August 28, 2019
The University of Montana Western was recently ranked among the fastest-growing universities in the country by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
In the 2019-20 Almanac of Higher Education special report, the University of Montana Western was listed in the top 10 fastest-growing public four-year universities in the country based on enrollment between the years of 2007-2017. The report was the result of a comprehensive 10-year study by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
According to the article, the focus was “on the numbers in order to paint a portrait of higher education’s strengths and weaknesses and the strategies universities used to rapidly increase enrollment growth.” The University of Montana Western’s enrollment grew by 34% during the ten-year period.
“After struggling to keep students, UMW in Dillon transformed its educational model following a pilot project ending in 2003. Its leaders took the school from one some community members feared was on the brink of closure to a campus other institutions see as a model,” said Chancellor Beth Weatherby in a recent article in the Missoulian.
The new educational model, called Experience One, established the “block schedule,” which transformed the way faculty teach and offers students immersive learning. Montana Western is the only public university in the United States offering Experience One, where students take one course at a time for 18 days, take a short break, and then move on to their next course. After the full implementation of Experience One starting in 2004, enrollment began to increase steadily and then stabilize.
The fields of academic study at Montana Western include Biology, Business and Technology, Environmental Sciences, Education, English, Equine Studies, Health and Human Performance, Fine Arts, Mathematics, and History, Philosophy, and Social Sciences.
Montana Western’s commitment to engagement and support offer an incredible experience for students while maintaining a high standard of academic excellence and low tuition costs.
For more information about Experience One and the University of Montana Western or to schedule a visit, visit www.umwestern.edu or call 877-683-7331.
