So, you're thinking about attending a college or university in Montana?

Though Montana ranks fourth overall in land area, it is 44th in population, giving it the third lowest population density in the U.S. The state of Montana lies in both the Pacific Northwest and Great Plains regions of the country. It is bordered to the north by Canada, to the east by North Dakota and South Dakota, to the south by Wyoming, and to the west by Idaho.

The landscape of Montana is divided mostly by the Continental Divide, which runs from the northwest to the south-central portions of the state. The western part of the state is actually a part of the northern Rocky Mountain range. This is most likely what most people think of when they think of Montana...the mountains. Approximately 60% of the state, however, is east of the Continental Divide and lies on the northern section of the Great Plains. This area is mostly composed of prairies, with several "island" mountain ranges mixed in.

As of 2005, Montana had an estimated population of only 935,670. This includes 16,500 residents who were foreign-born, which is approximately 1.8% of the population. Within the state, there are a total of seven Native American reservations. Counties surrounding these have, not surprisingly, predominantly Native American populations.

Though, in recent years, Montana has been classified as a Republican-leaning state, the political sides taken by residents are not as clearly defined. Voters supported President George W. Bush by a substantial margin in both the 2000 and 2004 elections, but, currently has a Democrat for governor.

During the 2006 midterm elections, the Democratic candidate defeated the incumbent Republican Senator by only 3000 votes, which helped the Democratic Party to win the majority in the U.S. Senate. On the other hand, Montana's only U.S. Congressman, a Republican, won reelection easily. As of 2007, the state Senate is controlled by the Democrats while the State House is controlled by the Republicans.

Approximately 79% of Montana's residents identify with the Christian belief system. Of these, 55% are Protestant while 24% are Roman Catholic. 3% of the remaining population are Mormon, less than 1% follow other religions, and 18% say they have no affiliation with any specific religion.

In Montana, the personal income tax rate is determined by seven different tax brackets, ranging from 1% to 6.9%. Though Montana has no sales tax whatsoever, the property taxes of the state are a little complex.

Household goods are exempt from property taxes, but they are assessed on such things as automobiles, trucks, and business equipment. The amount owed in taxes is not determined only by the property's value either. The value of the property is multiplied by a set tax rate, determined by the state's legislature, to calculate its taxable value. The result is then multiplied again by the mill levy, which is established by various local jurisdictions.

There are a number of colleges and universities within the state of Montana. Educational institutions located here include:

• Montana State University

• Rocky Mountain College

• The University of Great Falls

• The University of Montana

• Little Big Horn College

To find more information about universities and colleges in this area, visit the Online College Degrees page on this website.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Montana".

Free College Planning Resources