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Academics

Montana State University
Academics

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How strong are the academics at Montana State University?

Let's cover class sizes, graduation rates, and outcomes.

16:1
Student to faculty ratio
29
Average class size
37%
4-year grad rate

Class Sizes

Class sizes likely stayed the same for you through high school. You'll find that college is much different. Some of the largest universities have classes that can seat hundreds of students in giant lecture halls. Conversely, as they progress and their focus narrows, higher-level courses can sometimes have just a handful of students.

Montana State has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1. The typical school is 14:1. While this ratio is important, what’s more important is how big a typical class is.

Class Sizes
2-9
282
10-19
631
20-29
489
30-39
239
40-49
149
50-99
152
100+
104

Honors Programs

Montana State University has an honors program and/or honors college. Specifics of these programs vary, but benefits of being in an Honors Program might include priority registration, being part of a tight-knit community, and accessing unique learning opportunities.

Learn more about honors options on Montana State's website.

Outcomes

It’s critical to understand a school’s outcomes to understand if your four (or more) years at the school will be worth it. Here are some key statistics about the outcomes of students who enroll at Montana State University:

79%
First-year retention rate
37%
4-year grad rate
57%
6-year grad rate

Majors

Many students choose a school largely based on the what they want to study. The are Montana State University's most popular majors, ranked by how many people graduated with the concentration in the most recent year:

Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse
Business/Commerce, General
Psychology, General
Mechanical Engineering
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General
80
138.8
197.6
256.4
315.2
374

The Full List

Major Graduates
Agricultural/Animal/Plant/Veterinary Science And Related Fields
  • Animal Sciences, General 51
  • Plant Sciences, General 34
  • Agricultural Business and Management, General 13
  • Farm/Farm and Ranch Management 1
  • Agricultural Business and Management, General 1
Architecture And Related Services
  • Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology 56
  • Landscape Architecture 0
Biological And Biomedical Sciences
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 109
  • Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology 65
  • Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology 59
  • Biotechnology 8
  • Biotechnology 2
  • Medical Microbiology and Bacteriology 2
  • Biology/Biological Sciences, General 1
  • Cell/Cellular Biology and Histology 1
Business
  • Business/Commerce, General 364
  • Finance and Financial Management Services, Other 15
  • Hospitality Administration/Management, General 10
  • Business/Commerce, General 2
Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
  • Computer Science 99
  • Computer Science 4
Education
  • Elementary Education and Teaching 41
  • Agricultural Teacher Education 17
  • Social Science Teacher Education 8
  • Music Teacher Education 8
  • Early Childhood Education and Teaching 8
  • Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education 4
  • Technical Teacher Education 0
Engineering
  • Mechanical Engineering 143
  • Chemical Engineering 58
  • Civil Engineering, General 58
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 31
  • Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering 29
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 26
  • Industrial Engineering 18
  • Computer Engineering, General 16
  • Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering 2
  • Electrical and Electronics Engineering 1
  • Computer Engineering, General 1
  • Industrial Engineering 1
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians
  • Construction Engineering Technology/Technician 42
  • Mechanical/Mechanical Engineering Technology/Technician 37
English Language And Literature/Letters
  • English Language and Literature, General 35
Family And Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
  • Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences, General 129
  • Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness Studies, General 10
Foreign Languages
  • French Language and Literature 5
  • Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 4
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 3
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 3
  • French Language and Literature 2
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 2
  • Germanic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 2
  • Hispanic and Latin American Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, General 1
  • East Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics 1
  • Foreign Languages and Literatures, General 0
Health Professions And Related Programs
  • Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse 374
History
  • History, General 25
  • History, General 2
Liberal Arts And Sciences
  • Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 51
Mathematics And Statistics
  • Mathematics, General 21
  • Statistics, General 6
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
  • Sustainability Studies 10
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 3
  • Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies, General 3
  • MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 3
  • Data Science, General 0
Natural Resources And Conservation
  • Environmental Science 36
  • Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 10
  • Natural Resources/Conservation, General 0
Parks
  • Exercise Science and Kinesiology 7
  • Sport and Fitness Administration/Management 0
  • Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General 0
Philosophy And Religious Studies
  • Philosophy 5
  • Philosophy 4
Physical Sciences
  • Geology/Earth Science, General 49
  • Chemistry, General 39
  • Physics, General 5
  • Astronomy 2
Psychology
  • Psychology, General 147
  • Psychology, General 6
Social Sciences
  • Sociology, General 61
  • Political Science and Government, General 37
  • Economics, General 16
  • Anthropology, General 10
  • Sociology, General 4
  • Political Science and Government, General 3
  • Economics, General 2
  • Anthropology, General 1
Visual And Performing Arts
  • Art/Art Studies, General 62
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production 59
  • Music, General 17
  • Cinematography and Film/Video Production 3
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CollegeIQ® relies on data from government and private resources. Always confer with the individual college or university for the most recent data. Learn more about our data and methodology.

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