Quick Facts, 2001-02

Quick Facts provides an overview of MSU's enrollment, employment, and programs for the current year. 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 [email protected]

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 40 fields, and doctoral degrees in 13 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 2001 was 11,745 students.

Summer school of 2001 was attended by 3052 students.

The fall semester of 2001 had a total enrollment of 11,745 students. Of these, 9580 (82%) attended full time and 2165 (18%) attended part time.

Historical enrollments by class are also available.

The student body attending fall semester of 2001 had the following characteristics:

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 2001 originally came from all 56 counties in Montana, 50 U.S. states, and 57 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 2001 had 1894 students--1801 traditional-age freshmen who had graduated from high school in the last three classes, and 93 nontraditional freshmen who had graduated earlier. The average age of traditional freshmen was 18.5 years, and the average age of nontraditional freshmen was 25.5 years.

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

Sixty-nine percent (1310) of the entering freshmen were Montana residents. The remaining 31 percent were from other states (569) or foreign countries (15). Freshmen declared majors in the following colleges:

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:

*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 ($512/semester for 2001-02, $582 for 2002-2003). 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
• Western Undergraduate Exchange Program (WUI)
• Course Fees
• Fee Descriptions

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

PLEASE NOTE: 2000-01 financial aid data will be published soon.

MSU distributed over $39 million in financial aid during 1999-00:

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

Approximately 73% 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 2000-01, the University awarded 2029 degrees:

• 1672 bachelor's degrees
• 327 master's degrees
• 30 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. PLEASE NOTE: data from 1999-2000 graduates will be published soon.

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

MSU has granted 80,121 degrees in its 108 year history--68,750 bachelor's, 9916 master's, 1413 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 54,989 individual alumni, 49% of whom reside in Montana.

For more information about the Alumni Association, contact

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 2000-01, the University attracted $61,023,165 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.

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 2000-01 was collected and spent as follows:

A fund balance of -$352,687 was carried forward to 2000-01.

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

Based on a fall 2001 snapshot of the personnel file, MSU employs 2,691 permanent faculty and staff, 501 graduate teaching and research assistants, and over 2000 students in part-time jobs. Of the 2,691 permanent employees, 2,137 are full time and 554 are part time; 1,308 are men and 1,383 are women. Total faculty number 950, which includes 702 full-time and 248 part-time instructional faculty and department heads, and an additional 162 faculty in research and service positions. Classified, professional, and service staff number 1,681.