BOZEMAN – The home of Montana State University has been named the No. 3 college town in America, according to the website BestColleges.com.
The ranking points to the growth in the city's population and the campus enrollment in recent years, "which means a bustling downtown and campus." The ranking also notes the nearby natural amenities as key to making Bozeman a "paradise for outdoorsy students."
MSU's headcount enrollment set a new all-time record this fall at 16,978, solidifying its position as the largest university in Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas. Its incoming class was the third largest in history at 3,634.
Among those enrolled were 14,885 undergraduate students and 2,093 graduate students. Approximately 5,200 students live in on-campus housing, about 30% of the student body.
A total of 8,195 of MSU's students are Montana residents. More Montana residents choose MSU than any other university or college in the state.
According to BestColleges.com, the ranking is based on information from the U.S. Department of Education, the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau. It focused on state schools in town settings nationwide. MSU was third on the national list behind Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Corvallis, Oregon.
More information about MSU can be found at montana.edu/about and more information about Bozeman is published at montana.edu/marketing/about-msu/bozeman.
