Montana State University

Academic Excellence

MSU prepares students to graduate equipped for careers and further education. MSU’s low student to faculty ratio means accessible professors and hands-on learning opportunities. Working alongside world-class faculty mentors, students discover new knowledge that helps to improve quality of life around the globe. This supportive and collaborative learning environment helps students succeed in competing for national and international scholarships and awards. In the past year alone, MSU students have received prestigious awards including:

• Goldwater scholarships (math, science & engineering)
• Rhodes Scholarship (to study at Oxford University)
• Marshall Scholarship (grad school in the United Kingdom)
• Udall Scholarship (to pursue careers in the environment)
• Newman Civic Fellow (public leadership)

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifies MSU as one of only 131 colleges and universities in the nation (out of more than 4,300) that maintain “very high research activity.”

Of those 131 institutions, only 69 are classified as having “significant commitment to community engagement.”

And of those 69, MSU is the only college or university with a Carnegie enrollment profile of “very high undergraduate.”

This means that MSU undergraduate students have unique access to cutting-edge research and creative opportunities – and to an engaging educational experience that fully integrates learning, discovery and service.

Accreditation

MSU maintains and exceeds a variety of accreditation requirements that were designed to ensure high quality educational standards. MSU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. During its most recent re-accreditation, MSU was commended for an "extremely high level of productivity and effectiveness." In addition to national accreditation, many of MSU’s colleges, departments and programs also maintain rigorous accreditation credentials through discipline specific agencies.