Montana Colleges Land On 2026 Best In The West List

Montana might be known for wide open spaces, big skies, and a whole lot of cows, but we’re also packing some serious brainpower. Two Montana universities just landed a pretty big honor: the Princeton Review’s Best 391 Colleges for 2026. That’s right, both Montana Technological University in Butte and the University of Montana in Missoula made the cut.

Here’s why that’s a big deal. Only about 15% of the nearly 2,400 four-year colleges across the U.S. earn a spot in this guide. It’s not a simple popularity contest either. The Princeton Review pulls feedback from more than 170,000 students, who dish on everything from academics and campus life to food quality and dorms. Think of it as the Yelp of higher education, except instead of complaining about lukewarm fries, students are rating their professors, peers, and overall college experience.

The guide doesn’t rank schools one through 391, but it does highlight standout schools in 50 different categories. So instead of asking “who’s number one overall,” the question is more like, “where are the happiest students?” or “who has the best dorm food?” Montana Tech and UM both landed on the “Best in the West” list, showing that Montana colleges hold their own in the big leagues of higher ed.

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For Montana students (and parents), this recognition is a nod that you don’t need to leave Big Sky Country to get a quality education. Whether you’re drawn to Tech’s powerhouse STEM programs (science, technology, engineering and math) or UM’s lively campus life tucked against the mountains, both schools prove that Montana is more than just a pretty view.