Montana
Student Access & Success
Montana’s four-year institutions receive a low grade in this area, falling in the bottom 10 in retention rate, completion rate, and credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates. Montana’s two-year institutions receive a better grade, with a relatively a high completion rate and credentials produced per 100 full-time equivalent undergraduates.
Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness
Montana receives an average grade in this area for four- year institutions, with a cost per completion ($71,840) and state and local funding per completion ($37,131) in the middle third of all states. Montana’s two-year institutions fare slightly worse, with a cost per completion of $69,175, in the bottom 10 states nationally.
Meeting Labor Market Demand
The median wage of a Montana bachelor’s degree holder is approximately $10,600 (or 35%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate for a bachelor’s degree holder is almost 3 points lower. The median wage of an associate’s degree holder is approximately $4,600 (or 15%) more than the median wage of a high school graduate; the overall unemployment rate is nearly identical (about 0.2 points lower).
Transparency & Accountability
Montana gets an average score for its consumer information and public accountability resources, but overall Montana has low performance in this area. The state does not measure student learning outcomes, but recent Montana University System (MUS) issue briefs track labor market outcomes.
Policy Environment
Montana gets a middling grade for its policy environment. The state’s articulation and credit transfer system uses a clear course equivalency guide and common course numbering to facilitate transfers. The MUS strategic plan has goals concerning student outcomes, including student labor market success and system efficiency. The state does not have an outcomes-based funding system.
Innovation
The MUS Online portal includes degree programs and individual courses from both four- and two-year institutions, and the state has enunciated a broad goal to expand distance learning programs. Regarding new providers, Montana’s regulatory trigger is more sensitive than most, but the state has low licensure fees and a simple, straightforward approval process.
Report Card
Compare with
Four-Year Institutions
MT Nat'l| Student Access & Success | D |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 40.8 | 30.8 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 70.3 | 77.9 |
| Completion Rate | 42.4 | 54.5 |
| Completions per 100 FTE Students | 17.3 | 19.7 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 2 | |
| Complete College America |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | C |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $71,840 | $68,140 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $37,131 | $41,198 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $82,034 | $76,932 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined Measure (5-point scale) | 3 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | F |
|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $10,616 | $17,881 |
|---|---|---|
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 134.9 | 156.0 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $7,115 | $12,703 |
| BA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 128.0 | 149.9 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 2.6 | 4.0 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 5.2 | 7.1 |
| BA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 3.0 | 2.9 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
Two-Year Institutions
MT Nat'l| Student Access & Success | B |
|---|
| Percentage of Pell Grant Recipients | 50.4 | 46.9 |
|---|---|---|
| Retention Rate | 55.1 | 58.6 |
| Completion Rate | 29.3 | 20.5 |
| Completions Per 100 FTE Undergraduates | 19.8 | 16.8 |
| Risk-Adjusted Completion Points (5-point Scale) | 4 |
| Efficiency & Cost-Effectiveness | D |
|---|
| Cost Per Completion | $69,175 | $57,210 |
|---|---|---|
| State and Local Funding Per Completion | $43,152 | $35,476 |
| State, Local, and Tuition Funding Per Completion | $65,693 | $52,512 |
| Cost Per Completion and Public Funding Combined MeasureCombined Measure (5-point Scale) | 2 |
| Meeting Labor Market Demand | F |
|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (Overall) | $4,616 | $8,545 |
|---|---|---|
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (Overall) | 115.2 | 126.1 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Gap (25–34) | $6,590 | $6,595 |
| AA vs. HS Wage Ratio (25–34) | 125.9 | 125.0 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (Overall) | 0.2 | 2.7 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (Overall) | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Gap (25–34) | 1.8 | 4.9 |
| AA vs. HS Unemployment Ratio (25–34) | 1.29 | 1.84 |
| Transparency & Accountability | D |
|---|
| Transparency—Public Accountability (5-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Transparency—Consumer Information (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Report Labor Market Outcomes? | true | |
| Labor Market Outcomes (4-point Scale) | 1 | |
| Does the State Report Student Learning Outcomes? | false | |
| Student Learning Outcomes (3-point Scale) | 0 |
State
MT Nat'l| Policy Environment | C |
|---|
| State Goals (6-point Scale) | 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Does the State Have Outcomes-Based Funding? | false | |
| Four-Year Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Two-Years Outcomes-Based Funding (3-point Scale) | 0 | |
| Does the State Have a Credit Transfer Policy? | true | |
| Credit Transfer Policy (5-point Scale) | 5 |
| Innovation: Openness to Providers | B |
|---|
| Numerical Openness to New Providers Grade | 80% | |
|---|---|---|
| Regulatory Jurisdiction | 40% | |
| Financial Burden | 100% | |
| Approval Process Burden | 100% |
| Innovation: Online Learning | B |
|---|
| Numerical Online Learning Grade | 71.4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Online Learning Score (7-point Scale) | 5 |
State Facts at a Glance
- Number of Public Four-Year Institutions 6
- Number of Public Two-Year Institutions 7
- Number of Students Served by Public Four-Year Institutions 28387
- Number of Students Served by Public Two-Year Institutions 7017