What Rocky Mountain College does

Rocky Mountain College is a private, nonprofit institution of higher education founded in 1878 and located in Billings, Montana. It is Montana's oldest institution of higher education and operates as a single-campus college with 251-500 employees, serving a mix of undergraduate, transfer, graduate, and military-affiliated students primarily from Montana and Wyoming, with a stated 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Its core academic offerings include liberal arts and science majors (e.g., Biology, Equestrian Studies) and a flagship Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, which is Montana's first homegrown doctoral-level OT program and reports a 100% career placement rate with 67% of graduates employed in rural areas. Supporting the academic core are two structured access pathways: the Direct Admit pathway, which guarantees admission for Montana and Wyoming high school graduates with a 2.5+ GPA and offers up to $17,000/year in merit aid, and the Early Admission Program (EAP), which links RMC undergraduates to guaranteed or provisional seats in graduate health programs including OTD, MPAS, DO (via Rocky Vista University), and a proposed DVM program.

RMC's underlying technology stack is conventional higher-ed IT: the Moodle learning management system for course delivery, the Jenzabar-powered MyRocky student portal for registration and records, and clinical simulation assets including the ALSIM AL100i flight simulator and an acute care simulation lab at Billings Clinic. The OTD program holds full continuing accreditation from ACOTE, the undergraduate elementary teacher preparation program carries an NCTQ A+ rating, and RMC holds a 2026-2027 Military Friendly Schools designation. Its revenue model is tuition- and fee-driven: first-year merit scholarships range from $9,000 to $17,000 per year (tiered by GPA), transfer scholarships from $5,000 to $12,000, with 99% of students receiving scholarships or grants averaging ~$26,500 annually, supplemented by room and board and graduate program tuition (OTD, PA). Distribution is primarily direct enrollment via an in-house admissions team and the Common App, augmented by a high school counselor network across Montana and Wyoming and a network of approximately 275 clinical and fieldwork placement partners.

Name

Rocky Mountain College

Legal name

Rocky Mountain College

Website

https://rocky.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Rocky Mountain College is a private nonprofit college founded in 1878 in Billings, Montana, serving undergraduate, graduate, and military students with liberal arts programs and Montana's first homegrown Occupational Therapy Doctorate.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Billings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Undergraduate Tuition and Fees: Tuition revenue from undergraduate programs ranging from $9,000-$17,000 per year in merit scholarships, with total cost offset by financial aid packages averaging $26,500 in scholarships and grants annually
2. Graduate Program Tuition (OTD, PA, MPAS): Revenue from graduate-level professional programs including Occupational Therapy Doctorate and Master of Physician Assistant Studies
3. Room and Board: Housing and dining services revenue from campus residential life

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rocky Mountain College is a private nonprofit higher education institution in Billings, Montana, founded in 1878, offering undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Its flagship offering is Montana's first homegrown Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program, delivered fully in-person with small cohorts, one-on-one faculty mentorship, and ACOTE accreditation. The college also provides undergraduate majors (Biology, Equestrian Studies), graduate professional health programs, campus residential life (housing and dining), and specialized enrollment pathways including the Direct Admit Pathway for Montana/Wyoming high school graduates and the Early Admission Program linking undergraduate degrees to graduate health programs.

Product overview

Rocky Mountain College offers a comprehensive suite of educational products and services centered around its role as Montana's oldest institution of higher education. The core academic offerings include undergraduate majors (Biology, Equestrian Studies) and professional graduate programs, most notably the flagship Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) program — Montana's first homegrown doctoral-level OT program, fully in-person with small cohorts, faculty mentorship, and state-of-the-art facilities. Supporting these are specialized access pathways: the Direct Admit Pathway for Montana/Wyoming high school graduates offering guaranteed admission and merit scholarships up to $17,000/year, and the Early Admission Program (EAP) providing guaranteed or provisional seats in graduate health programs (OTD, MPAS, DO, DVM). The college operates technology platforms including the MyRocky student portal (Jenzabar-powered) and Moodle learning management system. Financial support products include institutional merit scholarships ranging from $9,000 to $17,000 annually for first-year students, transfer scholarships up to $12,000/year, and specialized scholarships for Native American students and Montana/Wyoming valedictorians.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) Program Montana's first homegrown doctoral-level occupational therapy program, offered as a fully in-person degree in Billings. Features small cohorts, one-on-one faculty mentorship, state-of-the-art OT labs, simulation environments, aquatic therapy at Fortin Pool, acute care simulation at Billings Clinic, and ACOTE continuing accreditation. Reports 100% career placement rate shortly after graduation, 100% board pass rate, and 67% of graduates employed in rural areas. Cohort start date moved from January 2027 to August 2026.
• Early Admission Program (EAP) First-of-its-kind pathway in Montana linking undergraduate degrees to guaranteed or provisional seats in graduate health programs (OTD, MPAS, DO at Rocky Vista University, DVM at RVU's proposed College of Veterinary Medicine). Includes up to $5,000 annual EAP Health Career Scholarships and provisional admission based on defined GPA and coursework standards. Addresses rural physician, PA, OT, and veterinarian shortages.
• Direct Admit Pathway Guaranteed admission pathway for Montana and Wyoming high school graduates with 2.5+ GPA, offering up to $17,000 annual merit aid, test-optional admissions, and loan-free tuition options for Pell-eligible families. Includes special connections to PA (48 seats) and OT (30 seats) programs and structured four-year pathway planning.
• Biology Program Comprehensive undergraduate major studying life from cellular mechanisms to ecosystem processes, preparing students for professional schools, graduate school, or biology-related careers. Offers tracks in cell/molecular biology, anatomy/physiology, and evolution/ecology.
• Equestrian Studies Program Academic program offering equestrian education including reproduction, growth, and advanced reproduction courses, with hosting capabilities for FFA events and community programs at RMC's equestrian facilities.
• RMC Scholarships Program Institutional scholarship program offering merit-based awards up to $17,000/year for first-year students across GPA tiers (Academic Excellence, High Achievement, Merit Award, RMC Grant), transfer scholarships up to $12,000/year, Montana/Wyoming Valedictorian Scholarship, and Native American Outreach scholarships. Athletic scholarships, tuition remission, or VA benefits replace academic merit awards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% career placement rate for OTD graduates shortly after graduation
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Rocky Vista University (RVU) - Montana College of Osteopathic MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Collaboration providing early admission pathway from RMC undergraduate programs to RVU's Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) program. RMC students completing pre-med or biology majors with defined GPA and coursework standards receive provisional admission to RVU's Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine, addressing rural physician shortages.
• Rocky Vista University (RVU) - College of Veterinary Medicine (Proposed)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Partnership for proposed DVM program pending regulatory approvals. RMC students pursuing biology or pre-veterinary majors with strong science backgrounds receive provisional admission pathway to RVU's proposed College of Veterinary Medicine, addressing critical need for veterinarians in agricultural communities across Montana.
• Billings Clinic and Montana Healthcare SystemscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerClinical partnership providing fieldwork placements for OTD and PA students. Students complete Level II Fieldwork in large hospital systems and rehabilitation centers in Billings, rural health centers, tribal communities, and select national and international locations. Approximately 275 fieldwork placements across Montana.
• Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE)coreOthersProfessional accreditation body that grants continuing accreditation to RMC's OTD program, affirming curriculum, outcomes, and clinical training meet rigorous professional standards (Address: 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814)
• Adaptive Performance CenterminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEmployer and fieldwork location for OTD students, providing clinical training experience working with veterans in adaptive sports and rehabilitation contexts

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Mary: Private Catholic university in Bismarck, ND with an established OTD program in Billings—the same city as RMC. Directly competes for the same Montana OT student pool and faculty talent (RMC's new OTD faculty hire came from University of Mary).
• Carroll College: Small private Catholic liberal arts college in Helena, MT. Closest direct competitor in the Montana private higher education market, with similar undergraduate focus, size, and tuition model.
• Pacific University: Small private university in Oregon offering OT, PA, and other health sciences programs. Comparable in scale, mission, and health-sciences portfolio mix to RMC's emerging graduate offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Rocky Vista University: Partner institution operating the Montana College of Osteopathic Medicine. Larger health-sciences-focused university that absorbs RMC's EAP pipeline students; comparable as a downstream graduate health education provider.
• Gonzaga University: Larger private Jesuit university in Spokane, WA with health sciences programs. Comparable as a regional private higher education competitor drawing from the same broader Northwest student market.

Regional players

• Montana State University Billings: Public university in the same Billings market. Competes for the same regional student pool but at a lower price point; serves as the primary public alternative for Montana high school graduates.
• University of Providence: Small private Catholic university in Great Falls, MT with nursing and health science programs. Comparable regional private higher education competitor in Montana with similar mission-driven positioning.
• Montana Technological University: Public university in Butte, MT with strong STEM and pre-health programs. Competes for Montana high school graduates interested in science/health career pathways similar to RMC's pre-med/biology tracks.
• Idaho State University: Public university with well-established OT and PA programs in the broader mountain west. Competes for rural health science students and represents a regional alternative to RMC's graduate health offerings.

Emerging players

• Chatham University: Small private university in Pittsburgh with a well-established OTD program. Comparable in program mix and scale to RMC's OTD ambitions, and a useful benchmark for OT program growth trajectory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/150421602788
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rockymountaincollege
• Instagraminstagram.com/rockymountaincollege

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rocky Mountain College