Career Colleges » Montana
Find a listing of of Montana's career schools and colleges. Montana State University is in the top tier of US research institutions. Each program from a Montana Career College, a post-secondary for-profit institution, offers an education with an in-demand career field. The programs are designed to get you work-ready, equipped with the practical knowledge, and the competence needed to obtain a competitive career in Montana.
At career colleges in Montana, you typically don't take general education classes in core subjects such as English and math. Instead, you focus on career-related courses.
Learn which Montana degree programs are in demand, and why residents benefit from pursuing them.
It is no secret that college graduates tend to fare better than high school grads and drop-outs in terms of employment and earnings potential. While Montana residents benefit as much from these trends as anyone else, reports suggest too few pursue higher education. This is a shame because Montana schools are known for both their academic rigor and affordability. By taking advantage of Montana career training options, you could help residents meet growing employer demand for college-educated workers, while improving your own career forecast.
""Big Sky Country"" may be known for its low population density, but do not let that fool you into thinking its educational offerings are equally scarce. The state's two largest college systems -- Montana State University and the University of Montana -- serve thousands of students a year. These colleges, along with a number of additional schools, offer residents a breadth of degree options. Montana schools tend to be budget-friendly, too: According to the National Center for Education Statistics, the average cost to attend Montana state colleges in 2009-10 was $12,400, about $2,500 less than the national average.
Unfortunately, too few Montana residents are taking advantage of their state's career training resources. The U.S. Census reports that in 2008, 37.6 percent of Montana residents age 25 and older had college degrees. While this is on par with the national average, Montanans trailed the rest of the country in terms of advanced training: 8.3 percent had post-baccalaureate degrees, 2 full points below the national average.
Perhaps more concerning are projections regarding the state's future educational competitiveness. The Lumina Foundation reports that if the state's current educational attainment rate holds, 45.6 percent of Montana workers will have earned degrees by 2025, far short of the 62 percent of Montana employers that Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce projects will require this type of training by 2018. By pursuing higher education, particularly in high-demand fields, Montanans can curb this trend, helping to secure their economic futures.
Montana was traditionally an agricultural and mining powerhouse, known for its wide open fields, cattle ranches, and gold and silver mines. While agriculture still plays an important role in the state's modern economy, times have changed. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Billings Hospital, Montana State University and Malmstrom Air Force Base were among the state's largest employers in 2010.
Meanwhile the DOL projects that the following will be among the state's fastest growing industries between 2008 and 2018:
The following are among the DOL-projected fastest growing occupations for the same period:
Earning a degree in any of these areas can make it easier for Montana college grads to find a job, but the truth is earning a degree in virtually any discipline can help one's long-term career potential. The DOL reports that employment rates tend to improve with education, and according to the Census Bureau, full-time workers with bachelor's degrees earned about $23,000 more than high school graduates in 2009. This wage disparity only widens with advanced training.
While the news regarding Montana higher education trends may be troubling for employers, there is a silver lining: Fewer college graduates means less career competition for degree-holders. In other words, investing in your education may pay off in ways you haven't considered. Research Montana universities and trade schools to get started.