Montana’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship

Montana’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
By Dr. James Barham
Updated:

What are the best colleges and universities in Montana if you reward schools for making the best use of their limited resources? Academic Stewardship asks how effectively schools manage their financial and human resources to gain the influence that makes them academically excellent. Schools that are exemplary in Academic Stewardship are doing everything in their power to help students and faculty achieve their full potential.

Colleges and universities in Montana deserve to be recognized when they do more with less. It’s impressive when a large wealthy school can spend money lavishly on expensive buildings and programs. But it’s even more impressive when a small school with limited means is able to train and inspire students that the larger wealthier schools tend to ignore.

The American Association of Colleges and Universities reported in late 2021 that almost 75 percent of higher-education professionals at US colleges and universities felt financial constraints prevented their schools from effectively attracting students. Distracted by the size and amenities of larger schools, prospective students tended especially to be overawed by the big research universities.

Montana’s smaller colleges, especially its liberal arts colleges, need effective ways of communicating their value to a world that celebrates “bigger is better” and “you need the best.” Unfortunately, most college ranking companies, such as U.S. News & World Report, define “best” in a way that devalues schools with smaller budgets and fewer students even when these schools do remarkable work in advancing their students’ education. By and large, college rankings penalize schools that serve underserved populations.

Inspired by Malcolm Gladwell, who for years now has criticized conventional college rankings for misrepresenting what’s good and valuable in education, we decided to construct a new ranking metric that highlights those schools that do more with less. That metric—called the Academic Stewardship metric—takes away both the size and the wealth advantage of schools, and focuses instead on how well schools use the resources available to them to advance the education of their students.

How We Measure the Academic Stewardship of Montana’s Colleges and Universities

Montana's Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship
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As a metric, Academic Stewardship is defined by a precise mathematical formula, which can be found in our Academic Stewardship white paper. Measuring the Academic Stewardship of Montana’s colleges requires measuring two forms of stewardship: 1) Stewardship of financial resources (using the money they have responsibility without waste) and 2) Stewardship of human resources (doing their best to help students, faculty, and administration to flourish). Together, these two types of stewardship form what we call  Academic Stewardship. If you want to learn more about the factors involved in Academic Stewardship, click the more button below.

  1. Stewardship of financial resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of financial resources, we factored in its undergraduate size, budget, endowments and reserves, as well as tuition and fees. All these data are available from the National Center for Educational Statistics Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System. In addition, we factored in a school’s financial responsibility as gauged by the Federal Student Aid Office at the US Department of Education through its financial responsibility composite scores.
  2. Stewardship of human resources: To determine a school’s stewardship of human resources, we used our InfluenceRanking engine to track the influence of the school’s faculty and alumni but also to control for size of the undergraduate student body. We’ve found that measuring a school’s influence based on the contributions of faculty and alumni make in their fields of study but then also controlling for size of the undergraduate population is the single best indicator of academic excellence. We call this Concentrated Influence. Schools that rank highly in Concentrated Influence are schools that, given their available human resources, invest heavily in their students and faculty, and the results are demonstrable.
    • We measure the influence of colleges and universities based on the publications and citations of the schools’ faculty and alumni who are teaching in and working in areas related to their degrees. To do this, we take publicly available databases, such as Semantic Scholar, Crossref, and Wikipedia and use these to measure the influence of academics in their disciplines. Having measured the influence of persons, we then identify the schools that they’re affiliated with, adding up the influence scores of the faculty and alumni to measure the influence of the schools and their disciplinary programs. Finally, we control these influence scores by size of undergraduate student body so that schools do not score high in influence simply because of a size advantage. We lay out these methodological considerations on our methodology page.
  3. Academic Stewardship: Having measured a school’s stewardship of financial and human resources in the two previous points, we now divide the second measure by the first to define the Academic Stewardship metric. This metric spotlights smaller schools, with fewer financial resources and people, that invest wisely and do proportionately better in building influence than large wealthy schools. Many of these smaller, less wealthy schools are incentivized to make better use of their resources but would never get recognized in conventional school rankings, which directly or indirectly put a premium on the wealth of schools.

Academic Stewardship as so defined is connected to keeping tuition and other costs down, but it should not be confused with affordability or frugality. The schools that this metric ranks as exemplary academic stewards tend to be all over the map when it comes to tuition and other costs. At issue is the influence of schools given the financial and human resources they have on hand. If a school is going to charge more for tuition, then that needs to be reflected in the school having proportionately greater influence.

Why Academic Stewardship Matters to Students and Their Families

The benefits of attending a school with strong academic stewardship include:

  • A clear reason for why students are at the school in the first place. Without the distraction of amenities and luxuries, these schools are at once unpretentious but also passionately committed to their educational mission. The schools in this ranking are financially efficient and academically rigorous. By avoiding frills, these schools take the most direct path to accomplishing their mission of educating students.
  • Valuing character over prestige and self-indulgence. A school that’s a good steward of its resources doesn’t instill shame in its students over what they are missing (such as elite cuisine) but rather pride in what they have and making the most of it. These schools exhibit a culture of good stewardship, which tends to build good character in the students that attend these schools.
  • Avoiding the spoiled-student syndrome. It’s easy to think that offering students endless options and opportunities will enrich their time at school in every way. But spoiling people—whether in business, sports, or academics—has the opposite effect, causing people to take their advantages for granted and in the end achieving less than they might otherwise, a point well-documented in Daniel Coyle’s The Talent Code. Schools exhibiting academic stewardship avoid this pitfall.
  • The best schools vs. the schools that help students to be their best. Students at schools demonstrating outstanding academic stewardship aren’t so much concerned about being at the “best” school, whatever that may mean, as about being at a school that helps them to be their best. These schools pay attention to their students, hoping that any glory goes to them rather than to the school. Small schools, and especially liberal arts colleges, help themselves by communicating this advantage to prospective students.
  • Emphasizing development over talent and achievement. Schools like Harvard and Stanford have their pick of academic talent, and their students have a long record of achievement even before they apply to such elite schools. But if a school doesn’t have the resources of a Harvard or Stanford, how does it build a great team of students? In that case, it must focus on student development. Colleges exemplifying academic stewardship emphasize student growth and development, ensuring that the schools are doing everything in their power to help students reach their full potential and thereby become their best selves.
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Montana’s Best Colleges and Universities by Academic Stewardship

  1. #1

    University of Montana

    Missoula , MT
    #1 Best Research Universities in Montana 2025 #1 Best Colleges in Montana 2025 #1 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #1 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    95%

    Graduation

    46%

    Student body

    12K

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Montana

    Cost of Degree: $8,152
    Expenses: $17,076
    Starting Salary: $43,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is University of Montana known for?

    University of Montana’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    University of Montana’s Online Degrees

    BA in Art
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Media Arts
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Anthropology
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Communicative Sciences And Disorders
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
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  2. #2

    Montana State University

    Bozeman , MT
    #2 Best Research Universities in Montana 2025 #2 Best Colleges in Montana 2025 #2 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #2 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    73%

    Graduation

    57%

    Student body

    19K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1180/23

    Career Outlook for degree at Montana State University

    Cost of Degree: $8,083
    Expenses: $18,588
    Starting Salary: $48,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is Montana State University known for?

    Montana State University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Montana State University’s Online Degrees

    BA in Liberal Studies
    Degree Concentrations
    • Quaternity
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  3. #3

    Montana Technological University

    Butte , MT
    #3 Best Graduate Schools in Montana 2025 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #5 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024 #5 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    89%

    Graduation

    57%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1185/22

    Career Outlook for degree at Montana Technological University

    Cost of Degree: $7,993
    Expenses: $16,838
    Starting Salary: $52,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is Montana Technological University known for?

    Montana Technological University’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Montana Technological University’s Online Degrees

    BSN in Nursing Rn To Bsn
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  4. #4

    Montana State University Billings

    Billings , MT
    #2 Best Small Colleges in Montana 2025 #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #4 Best Colleges in Montana 2025

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    29%

    Student body

    5K

    Career Outlook for degree at Montana State University Billings

    Cost of Degree: $6,706
    Expenses: $16,990
    Starting Salary: $38,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is Montana State University Billings known for?

    Montana State University Billings’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Montana State University Billings’s Online Degrees

    BSBA in Business Administration
    Degree Concentrations
    • Accounting
    • General Business
    • Management
    • Marketing
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Communication
    Degree Concentrations
    • Organization
    • Media Studies
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BSLS in Liberal Studies
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Public Relations
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BSHA in Health Administration
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
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  5. #5

    Carroll College

    Helena , MT
    #2 Best Private Colleges in Montana 2024 #3 Best Christian Colleges in Montana 2025 #4 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #4 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $39K

    Acceptance

    78%

    Graduation

    70%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1140/21

    Career Outlook for degree at Carroll College

    Cost of Degree: $40,352
    Expenses: $15,692
    Starting Salary: $49,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is Carroll College known for?

    Carroll College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Compare school
  7. #6

    Rocky Mountain College

    Billings , MT
    #1 Best Private Colleges in Montana 2024 #1 Best Small Colleges in Montana 2025 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Montana 2025 #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $32K

    Acceptance

    75%

    Graduation

    46%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1100/21

    Career Outlook for degree at Rocky Mountain College

    Cost of Degree: $33,252
    Expenses: $15,046
    Starting Salary: $47,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is Rocky Mountain College known for?

    Rocky Mountain College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Compare school
  8. #7

    University of Montana Western

    Dillon , MT
    #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #3 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024 #3 Best Small Colleges in Montana 2025 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Acceptance

    36%

    Graduation

    45%

    Student body

    2K

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Montana Western

    Cost of Degree: $6,431
    Expenses: $15,282
    Starting Salary: $36,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is University of Montana Western known for?

    University of Montana Western’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    University of Montana Western’s Online Degrees

    BS in Early Childhood Education
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  9. #8

    Montana State University–Northern

    Havre , MT
    #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #6 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #7 Best Small Colleges in Montana 2025

    Tuition + fees

    $6K

    Graduation

    29%

    Student body

    1K

    Career Outlook for degree at Montana State University–Northern

    Cost of Degree: $5,955
    Expenses: $11,626
    Starting Salary: $40,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 9 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is Montana State University–Northern known for?

    Montana State University–Northern’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    Montana State University–Northern’s Online Degrees

    BS in Business Administration
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Business Technology
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BAS in Trades Management
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Criminal Justice
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Community Leadership
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
  10. #9

    University of Providence

    Great Falls , MT
    #10 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities Ranked for 2024 #2 Best Christian Colleges in Montana 2025 #3 Best Private Colleges in Montana 2024 #4 Best Small Colleges in Montana 2025

    Tuition + fees

    $28K

    Acceptance

    95%

    Graduation

    41%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    730/19

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Providence

    Cost of Degree: $29,018
    Expenses: $15,500
    Starting Salary: $38,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is University of Providence known for?

    University of Providence’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

    University of Providence’s Online Degrees

    BS in Criminal Justice
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BS in Healthcare Administration
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BSN in Nursing: RN To BSN
    • Required Credits: 120
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    Compare school
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Montana’s Best Colleges in Your Area of Interest

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Colleges and Universities in Montana

Montana has 21 higher learning institutions, including 16 public universities and colleges. The largest is Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman. With an affordable tuition of $7,000, MSU enrolls just over 16,000 students. Students can earn their degree in fields like forestry, wildlife biology, theatre, and creative writing. The state is also home to five private schools, three of which are religiously affiliated.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

Carroll College is a Roman Catholic liberal arts college with just over 1,000 students in attendance. The tuition runs about $35,000, the most expensive in the state, and it is located on a hilltop in Helena. Students can choose from 18 schools in Montana with tuitions of $7,000 or less, making Montana an affordable state to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree. The state also offers loan repayment programs, including the Montana NHSC Student Loan Repayment Program, which grants up to $15,000 per year for two years for those in health-related fields.

Hiking through Glacier National Park, exploring the Northern Great Plains, and fishing from one of its many lakes and rivers are just some of the ways to enjoy the natural bounty that Montana has to offer. Visitors and locals can also drive Going-to-the-Sun-Road, a 52-mile highway that ventures through the National Park and crosses into Canada. No matter the outdoor hobby, prospective students are sure to love the scenic backdrop of The Treasure State as they earn their degree.

Check out the best programs Montana has to offer while enjoying the wide-open spaces of Big Sky Country.


What are Montana’s Colleges & Universities?

Montana’s Best Overall

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