2025 Top Online Colleges in Montana

Montana is one of the largest states in the U.S. but holds one of the smallest populations. To accommodate its scattered and rural population, the state has developed several distance learning programs. This short guide will take you through them, explaining everything from where to search for online degrees to how to save money on individual courses. Keep reading to take your first steps to an online degree in Big Sky Country.

Online Degrees in Montana: What to Know

1. Find Online Degrees in Montana Quickly

The Montana University System (MUS) comprises the University of Montana schools, Montana State University campuses, community colleges and tribal colleges. It’s easy to find an online program at most of them, thanks to the MUS Academic Degree Program Inventory. The tool divides programs by delivery method and academic level, so choose carefully under “degree type.” If you wish, select a college and/or major as well.

The search results aren’t perfect, so you may find some programs have been discontinued or modified. Nonetheless, the site is an excellent starting point for your degree search.

2. Earn Online College Credits in High School

One of the cheapest ways to earn college credits in Montana is by not waiting until you’ve finished high school. The Montana University System’s dual enrollment program gives secondary schoolers 50% off tuition on classes that count toward both a high school and college degree. (And the majority of classes come without fees or textbook costs.) To get started, look through the online courses and fill out a short enrollment interest form.

What if we told you that you could earn credits for even less? That’s the promise of Montana Digital Academy (MTDA), which offers more than a dozen Advanced Placement (AP) courses for free to high schoolers. Register and take online AP classes in either fall or spring, and then take the exam to potentially score college credits.

3. Easily Transfer Credits to Bachelor’s Programs

Once you’ve actually graduated from high school, college credits go up in price. But you can still save money on an online degree in Montana. Each of the state’s three non-tribal community colleges — Dawson, Flathead Valley and Miles — offers distance learning options. And according to data from College Scorecard, costs are lower for students at such schools, meaning you’ll save a few thousand for studying there during your first two years.

But how do you know your courses will be worth anything when you’re ready to get a baccalaureate? Because all MUS schools use common-course numbering. Each equivalent course has the same title and number and is accepted across schools. Plus, schools such as Montana State University offer online degree completion programs specifically for people who have completed their first two years. Check out the MUS Transfer website for details.

4. Score a Tuition Discount as a Nonresident

Montana is one of 15 states with membership in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE). WICHE sponsors two tuition reciprocity programs:

• The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), which reduces tuition for WICHE state residents attending participating colleges.
• The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), which equalizes nonresident and resident tuition (although WGRP’s qualifying programs tend to be on-campus).

Montana’s membership in WICHE is good news for Montanans and nonresidents alike. On the one side, nonresidents from other member states can go to any one of 12 participating Montana public colleges and pay no more than 150% of resident tuition. On the other side, Montanans can go to college in other WICHE states and get the same deal.

Affordable Online Schools in Montana

To be classed as an “Affordable Online School,” Montana community colleges and universities must meet our stringent criteria for quality, flexibility, price and use of financial aid money. In 2018, no schools made the cut, although Montana State University and Montana State University Billings have appeared in this section in previous years.

Online Schools in Montana with Accreditation & Quality Concerns

Ready to apply? There’s one last step to take: Make sure your chosen online school is accredited and respectable. Take these steps:

• Visit the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) website. NWCCU is Montana’s regional accrediting body.
• Look for your school in NWCCU’s Directory of Montana Institutions. If your school is there, it means you’ll be eligible for government financial aid and that the credits you earn will probably be transferable.
• Under the status column, look for terms such as “warning,” “probation,” or “show-cause.” These are negative actions NWCCU make take against schools. The commission provides links to public notices any time it places a school on probation or show-cause.
• If your college isn’t in NWCCU’s directory, it may hold accreditation elsewhere. Check the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) database, which encompasses schools with NWCCU accreditation and those with national accreditation. Students at nationally accredited institutions have limited transfer options but are eligible for financial aid.

If your school isn’t in the CHEA database, you’ll be out of luck on the financial aid front as well. We found one school in Montana operating without accreditation:

• Mountain States Baptist College

  Mountain States is an unaccredited institution. It’s not in the CHEA database or on College Scorecard. Students who attend are not eligible for financial aid and have extremely limited transfer options.

Montana Online Education Resources

Accreditation

• Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU): NWCCU accredits Montana’s degree-granting institutions, covering private and public colleges at all levels. Explore its website to ensure your school is accredited and reputable.

Distance Learning Resources

• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): Students from the Dakotas to Hawaii can receive lower tuition bills through two WICHE regional reciprocity agreements. Montanans, meanwhile, can take advantage of the same agreements when going out of state.

Online Degree & Course Catalogs

• Montana Digital Academy (MTDA): Montana high schoolers can dip into MTDA’s catalog of specialized, credit recovery and Advanced Placement courses as needed. MTDA courses are free for residents.
• Montana University System (MUS): MUS’s Academic Degree Program Inventory features filters for online degrees and certificates. The website also publishes details on credit transfers and dual enrollment.