The University of Montana College Portrait
The University of Montana32 Campus Drive Missoula, MT 59812
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The University of Montana
The University of Montana will lead as a globally focused public research university that serves the state, nation and world. Intrinsic to mission are the underlying values of diversity, sustainability, leadership and engagement. These essential values underpin our preparation of graduates and contributions to society in the 21st century through high-impact teaching, research, creative scholarship and service. UM will be recognized as a place of opportunity for those who study and work in a dynamic learning environment. It will be a place of vitality through continuous, intentional integration of planning, budgeting, implementation and assessment. UM will drive economic, cultural and social development of Montana and the Northern Rockies.
Living in the UM Community
Located in Missoula amid the mountains of Western Montana, UM consistently is recognized as one of the most attractive and enticing campuses in the nation. People are drawn to UM by the richness of experiences, scenic beauty, lifelong learning, and cultural and entertainment opportunities. The University strives to ensure that its surroundings are integrated into the campus curriculum. Beyond traditional classroom lectures and seminars taught by renowned faculty, campus offers Web- and video-based classes to rural and place-bound learners and reaches out to surrounding communities with classes to meet local needs. Campus also includes many outstanding learning environments, such as the new Payne Familty Native American Center - the nation's finest university building for Native studies and students.
The Big Picture: How many students were on campus in Fall 2011?
More Information
| Total Students | 15,669 | |
|---|---|---|
Undergraduate Snapshot
| Total Undergraduate Students | 13,370 | |
|---|---|---|
| Gender | ||
| Women | 7,058 | 53% |
| Men | 6,312 | 47% |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||
| American Indian / Alaskan Native | 398 | 3% |
| Asian | 133 | 1% |
| African American / Black | 104 | 1% |
| Hispanic | 437 | 3% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 25 | <1% |
| White | 11,402 | 85% |
| Two or More Races | 432 | 3% |
| International | 298 | 2% |
| Race/Ethnicity Not Reported | 141 | 1% |
| Where do UM undergraduates call home? | |
|---|---|
| Montana | 73% |
| Other US States & Territories | 25% |
| Other Countries | 2% |
| How old are UM undergraduates? | |
| Average Age | 23 |
| Percent of Undergraduates Age 25 or Older | 21% |
New Student Applications (Fall 2011)
New Freshmen High School Background and Test Scores
Test(s) Required for Admission: SAT or ACT recommended
| Test Scores of Enrolled New Freshmen | ACT | SAT |
|---|---|---|
| Composite | 21 - 26 | |
| Math | 19 - 25 | 490 - 590 |
| English | 20 - 27 | |
| Critical Reading | 490 - 600 |
50% of admitted students have test scores within the ranges listed, 25% have scores above, and 25% have scores below.
| High School Background of Enrolled New Freshmen | ||
|---|---|---|
| Percent in top 25% of High School Graduating Class | 41% | |
| Percent in top 50% of High School Graduating Class | 74% | |
| Percent of New Freshmen who submitted HS GPA | 79% | |
| Average High School GPA (4-point scale) | 3.26 | |
| Percent who submitted High School GPA | 97% | |
Sticker Price: How much does it cost on average?
Typical Undergraduate Costs for 2010-11 without Financial Aid (Full-Time, In-State Students)
Total Typical Cost of Attendance: $18,392.00
Out-of-State & Other Costs
The cost to attend The University of Montana varies based on the individual circumstances of students and may be reduced through grants and scholarships.
How much would I pay?
Financial Aid: How much help is there to pay?
Scholarships & Grants
- 43% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based grants or scholarships; the average award for the year was $4,801.00. Scholarships and grants are financial aid that does not need to be repaid and is sometimes referred to as gift aid.
Annual Need-Based Loans
- 61% of 2010-11 full-time undergraduates received need-based work-study and/or loans (not including parent loans); the average loan for the year was $3,420.00. Loans need to be repaid. Typically, repayment starts once you are no longer enrolled full-time. Please refer to page 12 of the Funding Education Beyond High School guide on the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website for more information about Financial Need.
Percent of 2010 Full-time Beginning Students Receiving Each Type of Financial Aid
NOTE: Students may receive aid from more than one source.
UM Classes & Instructors
| Classroom Environment | |
|---|---|
| Students per Faculty | 20 to 1 |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 30 students | 78% |
| Undergraduate classes with fewer than 50 students | 90% |
| Total Full-Time Instructional Faculty | 572 |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Female | 39% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Are Persons of Color | 13% |
| % of Full-Time Instructional Faculty Who Have the Highest Academic Degree Offered in Their Field of Study | 79% |
Campus-based Housing
80% of new freshmen live in campus-based housing or residence halls.
27% of all undergraduates live on campus
More Information
Campus Safety
The University of Montana is protected by certified police officers with The Office of Public Safety working in partnership with Residence Life and the Dean of Students to ensure a safe learning environment. Crime Prevention & Safety measures include Emergency Phones, student staffed escort service and Fire sprinkler-equipped dorms.
Campus Crime Statistics
Carnegie Classification of Institutional Characteristics
The Carnegie Classification's were created "to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and ... enable [people] to identify groups of roughly comparable institutions." For information on the Carnegie Classifications system, please visit their website: http://classifications.carnegiefoundation.org/
- Basic Type
- Research Universities (high research activity)
- Size and Setting
- Large four-year, primarily nonresidential
- Enrollment Profile
- High undergraduate
- Undergraduate Profile
- Full-time four-year, selective, lower transfer-in
- Undergraduate Instructional Program
- Balanced arts & sciences/professions, some graduate coexistence
- Graduate Instructional Program
- Doctoral, professional dominant
NOTE: Institutional classifications based on the Carnegie 2005 edition.
More Information
Student Activities and Involvement at UM
Students who are actively involved in their own learning and development are more likely to be successful in college. Colleges and universities offer students a wide variety of opportunities both inside and outside the classroom to become engaged with new ideas, people, and experiences. Institutions measure the effectiveness of these opportunities in a variety of ways to better understand what types of activities and programs students find the most helpful.
Institutions participating in the VSA program measure student involvement on campus using one of four national surveys. Results from the one survey are reported for a common set of questions selected as part of VSA. Following are the selected results from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). The questions have been grouped together in categories that are known to contribute to student learning and development. The results reported below are based on the responses of seniors who participated in the survey.
Group Learning Experiences
- 95% percent of seniors worked with classmates on assignments outside of class.
- 60% of seniors tutored or taught other students
- 23% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week participating in co-curricular activities such as student organizations and intramural sports
Active Learning Experiences
- 86% of seniors spent at least 6 hours per week preparing for class
- 23% of seniors worked on a research project with a faculty member
- 44% of seniors participated in an internship, practicum, or field experience
- 58% of seniors participated in community service or volunteer work
- 15% of seniors participated in study abroad
- 90% of seniors made at least one class presentation last year
Institutional Commitment to Student Learning and Success
- 97% of seniors believe this institution provides support for student success
- 62% of seniors rated the quality of academic advising at this institution as good or excellent
- 45% of seniors reported that this institution provided help in coping with work, family and other non-academic responsibilities
- 91% of seniors reported working harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor's standards or expectations
Student Interaction with Campus Faculty and Staff
- 48% of seniors believed that the campus staff were helpful, considerate, or flexible
- 76% of seniors believed that faculty are available, helpful, or sympathetic
- 91% of seniors reported that faculty members provided prompt feedback on their academic performance
- 69% of seniors discussed readings or ideas with faculty members outside of class
Experiences with Diverse Groups of People and Ideas
- 62% of seniors reported that they often tried to understand someone else's point of view
- 77% of seniors reported their experience at this institution contributed to their understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds
- 36% of seniors often had serious conversations with students of a different race or ethnicity
Student Satisfaction
- 90% of seniors would attend this institution if they started over again
- 88% of seniors rated their entire educational experience as good or excellent
- 85% of seniors reported that other students were friendly or supportive
Evaluation of Experiences
Survey Administration Process
Survey Information
Majors and Degrees
| Degrees awarded at The University of Montana in 2010-11 | |
|---|---|
| Associate's | 289 |
| Bachelor's | 2,017 |
| Master's | 451 |
| Doctoral | 301 |
| Total | 3,058 |
| Areas of Study with the largest number of bachelor's degrees awarded in 2010-11 | |
|---|---|
| BUSINESS, MANAGEMENT, MARKETING, AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES | 24% |
| SOCIAL SCIENCES | 13% |
| COMMUNICATION, JOURNALISM, AND RELATED PROGRAMS | 8% |
| VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS | 8% |
| NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION | 7% |
| Links to degree programs at The University of Montana |
|---|
Associate'sBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral |
Future Plans of Bachelor's Degree Recipients
Survey Administration Process
Student Success & Progress Rate
A 77% four-year success and progress rate means that 77% of students starting in Fall 2005 either graduated or are still enrolled at a higher education institution four years later.
Counts for the Fall 2005 entering class shown in the graph above.
- 1,647 First-Time, Full-Time Students
- 686 Full-Time Transfer Students
Success & Progress Rate Table
Retention of Freshman Class
First-time students in Fall 2010 that returned for their second year: 72%
Student Learning at The University of Montana
All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.
The University of Montana was one of the earliest participants in the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) Pilot Project. As stated by Roger Benjamin, President of the Council for Aid to Education, "The CLA presents realistic problems that require students to analyze complex materials varying in reliability and accuracy, and to construct written responses that demonstrate their abilities to think critically, reason analytically, solve problems and communicate clearly and cogently. The institution - not the student - is the primary unit of analysis. The CLA is designed to measure an institution's contribution, or value added, to the development of these competencies". The University of Montana remains committed to assessing learning outcomes to maximize the value we add to each student's educational experience.
Learning Assessment Examples
Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes
Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.
Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment
The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.
Test Administration Process
Test Information
Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1048
Senior Score: 1215
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1034
Senior Score: 1120
Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students
The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.
Freshman Score: 1023
Senior Score: 1193
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.
Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1034
Senior Score: 1120