Quick Facts provides an overview of MSU's enrollment, employment, and programs for the current year. Quick Facts for 2002-03, 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 17 fields. MSU also offers a specialist degree in Education. The College of Nursing offers a Post-Master's Nurse Practitioner (FNP) certificate as well as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) degree. For more information on specific programs, see:

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

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 Board for Engineering and Technology
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• 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
• 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
• American Psychological Association (for PhD level Internships in Counseling and Psychological Services)
• Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (for Student Health Service)
• National Collegiate Athletic Association (for Intercollegiate Athletics)

Headcount enrollment in fall of 2003 was 12,135 students.

	Undergrad	Graduate	Total
Agriculture	698	152	850
Arts & Architecture	1,490	118	1,608
Business	1,034	31	1,065
Education & HHD	1,193	216	1,409
Engineering	1,900	190	2,090
Letters & Science	2,266	389	2,655
Nursing	744	20	764
General Studies/Other	1,425	269	1,694
Total	10,750	1,385	12,135

Summer school of 2003 was attended by 2812 students.

The fall semester of 2003 had a total enrollment of 12,135 students. Of these, 9772 (81%) attended full time and 2363 (19%) attended part time.

Undergraduates		Full Time			Part Time			Total			TOTAL
		Male	Female		Male	Female		Male	Female
Non-degree		38	28		21	24		59	52		111
First-Time Freshmen		1148	824		94	83		1242	907		2149
Continuing Freshmen		717	542		135	123		852	665		1517
Sophomores		967	798		114	109		1081	907		1988
Juniors		901	785		106	125		1007	910		1917
Seniors		1197	1136		224	180		1421	1316		2737
Second Degree		88	115		54	74		142	189		331
Subtotal		5056	4228		748	718		5804	4946		10750
Graduates		Male	Female		Male	Female		Male	Female		TOTAL
Non-Degree Graduates		23	18		89	117		112	135		247
Master's Candidates		197	174		255	229		452	403		855
Doctoral Candidates		55	21		124	82		179	103		282
Specialist Candidates		0	0		0	1		0	1		1
Subtotal		275	213		468	429		743	642		1385
Total		5331	4441		1216	1147		6547	5588		12135

Historical enrollments by class are also available.

The student body attending fall semester of 2003 had the following characteristics:

Sex	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Male	5804	743	6547	54%
Female	4946	642	5588	46%
Ethnicity	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
African American	44	3	47	<1%
Asian American	110	12	122	1%
Hispanic American	131	6	137	1%
Native American	197	26	223	2%
White	9553	994	10547	87%
Other	42	6	48	<1%
Unknown	509	204	713	6%
International	164	134	298	3%
Age	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Average	22.2	31.7	23.3
Fee Status	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Resident	8177	981	9158	75%
WUE	490	0	490	4%
Nonresident	2083	404	2487	21%
Geographic Region	Undergrad	Graduate	Total	%
Montana	7517	814	8331	69%
Other US	3066	443	3509	29%
Foreign	167	128	295	2%

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 2003 originally came from all 56 counties in Montana, 50 U.S. states, and 59 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 2003 had 2165 students--2076 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 25.8 years.

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

	Actual	Required
High School GPA	3.31	2.50
Graduating Class Percentile	64.59	50.0
Comprehensive ACT	23.07	22.0
Total SAT	1102.48	1030

Sixty-seven percent (1444) of the entering freshmen were Montana residents. The remaining 33 percent were from other states (711) or foreign countries (10). Freshmen declared majors in the following colleges:

	Count	Percentage
Agriculture	105	5%
Arts & Architecture	338	16%
Business	155	7%
Education & HHD	110	5%
Engineering	389	18%
General Studies	670	31%
Letters & Science	284	13%
Nursing	114	5%

Thirty-one 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:

	2003-04
	Resident	Nonresident
Tuition/Fees*	$4,145	$12,707
Room/Board**	5,370	5,370
Books/Supplies	890	890
Personal/Miscellaneous	2,420	2,420
TOTAL	$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 ($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:

• 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 $48 million in financial aid during 2002-03:

• 61% as loans
• 37% as grants and scholarships
• 2% as work study

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

A historical breakdown of awards by source is also available.

In 2002-03, the University awarded 2180 degrees:

• 1831 bachelor's degrees
• 307 master's degrees
• 41 doctoral degrees
• 1 specialist degree

Each year the Career Services Office at Montana State University-Bozeman conducts a survey to determine placement rates and salary survey information for new MSU graduates. Results from the 2002 Success of Graduates survey are now available.

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, 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

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

MSU has granted 84,485 degrees in its 110 year history--72,409 bachelor's, 10,543 master's, 1490 doctorates, 41 professional degrees and two specialist degrees. The Alumni Association maintains a database of all individuals who have attended the University. The database contains current, active addresses for 66,963 individual alumni, 48% of whom reside in Montana.

For more information about the Alumni Association, contact

Jaynee Groseth
Director, Alumni Relations
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 2002-03, the University attracted $82,353.323 in grants and contracts--80.62% from federal agencies, 11.43% from private corporations and foundations, and 7.94% from state sources. MSU currently holds 69 patents for innovations and processes developed through faculty research, with 150 additional patents pending, and has 41 license and option agreements with private firms, 30 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 2002-03 was collected and spent as follows ("Unrestricted Operating Account", Reports CHE101 and CHE102):

Revenue	Amount	%
Tuition & Fees	$53,287,963	58%
Miscellaneous	1,104,674	1%
General Fund	33,289,664	36%
Millage	4,264,779	5%
Total	$91,947,080	100%

Expenditures	Amount	%
Instruction	$48,690,002	53%
Research	391,646	1%
Public Service	942,079	1%
Academic Support	12,032,798	13%
Student Services	6,700,169	7%
Institutional Support	7,095,907	8%
Physical Plant	11,065,865	12%
Scholarships	5,005,924	5%
Total	$91,924,390	100%

A fund balance of -$50,872 was carried forward to 2001-02.

Please see FTE, revenue, and expenditures for historical data.

Based on a fall 2003 snapshot of the personnel file, MSU employs 2,863 permanent faculty and staff, 553 graduate teaching and research assistants, and over 2000 students in part-time jobs. Of the 2,863 permanent employees, 2,262 are full time and 601 are part time; 1,340 are men and 1,523 are women. Total faculty number 973, which includes 692 full-time and 281 part-time instructional faculty and department heads, including 165 faculty in research and service positions. Classified, professional, and service staff number 1,826.

		Number of Employees						Gender
Admin/Managerial		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Pres/VP/Deans/Directors		64	61	3		62.43		37	27
Faculty		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Heads/Directors		41	41	0		41.00		35	6
Tenurable Instructional		429	415	14		422.24		310	119
Adjunct Instructional		331	93	238		177.04		132	199
Research		38	28	10		32.87		30	8
Ag Exp Station/Ext Service		118	99	19		108.54		67	51
Library		16	16	0		16.00		6	10
Subtotal		973	692	281		797.70		580	393
Staff		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Contract Professional		646	512	134		578.39		308	338
Classified Professional		210	177	33		196.62		101	109
Secretarial/Clerical		376	282	94		337.93		18	358
Technical/Paraprofessional		241	200	41		224.17		69	172
Skilled Crafts		50	50	0		50.00		49	1
Service/Maintenance		303	288	15		296.57		178	125
Subtotal		1826	1509	317		1683.68		723	1103
Graduate Assistants		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
Teaching		247	0	247		n/a		151	96
Research		306	0	306		n/a		181	125
Subtotal		553	0	553		n/a		332	221
Total		Total	FullTime	PartTime		Full Time Equivalent		Men	Women
With Grad Assistants		3416	2262	1154		n/a		1672	1744
Without Grad Assistants		2863	2262	601		2543.81		1340	1523

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
Planning and Analysis.................	406-994-2341
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