UM enrollment up nearly 6%; largest leap in 15 years

MISSOULA – Enrollment at the University of Montana’s flagship, four-year campus is up nearly 6% this fall. When including Missoula College, total enrollment at UM is up nearly 5%, marking the largest year-over-year jump in 15 years.

In total, there are 484 more students enrolled at UM this fall than in fall 2023, bringing total enrollment to 10,811. Since 2021, UM has added over 1,300 students to its overall headcount, the most of any college in Montana.

“UM is the fastest growing flagship university in Montana,” UM President Seth Bodnar said. “Our mission is inclusive prosperity, and the growing UM student body mirrors the hard-working people who make up our state. We are proud to be serving increasing numbers of Montanans, first-generation, Native American and veteran students.”

This fall, 1,450 first-year freshmen enrolled at UM, marking the largest incoming class at the flagship university in nine years. This is a 5.6% increase in first-time freshmen over last fall and a 47% increase in incoming freshmen since fall 2020.

“Our incoming first-time freshmen growth is a testament to the community we are building for our students to succeed,” said Leslie Webb, UM vice president for student success and enrollment management. “Students know that when they attend UM they join a community that supports them, challenges them and ensures they graduate with the skills needed to have a fulfilling career.”

The number of Montana resident students grew 2.7% compared to a year ago. Of the students currently enrolled at UM, 65.9% are Montana residents.

UM’s student retention rate is 74.8% this fall, remaining near an all-time high. This figure measures the rate that students persist between their first and second year at UM. Since taking over as president in 2018, Bodnar helped raise the student retention significantly.

“The investments made to bolster first-year orientation, add academic advisers and counselors and recapture the vibrancy of our traditions, student clubs and groups is ensuring more students are persisting all the way to graduation,” Webb said.

UM continues to see rapid enrollment growth in key areas critical to the state. The number of student veterans increased to 420 this fall, a 10.8% increase over last year. Native American enrollment also continues to climb. The 839 Native American students enrolled this fall at UM mark an 11.9% increase over last year. This represents 45.4% more Native American students on campus than in fall 2018.

UM remains a national leader in access, especially for first-generation and low-income students. The number of UM students who are the first in their family to attend college is up to 3,029 this fall, a 15.7% increase over last year. Currently, 28% of all UM students are the first in their family to attend college. The number of Pell Grant eligible students increased to 2,492 this year, also a 15.7% increase. Students eligible for Pell Grants come from families who earn significantly less money than the state’s median wage, and make up 31.6% of UM’s total undergraduate student enrollment.

As a result of four consecutive years of enrollment growth, UM’s financial health is the strongest it has been in more than a decade.

“UM’s fiscal strength continues to improve,” said Paul Lasiter, UM vice president for operations and finance. “We are well positioned to continue making the type of student-centered investments our campus needs to thrive.”

In addition to undergraduate student growth, UM’s Graduate School grew nearly 1% to 1,847 students, and the Alexander Blewett III School of Law grew 3.1% to 269 students this fall.

Other data points found in the fall 2024 census include:

• The full-time equivalent number of students on campus is 8,621, a 4.6% increase over 2023.
• The number of non-resident students increased to 2,453, an 8.5% increase over 2023.
• The number of transfer students to UM increased to 656 this fall, a 19.3% increase over 2023.