Features
Montana Western ranks second nationally for value
Dec 28th, 2009 | Category: Features
The University of Montana Western is making national news in U.S. News & World Report again, this time as the second-ranked university on a list of “Colleges that Offer Small Classes on a Budget.”
The newly released ranking of “30 well-regarded and affordable colleges with lots of small classes” places Montana Western second only to the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
The ranking took into consideration five factors in determining each university’s ranking: the number of classes with 19 or fewer students; the total number of undergraduates; the percentage of faculty who are full-time; selectivity in the acceptance process; and tuition and fees. Montana Western has 73 classes with 19 or fewer students. Tuition and fees are $4,866 per year for Montana residents and $13,050 for non-residents.
The small campus and unique block scheduling program, Experience One, are conducive to keeping class sizes small, giving Montana Western a student-to-professor ratio of 16 to one.
Although the ranking warns readers that smaller classes may also mean classes are taught by graduate students or adjuncts, 97 percent of Montana Western’s professors have either a master’s degree, a Ph.D or both. Fifty-nine percent of classes at Montana Western are taught by full-time, tenured or tenure-track faculty.
“As universities across the country face serious budget shortfalls and the cost of a college education continues to rise, Montana Western continues to offer the best value in the region,” Montana Western Chancellor Richard Storey said of the ranking. “Not only does Experience One give students more attention from their professors, it gives them more hands-on, real-world learning opportunities at a cost they can afford.”
Holy cats! This is great news! If you are a student considering UMW, I can tell you as a faculty member that you will not find a group of more dedicated and motivated mentors than the faculty at UMW. If you are looking for an experiential education where you work on projects that matter to society, look no further than the most innovative, public liberal arts and sciences college in the nation…..and being surrounded by mountains, great skiing, blue-ribbon trout streams, and the best in Rocky Mountain wildlife isn’t so bad either!……Rob
I agree UMW is the best campus ever! This is my sophomore year here and I can tell you that I enjoy the professors and staff because they do care about the ’student.’ And block scheduling is a great success because it allows the student to fit in extracurricular activities/field experience/work in between class and study time!
As a former graduate of Western, I can attest to the excellent learning environment they provide. Small classes, low cost, and unlimited outdoor recreation make this a choice well worth considering. Having traveled extensively as an airline pilot, I can honestly say it’s nice to have roots attached to this fine institution in the great state of Montana.