companies. 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 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.

MSU's legislative appropriation for 2001-02 was collected and spent as follows:

Revenue	Amount	%
Tuition & Fees	$40,453,816	48%
Scholarships & Fellowships	3,862,116	5%
Miscellaneous	1,018,067	1%
General Fund	35,049,435	41%
Millage	4,192,316	5%
Total	$84,575,750	100%

Expenditures	Amount	%
Instruction	$45,044,704	54%
Research	617,307	1%
Public Service	766,280	1%
Academic Support	9,483,095	11%
Student Services	6,364,136	8%
Institutional Support	6,045,053	7%
Physical Plant	10,459,624	13%
Scholarships	3,862,116	5%
Total	$82,642,315	100%

A fund balance of $25,701 was carried forward to 2000-01.

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

Based on a fall 2002 snapshot of the personnel file, MSU employs 2,815 permanent faculty and staff, 511 graduate teaching and research assistants, and over 2000 students in part-time jobs. Of the 2,815 permanent employees, 2,231 are full time and 584 are part time; 1,358 are men and 1,457 are women. Total faculty number 982, which includes 715 full-time and 267 part-time instructional faculty and department heads, including 179 faculty in research and service positions. Classified, professional, and service staff number 1,774.

		Number of Employees						Gender
Admin/Managerial		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Pres/VP/Deans/Directors		59	56	3		57.43		37	22
Faculty		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Heads/Directors		50	48	2		48.91		40	10
Tenurable Instructional		418	409	9		413.62		305	113
Adjunct Instructional		335	106	229		179.59		148	187
Research		45	31	14		37.92		34	11
Ag Exp Station/Ext Service		120	108	12		114.32		71	49
Library		14	13	1		13.30		6	8
Subtotal		982	715	267		807.66		604	378
Staff		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Contract Professional		597	464	133		527.13		297	300
Classified Professional		219	187	32		207.42		99	120
Secretarial/Clerical		353	258	95		314.23		19	334
Technical/Paraprofessional		248	206	42		229.49		78	170
Skilled Crafts		53	53	0		53.00		52	1
Service/Maintenance		304	292	12		299.05		172	132
Subtotal		1774	1460	314		1630.32		717	1057
Graduate Assistants		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Teaching		222	0	222		n/a		139	83
Research		289	0	289		n/a		173	116
Subtotal		511	0	511		n/a		312	199
Total		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
With Grad Assistants		3326	2231	1095		n/a		1670	1656
Without Grad Assistants		2815	2231	584		2495.41		1358	1457

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
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