Montana State University

Date: Mar 22 2014
Major: Civil Engineering (This Major's Salary over time)
Most of my family has attended MSU. I have plenty of experience with Bozeman. As a Civil Engineering student, I have found that the classes offer very little. Over 75% of the material is straight out of a text book. There are very few lab experiences. You will sit in an uncomfortable room for almost every class and take notes. Classes range from about 40 to 120 students.

You will love half of your professors and wonder how the others keep their jobs. You can get the same education at most schools, so there are very few reasons to attend MSU in Bozeman simply for academia. The only reasons I'm here, are the mountains, and the in-state tuition is fairly affordable.

Most people come here to ski and go to school on the side. There is some of the best powder in the U.S. One hill is 15 minutes from town, and is a great hill for $50 per lift ticket. Big Sky Ski resort (1 hr away) offers some of the best skiing in the U.S. (and the most vertical ft), but is almost $100 per ticket). Many of the students are coming to MSU on trust fund money and it shows in the town's attitude. People in Bozeman snub their nose to anyone they feel is beneath them. It is a very fake town with very fake people. Bozeman's priorities are a bit out of whack too. The infrastructure isn't doing so well, but you have plenty of options if you want to blow $100,000 on a Turkish rug. If you want to do you're laundry at night though, you can't. I believe there are only two laundromats open past 7:00 and none past 9:00. After all, Bozeman prefers millionaires to average people. Bozeman also has the highest cost of living in the state. There is usually less than a 2% vacancy for apartments and it is almost impossible to find a decent house in a good location. A typical 2 bedroom apartment goes for about $850+ (most places in MT would be 2/3 of that).

Also pointing to the lack of priority balance is the rampant rape problem that has sprung up in the last few years. Every month someone is reporting being sexually assaulted around campus. Half of these atrocities happen at frats, but a surprising number have happened right on the sidewalk in someone's yard. There are no quality streetlights except for Main Street and at major intersections.

The night-life is pretty dull, but if all you want is loud "music" and sorority girls trying out their latest Miley Cyrus impressions, you can find that lack of inspiration any night. The music scene is pretty supportive but lacking imagination.

BIG PLUS: The outdoor recreation around Bozeman is almost unbeatable. There is a plethora of winter amenities such as ski and snowmobile trails, ice climbing, hockey leagues, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, ect. In the summer, it only gets better, there are numerous mountain trails (hiking, biking, dirt-biking, horse-riding) and lakes well within a one hour drive. Floating and fishing the pristine rivers is a favorite. You'll smell BBQ all summer and there are downtown concert events. Yellowstone Park is a short drive through Paradise Valley or Gallatin Canyon.

This town is growing fast! Because of its location, Bozeman has been getting a lot of attention as being one the best small towns to live in, in America. The college is growing very fast (maybe too fast). The football team has an amazing stadium (23,000 occupancy) for such a small school (about 15,000 students in 2013). The school is pushing to reach 19,000 or so students within the decade. The Bozeman area will soon be the most important area in MT. As it grows, the town should develop more activities, both day and night.

Bozeman is middle-ground politically speaking. It doesn't swing too far either way but does seem to be slightly more progressive.

Bottom Line: I love Bozeman (the area) not the town. It is really an amazing place to live if you like the outdoors. If you are looking for a smaller town with a well regarded engineering program, you should definitely check out Bozeman. If you're not in Engineering or Agriculture, (and maybe Business as the program grows) don't even consider Bozeman. Missoula, MT blows Bozeman out of the water in almost every way. If they had an engineering program, I would leave Bozeman in a heartbeat. Missoula is much more relaxed, comfortable, and accessible. However, if you're a die-hard Republican, you should avoid Missoula. (Bozeman = 35,000 people, Missoula = 70,000)