Montana University System

What Montana University System does

Montana University System (MUS) is the state of Montana's public higher education system, governed by the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education and administered through the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education (OCHE) in Helena. Established in 1865 under the Montana Constitution (Article XI, Section 9), MUS coordinates 16 public universities, four-year colleges, and community colleges serving more than 40,000 students statewide, including Montana State University (Bozeman, Billings, Northern, Great Falls College), University of Montana (Missoula, Montana Tech, Western, Helena College), and community colleges (Dawson, Flathead Valley, Miles, City College, Missoula College, Bitterroot, Highlands). The system employs approximately 9,600 full-time-equivalent faculty and staff across UM and MSU.

Name

Montana University System

Legal name

Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education

Website

https://mus.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1865

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MUS is Montana's state public university system governing 16 campuses serving 40,000+ students statewide under the Board of Regents, administered via OCHE in Helena. It delivers unified enrollment (Apply Montana), scholarship administration (Award Montana), and employee benefits (Choices) across the network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Junior Colleges (61121), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Administration of Education Programs (92311), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Education Department Administration (BPAIABAJ)

Keywords

• Public higher education
• Community college education
• Undergraduate graduate programs
• Scholarship administration
• Workforce training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Fees: Revenue generated from student tuition and mandatory fees across 16 public campuses
2. State Appropriations: State government funding through the Montana Board of Regents for public higher education operations
3. Scholarship and Grant Administration: Distribution of state-funded scholarships including MUS Honor Scholarship, STEM Scholarship, 2+2 Honor Scholarship, and SEOG; professional student exchange programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Montana University System (MUS) is the state-supported system of public higher education in Montana, comprising 16 public universities, four-year colleges, and community colleges serving more than 40,000 students statewide. The system delivers associate, undergraduate, graduate, professional, and doctoral programs; administers statewide services including Apply Montana (centralized college application), Award Montana (scholarships and tuition waivers), Achieve Montana (529 college savings), Choices (employee benefits), and federal TRIO pre-college programs (GEAR UP and METS). It is governed by the Montana Board of Regents and administered through the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education in Helena.

Product overview

Montana University System is a statewide network of 16 public higher education institutions serving over 40,000 students. The system operates through several integrated platforms and programs: the core MUS governance structure under the Board of Regents and Commissioner of Higher Education; Apply Montana for unified college applications; Award Montana for scholarship and tuition waiver management; Achieve Montana for college savings plans; and CHOICES for comprehensive employee benefits administration. Pre-college access is supported through GEAR UP and METS programs. The system also provides internal operational tools including SecureMail for secure communications and system-wide workers' compensation management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Montana GEAR UP: Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs - a pre-college program serving students in 7-12th grade at 12 schools to improve high school graduation and college enrollment rates.
• Apply Montana
• Award Montana
• Achieve Montana

Products and services

• Montana University System (MUS) - Public Higher Education Network State-supported system of public higher education in Montana comprising 16 public universities, four-year colleges, and community colleges serving more than 40,000 students statewide under the governance of the Montana Board of Regents and administration of the Commissioner of Higher Education.
• Apply Montana - Centralized College Application Portal Free online portal allowing prospective students to apply to any of the 16 campuses in the Montana University System using a single application.
• Award Montana - Scholarship and Waiver Management Portal Centralized portal administering professional student exchange programs, scholarships (including MUS Honor Scholarship, STEM Scholarship, 2+2 Honor Scholarship, and SEOG), and tuition waivers such as American Indian Waiver, Montana National Guard Waiver, and Honorably Discharged Veteran Waiver.
• Achieve Montana - College Savings Plan Tax-advantaged 529-style college savings program helping Montana families save for future college costs.
• Choices - MUS Employee Benefits Program Comprehensive employee benefits program offering health insurance (medical, prescription drug), dental plans (Basic and Select), vision hardware, life/AD&D insurance, long-term disability, and flexible spending accounts for eligible MUS employees and retirees across the 16 campuses.
• Workers' Compensation Program System-wide workers' compensation and risk management program coordinating claims processing, incident reporting via EIR/FROI, safety initiatives, and insurance administration across all MUS campuses in partnership with Montana State Fund and broker Marsh McLennan.
• Employee Wellbeing Program Employee wellness program offering Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services through AllOne Health, fitness resources, wellness coaching, and wellness courses for MUS employees and their household members.
• Montana GEAR UP Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs - federal TRIO pre-college program serving students in grades 7-12 at 12 partner schools to improve high school graduation and college enrollment rates, with focus on American Indian students.
• Montana Educational Talent Search (METS) Federal TRIO pre-college program providing college access advising, outreach, and support services to underrepresented and first-generation students in Lodge Grass, Hardin, Flathead, Great Falls, Pablo, and Browning areas.
• American Indian Tuition Waiver Tuition waiver program for American Indian students. In July 2025 the Board of Regents approved removal of blood quantum requirements and extension of eligibility to unenrolled tribal descendants, effective July 1, 2026.
• SecureMail Portal HIPAA-compliant secure messaging portal enabling MUS staff to transmit PII and PHI securely to OCHE, replacing unencrypted email for sensitive communications.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Montana State FundcoreOthersWorkers' compensation insurance provider for the Montana University System. Serves as the primary point of contact for workers' comp claims and coordinates policy administration across campuses.
• Marsh McLennansupportingOthersInsurance broker partner coordinating workers' compensation policy matters with the Montana University System. Supports communication and issue resolution between campuses, Montana State Fund, and internal stakeholders.
• AllOne HealthsupportingTechnology or IntegrationEmployee Assistance Program (EAP) provider delivering confidential counseling, mental health sessions, life coaching, financial consultation, legal referrals, and work-life resources to MUS employees and their household members at no cost.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Wisconsin System: A multi-campus public university system governed by a state board and serving Wisconsin residents across research universities, comprehensive campuses, and two-year colleges. Closely comparable to MUS in structure, governance, and statewide public higher education mandate.
• State University of New York (SUNY): The largest comprehensive system of public higher education in the U.S., with university centers, state universities, and community colleges coordinated by a Board of Trustees. Mirrors MUS's multi-tier structure with unified application and administrative coordination.
• University of Minnesota System: A multi-campus public system including the flagship Twin Cities campus, regional universities, and coordinate campuses. Comparable to MUS as a statewide coordinating body governing research universities and regional four-year institutions.
• University of Oregon System / Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission: Oversees Oregon's public universities and coordinates state higher education policy, funding, and authorization. Comparable to MUS as a state-level public higher education coordination entity in a rural-adjacent Western state.
• Idaho State Board of Education: Governs Idaho's public K-20 education system, including four universities, two community colleges, and a research institution. Directly comparable to MUS in regional context, multi-tier structure, and constitutional governance model.
• University of North Carolina System: A statewide public university system comprising 16 universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, coordinated by a Board of Governors. Closely matches MUS's 16-campus scale, board governance, and unified system office structure.

Regional players

• University of Wyoming: Montana's neighboring land-grant research university with state-wide public higher education role in Wyoming. Comparable to MUS flagship campuses in regional mission, research focus, and rural state context.
• South Dakota Board of Regents: Governs South Dakota's six public universities and two special schools under a single Board of Regents structure. Highly comparable to MUS in rural-state governance model and small-population operating environment.

Others

• National Association of System Heads (NASH): An association representing public higher education system heads across the U.S. Directly relevant as an ecosystem organization that MUS's Commissioner of Higher Education participates in for policy coordination and benchmarking.
• Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE): A regional interstate compact facilitating student exchange, resource sharing, and policy collaboration among Western U.S. states. Directly relevant to MUS as the administrator of Montana's participation in the Professional Student Exchange Program via Award Montana.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mtuniversitysys
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCrqVY6EosuoBkgNplXCtJTQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/MontanaUniversitySystem
• Instagraminstagram.com/montanagearup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/montana-university-system

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Montana University System