University Relations
UM Highlights
Updated April 15, 2009
On this page:
Enrollment (fall 2008):
14,207 total
12,421 undergraduates
1,786 graduate students
Enrollment by Academic Units (fall 2008)
College of Arts and Sciences, 5,986
College of Forestry and Conservation, 694
College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences, 843
College of Technology, 1,641
School of Business Administration, 1,763
School of Education, 1,340
School of Fine Arts, 774
School of Journalism, 508
School of Law, 248
Davidson Honors College (cross-discipline), 410
Student Profile (fall 2008):
54 percent female; 46 percent male
80 percent attend full time; 20 percent part time
75 percent Montana residents
25 percent out-of-state and international students
386 international students (from 65 countries)
Faculty (fall 2008):
645 full-time
323 part-time
19:1 student-faculty ratio
Staff including faculty (fall 2008):
1,550 (full-time equivalency)
Estimated semester costs for freshmen (2008-09):
Montana resident
Tuition and fees, $2,689
Room and board, $3,129
Books and supplies, $425
Total costs, $6,243
Non-resident
Tuition and fees, $8,509
Room and board, $3,129
Books and supplies, $425
Total costs, $12,063
UM Facts
Location: Missoula, Montana
Founded: 1893
Affiliation: Public unit of the Montana University System
Classification: Coeducational, doctoral university
Academic calendar: Fall and spring semesters with a
three-week winter session in January and two five-week summer sessions.
Accreditation: Regionally accredited by Northwest Association
of Schools and Colleges. Professional schools and departments are approved
by specialized accrediting organizations.
Degrees offered: Associate, bachelor’s, master’s,
first-professional and doctoral degrees, and technical certificates.
Campus: 156 acres at the base of Mount Sentinel and
next to the Clark Fork River; includes 64 buildings and a 23,500-seat
football stadium. UM's 180-acre South Campus offers housing, a golf course
and soccer, softball and track fields. The College of Technology occupies
two sites in central and west Missoula.
Housing: Nine residence halls; three apartment complexes
for students with dependents; and one apartment complex for single junior,
senior and graduate students.
Campus organizations: One-hundred and fifty clubs dedicated
to academics, volunteer service, diversity, recreation, Greek life, politics,
religion and many other interests.
Varsity sports: Men — football, basketball,
indoor and outdoor track, cross-country and tennis. Women — volleyball, basketball, indoor and outdoor track, cross-country,
tennis, golf and soccer.
Club and intramural sports: Eighteen club sports and
more than 30 intramural sports.
Athletic conference: Big Sky Conference, National Collegiate
Athletic Association, Division I Football Championship Subdivision.
Football wins against MSU-Bozeman: 66
Football losses against MSU-Bozeman: 35
Marks of Distinction
- Three faculty members have received the coveted Guggenheim Fellowship Awards worth more than $30,000. Wildlife biology Professor L. Scott Mills was named a fellow in 2009. In the Department of English, Judy Blunt received the award in 2006 and Debra Magpie Earling earned the distinction in 2007.
- UM senior Hilary Martens was named one of Glamour magazine's "Top
10 College Women." (June 2007)
- For the first time, a UM student was awarded a Jack Kent Cooke Graduate
Scholarship, worth up to $50,000 per year. The prestigious award went
to Dawson Dunning, a 2005 wildlife biology graduate from Otter. (July
2006)
- UM radio-television students swept first-place awards at the Region
10 convention of the Society of Professional Journalists, placing first
in every broadcast category in which awards were given for the society's
Mark of Excellence Competition. (April 2006)
- A UM photojournalism student, Mike Greener, won first place and $2,000
in the picture story/series category of the national Hearst Journalism
Awards Program. (April 2006)
- Two UM students, Hilary Martens and Elizabeth Morton, won Goldwater
Scholarships, worth up to $7,500 per year. (April 2006)
- UM has produced 11 Truman Scholars, 14 Goldwater Scholars and 28 Udall
Scholars. (2007)
- UM has produced more Udall Scholars (28) than any other school in
the nation since the award's inception in 1996. The 2006 scholarship
winners are Kelly Hopping and Michael O'Brien.
- Four UM students were among 24 in the nation named 2005-06 Doris Duke
Conservation Fellows. (February 2006)
- UM's College of Health Professions and Biomedical Sciences is ranked
fourth nationally out of 92 schools and colleges of pharmacy in biomedical
research funding. (2006)
- UM’s Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library houses the earliest
authorized edition of the Lewis and Clark journals.
- UM’s grizzly mascot, Monte, was named 2004 (and 2002) Capital
One National Mascot of the Year.
- Marketing Professor Jakki Mohr was named the 2005 Montana Professor
of the Year. The award is presented by the Carnegie Foundation for the
Advancement of Teaching in conjunction with the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education. Mohr is the sixth UM professor in a row to
earn the statewide recognition, joining History Professor Harry Fritz,
2004; retired English Professor Gerry Brenner, 2003; retired music Professor
Esther England, 2002; economics Professor John Photiades, 2001; and
history Professor Mehrdad Kia, 2000.
- For the seventh consecutive year, UM's School of Journalism placed
in the top 10 of the 2004 Hearst Journalism Awards Program. (2005)
- Fourteen student reporters and photographers participating in UM's
Native News Honors Project won a Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award.
The prestigious award, which recognizes outstanding reporting on the
disadvantaged, is often called the "poor people's Pulitzer."
(2005)
- UM Radio-Television students swept the television categories in the
Region 10 Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence Awards.
With 19 awards, the students took first place in nine of 45 categories.
(2005)
- The University's Epsilon Mu chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha earned a Best
Chapter Award for 2004-05 from the National Political Science Honor
Society. (2005)
- UM President George Dennison has served longer than any other president
in the University's history, surpassing the previous record of 13 years
and eight months in April 2004.
- UM's Ethics Bowl Team reached the "final four" of the 10th
annual Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl. (2004)
- Touting top mascot Monte garnered UM the "Best of Show"
in the national Admissions Marketing Report competition. (2004)
- UM's Reserve Officer Training Corps was ranked ninth out of 271 ROTC
programs in the nation. (2004)
- With 41 alumni volunteers serving in the Peace Corps, UM is No. 10
on the organization's list of "Top Producing Colleges and Universities."
The ranking, earned three years in a row, puts UM ahead of other medium-sized
institutions such as Notre Dame, Yale and Harvard. (2005)
- UM ranks 17th in the nation and fifth among public universities in
producing Rhodes Scholars (28; see list below).
- The Grizzly football team won the Division I-AA National Championship
in 1995 and 2001 and was national championship runner-up in 1996, 2000
and 2004.
- Seventy-eight percent of all UM pre-med students are admitted to various
medical schools. The national average acceptance rate is 40 percent.
- UM journalism graduates have won eight Pulitzer Prizes.
- On May 21, 2003, UM student Jess Roskelley became the youngest American
to summit Mount Everest.
- In June 2003, UM journalism student Danielle Cross placed first in
the radio news competition of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program,
known as the “College Pulitzers.”
- The School of Law’s moot court team won the 2000 national championship.
- UM’s institutional theme, “The Discovery Continues,”
earned the Virginia Carter Smith Grand Crystal award from the Council
for Advancement and Support of Education District VIII. (2001)
- UM’s Griz Gear line of clothing earned the 2001 Synergy Award
from the National Collegiate Licensing Association.
- UM’s graduate program in creative writing tied for 10th place
in U.S. News and World Report’s list of America’s best graduate
programs.
- President George W. Bush’s first two nominees for U.S. District
Court judgeships were UM law alumni Richard Cebull of Great Falls and
Sam Haddon of Missoula, sworn in in 2001.
- UM political science Professor Peter Koehn was one of 12 nationwide
named a Fulbright New Century Scholar in 2001.
- The School of Business Administration had the highest first-time
pass rate in the nation in the 2000 Uniform Certified Public Accountant
Examination.
- UM biologist Doug Emlen received a 2001 Presidential Early Career
Award for Scientists and Engineers, one of the highest honors bestowed
by the U.S. government.
- “A University Stands,” a UM promotional video remembering
the Sept. 11 attacks, earned a Gold Award from the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education. (2002)
- UM’s athletic program was named No. 75 among the top 200 Division
I programs. (2002)
UM Media Recognition
- UM is one of the nation's 150 best-value undergraduate institutions,
according to the Princeton Review's 2007 edition of "America's
Best Value Colleges." The UM profile said "The University
of Montana has all the ingredients of a happy college experience: friendly
people, supportive faculty, a great sense of community and fantastic
educational opportunities -- all served up with a side of lovely scenery
.... The academics are solid, the location is astonishing, and the price
is right."
- The first official student chapter of the Native American Journalists
Association was established at UM. (May 2006)
- CosmoGIRL! teen magazine named UM one of the 50 best places for young
women to go to college. (October 2004 and 2005)
- UM is No. 1 among "Schools with the Top Fans of I-AA," according
to I-AA.org, which wrote: "The 'Brawl of the Wild' versus Montana
State simply shuts down the entire state. ... A must-see."
- Upon earning a bachelor's degree in 2005, 64-year-old Diana Davey
told the Missoulian newspaper: "The University of Montana is a
wonderful treasure for the people of Montana, and a wonderful gift to
Missoula. It's a priceless resource."
- Street & Smith's magazine, the bible of college hoops, named UM
seventh on its list of all-time best women's basketball programs. (2005)
- Sports Illustrated On Campus ranked UM No. 25 on its top 25 list of
best college sports towns. UM is the only I-AA school on the list. "In
Missoula, site of 'A River Runs Through It,' fans sip Moose Drool and
Trout Slayer ale while tailgating along the Clark Fork River,"
the article said. (Sept. 16, 2004)
- UM is one of the 134 colleges named "Best in the West" by
the Princeton Review. "Students at University of Montana-Missoula
love the gestalt of their school, telling us that 'Missoula is one of
the best places to be: friendly people, supportive faculty, a great
sense of community, fantastic educational opportunities, and beautiful,
beautiful scenery!" said the publication.
- Forbes magazine called UM-Missoula one of the Top 10 "IQ Campuses"
in the nation, praising its quality of life and mix of intellectuals,
international students and immigrants. "Sawmill workers and University
of Montana professors are next-door neighbors here, sharing the town's
affordable housing and good health care," the article said. "Violent
crime is low, and future job growth looks sunny. The cultural capital
of Montana, Missoula has a long-standing reputation as the state's most
progressive city. Intellectuals, East Coast transplants, international
students and Russian and Tibetan immigrants join the locals to make
Missoula their home." (August 2004)
- UM and Montana Tech are two of the nation's 77 "best value"
undergraduate institutions, according to "America's Best Value
Colleges," a book published by the Princeton Review. (2004)
- "The M Trail, which offers a stunning panoramic view of Missoula
from the top of the M, is the most heavily used hiking trail in the
state, more than even those in Glacier National Park," wrote the
Chronicle of Higher Education about UM's Mount Sentinel. "'It's
the original StairMaster,'" the article quoted UM's campus recreation
director as saying. (2004)
- "Defined by a prestigious faculty, red-brick architecture and
expansive lawns, the century-old school is often referred to as the
Harvard of the West," said Ski magazine. "Some 2,400 students
graduate each year; far fewer actually leave." (2004)
- Named among the top “schools with the most beautiful campus
in an urban setting” by Kaplan’s “Unofficial, Unbiased
Guide to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges.” (2004)
- Named among the top “schools that attract high school class
presidents” by Kaplan’s “Unofficial, Unbiased Guide
to the 328 Most Interesting Colleges.” (2004)
- USA Today said UM had the No. 3 Easter egg hunt in the nation. (2002)
- UM was recognized by Spin magazine’s section, “College
Life 101: Your Survival Guide.” The article said, “If you
like bears in your city parks and full access to winter sports, welcome
to Missoula (pop. 57,000), home of [UM].” (2002)
- The New York Times singled out UM’s fight song, “Up With
Montana,” in an article about humorous college fight songs, saying,
“At [UM], fans expect their team to devour its enemies while still
alive.” (2002)
- In 2002, USA Today wrote about the joys of Grizzly football in an
article titled “The Continental Divide: Montana games intimate
yet vital.”
- Outside Magazine rated UM among the top 10 nationally for combining
academic quality and outdoor recreation.
- Rolling Stone once deemed UM's campus the most scenic in America.
- Included in America's Best 100 College Buys and Barron's Best Buys
in College Education. (2003)
- Listed in the book “How to Get an Ivy League Education at a
State University,” by Martin Nemko, who called Missoula “
a Rocky Mountain Berkeley ... the kind of place many people hate to
leave.” (1989)
Missoula Facts
Location: A western Montana valley surrounded by the
Rocky Mountains.
Latitude: 46’55’’ N
Longitude: 114’05’’ W
Population (2000 U.S. Census):
Missoula city — 57,053
Missoula County — 95,802
Montana state — 902,195
Montana population per square mile: 6.2
Missoula county population per square mile: 33.5
Founded: 1860 as the Hellgate Trading Post
Fort Missoula built: 1877
Distance above sea level: 3,210 feet
Peak of Mount Sentinel: 5,158 feet
Average high temperature in September: 70.9 F
Average annual snowfall: 54.8 inches
Sunny days per year: 74.7
Sister cities: Neckargemuend, Germany, and Palmerston
North, New Zealand. (Montana also has sister-state relationships with
Kumamoto, Japan; Taiwan, China; and Guangxi, China.)
Nearby attractions: Rattlesnake Wilderness, five minutes;
Snowbowl Ski Area, seven miles; Glacier National Park, 139 miles; Yellowstone
National Park, 269 miles. There are 3.1 million acres of wilderness within
a 100-mile radius of campus.
Length of average commute: 17.5 minutes
Missoula Media Recognition
- Missoula is "one of the of the best mountain towns in the nation,"
according to National Geographic Adventure magazine. (August 2007)
- Country Home magazine called Missoula one of the "Top 25 Best
Places to Live" and one of the "Top 10 Best Green Small Cities."
(April 2007)
- Forbes magazine called Missoula one of the "Best Small Places
for Business." (May 2006)
- The Washington Post wrote: "Missoula, home of the University
of Montana, is the state's second-largest city, a mountain-ringed hub
of collegiate culture -- and, as it turns out, an oasis in a coffee
addict's desert. ... Tiny Missoula teems with proudly independent java
joints, all of them at least very good, some serving locally roasted
coffee." (Sept. 4, 2005)
- Missoula is the sixth-best city in the country, according to Men's
Journal. The magazine's "50 Best Places to Live" rankings
also kept Missoula in first place for cities with populations under
100,000. Missoula ranks in fourth place among best adventure towns.
The article said Missoula's "proximity to top-shelf trout fishing,
mountain biking, hiking, and skiing, along with relatively mild winters,
draws an eclectic mix of students, ranchers, and literati." (April
2005)
- Men's Journal ranked Missoula the No. 1 small town in the nation in
its article, "The 50 Best Places to Live." The article said,
"Missoula sits on a glacial lake bed at the intersection of five
valleys and four rivers -- two of which, the Bitterroot and the Clark
Fork, slice right through town (giving Norman Maclean his title 'A River
Runs Through It'). During summer there's blue-ribbon trout fishing in
every direction, and mountain bikers rule the old logging roads and
ski runs above town. During winter, which is generally milder than in
the rest of the region, Montana Snowbowl boasts the state's best tree
skiing." The article also quotes local author James Lee Burke:
"Missoula ruins so many careers. People visit, and then throw everything
away just so they can stay." (June 2004)
- "Crowd pressure, generally, just doesn't exist in Montana,"
wrote Sports Illustrated in an article about golfing. "If you like
golf -- and no waiting at the first tee -- Big Sky Country is for you."
(May 2004)
- "Montana's nice scenery and the local university go a long way
in a small place," said Inc. magazine when it ranked Missoula No.
2 among small cities in its article "Top 25 Places for Doing Business
in America." (March 2004)
- "Looking for a small town with sophistication? [Missoula] is
the place to move if you want both big-city amenities and out-and-out
wilderness," said an MSN article titled "Best Places for Outdoor
Activities." The article continued, "You'll find city attractions
such as restaurants, shops, galleries, museums, theater, and a symphony.
But take just a step out of town and you'll be surrounded by millions
of acres of national forest, wilderness, and recreation areas, where
you can go hiking, camping, fishing, biking, white-water rafting, and
skiing." (2004)
- In an article titled "Missoula: Home of High-Country Culture,"
SkyWest magazine said, "Isolated, surrounded on every side by difficult
terrain, [Missoula] is nonetheless, urbane, artistic, hip. ... Perhaps
its greatest assets are a legacy of quiet accomplishment and citizens
positively smitten with their town. Good things tend to happen here."
(Fall 2003)
- SKI magazine touted Missoula as a "safe, friendly town with little
crime and tremendous open spaces." The article also said, "A
rough exterior belies a surprisingly intellectual town with great skiing.
Just don't tell anyone." (2004)
- Outside Magazine placed Missoula No. 15 on its list of the “40
Best College Towns.” The article said, “John Updike once
called Missoula the Paris of the nineties, because of the city’s
legendary population of writers, but Paris lacks three world-renowned
trout rivers and proximity to Glacier and Yellowstone national parks.”
(2003)
- Forbes magazine called Missoula the No. 11 small place for business
and careers. (May 2003)
- Ranked No. 1 in the state by the ePodunk Historic Small Towns index.
(2001)
- Ranked No. 5 among small cities nationally in the ePodunk College
Towns index. (2001)
- Named “Best Community in the West” by Sunset magazine.
(1999)
- Named No. 11 best place by Utne Reader. (1997)
UM’s 28 Rhodes Scholars
1904 George Barnes, classics
1906 James R. Thomas, geology
1919 Clarence K. Streit, journalism
1920 Radcliffe H. Beckwith, geology
1921 James A. Farmer, law
1923 Arthur K. Burt, English
1930 Dorr C. Skeels, mathematics/physics
1932 Joseph H. Fitzgerald, economics/sociology
1933 Eugene Sunderlin, chemistry
1937 Robert C. Bates, economics
1948 Ralph K. Davidson, political science/economics
1950 Sterling “Jim” Soderlind, journalism
1955 Walter W. Eyer, political science
1957 William Bruce Cook, political science/history/economics
1958 Roger M. Baty, economics
1962 John U. Carlson, history
1966 David R. Howlett, Latin
1967 Kent deMers Price, history/political science
1973 Mark S. Peppler, microbiology
1976 James R. Murray, philosophy
1978 Ann Haight, history
1984 Katie Richards, classics
1986 Andrew Vliet, wildlife biology
1988 David Wheeler, zoology/pre-med
1989 Bridget Clarke, philosophy
1991 Molly Ann Kramer, environmental studies
1992 Scott Bear Don’t Walk, philosophy/Native American studies
1993 Charlotte Morrison, philosophy/honors
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