Best Small Colleges in Montana 2025
Small colleges in Montana are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.
Key Takeaways
- The best small colleges in Montana are known for their low student-to-faculty ratios, allowing students to receive individualized attention and build close relationships with professors, which enhances the academic experience.
- Many of the best small colleges in Montana emphasize hands-on learning through fieldwork, internships, and research projects, especially in programs related to Montana’s natural environment, such as environmental science and wildlife studies.
- Located in picturesque settings, the colleges in our ranking provide students with easy access to outdoor recreational activities like hiking, skiing, and fishing, creating a campus experience that blends academics with Montana’s natural beauty.
Best Small Colleges in Montana in 2025
2025 Ranking Update
Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.
In 2025, the top schools in our ranking of the best small colleges in Montana saw a substantial amount of movement. The University of Providence gained the most ranking positions as the university’s Division of Nursing has gained recognition from research.com for its excellence, enhancing the university’s reputation in healthcare education. Additionally, the university will undergo a comprehensive accreditation review by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) in spring 2025, highlighting its commitment to maintaining high academic standards. In athletics, UP has announced its roster for the men’s ice hockey team and released the women’s volleyball schedule for the 2024-25 season, showcasing a strong focus on athletics.
UP has also improved its national ranking, rising to #553 out of 2,152 colleges on College Factual’s 2025 Best Colleges list and achieving the #1 ranking among colleges in Montana. These developments reflect UP’s dedication to academic, athletic, and institutional growth, making it an attractive choice for prospective students.
The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Montana is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 7 small colleges in Montana. The list below of the best small colleges in Montana. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.
Best Small Colleges in Montana
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Montana 2024 #1 Best Christian Colleges in Montana 2025 #2 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #3 Best Colleges in Montana 2025
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: $33,252Expenses: $15,046Starting Salary: $47,100Cost Recoup Time: 16 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Rocky Mountain College known for?
Rocky Mountain College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- History
- Medical
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Education
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- Physics
- Political Science
Most Influential Alumni
- #3 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #3 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #4 Best Colleges in Montana 2025 #4 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
29%
Student body
5K
Career Outlook for degree at Montana State University Billings
Cost of Degree: $6,706Expenses: $16,990Starting Salary: $38,700Cost Recoup Time: 12 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Montana State University Billings known for?
Montana State University Billings’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Psychology
- History
- Education
- Sociology
- Computer Science
- Literature
- Medical
- Political Science
- Business
- Communications
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
- #1 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #3 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024 #3 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024 #4 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025
Tuition + fees
$6K
Acceptance
36%
Graduation
45%
Student body
2K
Career Outlook for degree at University of Montana Western
Cost of Degree: $6,431Expenses: $15,282Starting Salary: $36,700Cost Recoup Time: 11 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat 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
- #10 The Best Catholic Colleges and Universities Ranked for 2024 #2 Best Christian Colleges in Montana 2025 #3 Best Private Colleges in Montana 2024 #5 The Most Influential Universities and Colleges Ranked by State 2024
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: $29,018Expenses: $15,500Starting Salary: $38,600Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat 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
- #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: $40,352Expenses: $15,692Starting Salary: $49,200Cost Recoup Time: 17 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat is Carroll College known for?
Carroll College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Nursing
- Literature
- Religious Studies
- Sociology
- Medical
- Philosophy
Most Influential Alumni
- #3 Best Graduate Schools in Montana 2025 #5 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024 #5 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #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: $7,993Expenses: $16,838Starting Salary: $52,100Cost Recoup Time: 10 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat 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
- #6 Best Public Colleges in Montana 2024 #6 Most Affordable Colleges in Montana 2025 #7 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in Montana 2024 #9 Best Colleges in Montana 2025
Tuition + fees
$6K
Graduation
29%
Student body
1K
Career Outlook for degree at Montana State University–Northern
Cost of Degree: $5,955Expenses: $11,626Starting Salary: $40,400Cost Recoup Time: 9 yearsPaid back at 15% of annual salaryWhat 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
Montana’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest
2021 Ranking Archive
Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.
